Minimum number of integers required to fill the NxM grid

Given a grid of size (NxM) is to be filled with integers.

Filling of cells in the grid should be done in the following manner:

  1. let A, B and C are three cell and, B and C shared a side with A.
  2. Value of cell B and C must be distinct.
  3. Let L be the number of distinct integers in a grid.
  4. Each cell should contain value from 1 to L.

The task is to find the minimum value of L and any resulting grid.

Examples:

Input: N = 1, M = 2
Output:
L = 2
grid = {1, 2}

Input: 2 3
Output:
L = 3
grid = {{1, 2, 3},
        {1, 2, 3}}
Explanation: Integers in the neighbors 
of cell (2, 2) are 1, 2 and 3.
All numbers are pairwise distinct.

Approach:
It is given that two cells shared a side with another cell must be distinct. For each such cell, there will be a possible maximum of 8 cells in a grid from whom its value must be different.
It will follow the 4 colour problem: Maximum colour required to fill the regions will be 4.



  1. For N<4 or M<4
    Number of integers required may vary from 1 to 4.
    Checking 8 cells and then fill the current cell.
    If number of distinct integers in 8 cells is less than L then fill the current cell with any remaining integer, otherwise fill the current cells with L+1 integer.
  2. For N>=4 and M>=4
    Number of integers required must be 4 according to 4 colour problem.
    Use the 4×4 matrix to fill the NxM matrix.

    1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
3 4 1 2
3 4 1 2

Below is the implementation of the above approach:

Implementation:

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# Python 3 implementation of
# above approach
  
  
# Function to display the matrix
def display_matrix(A):
    for i in A:
        print(*i)
  
  
# Function for calculation
def cal_main(A, L, x, i, j):
    s = set()
  
    # Checking 8 cells and
    # then fill the current cell.
    if (i - 2) >= 0:
        s.add(A[i - 2][j])
    if (i + 2) < N:
        s.add(A[i + 2][j])
    if (j - 2) >= 0:
        s.add(A[i][j - 2])
    if (j + 2) < M:
        s.add(A[i][j + 2])
    if (i - 1) >= 0 and (j - 1) >= 0:
        s.add(A[i - 1][j - 1])
    if (i - 1) >= 0 and (j + 1) < M:
        s.add(A[i - 1][j + 1])
    if (i + 1) < N and (j - 1) >= 0:
        s.add(A[i + 1][j - 1])
    if (i + 1) < N and (j + 1) < M:
        s.add(A[i + 1][j + 1])
      
    # Set to contain distinct value
    # of integers in 8 cells.
    s = s.difference({0})
  
    if len(s) < L:
  
        # Set contain remaining integers
        w = x.difference(s)
  
        # fill the current cell
        # with maximum remaining integer
        A[i][j] = max(w)
    else:
  
        # fill the current cells with L + 1 integer.
        A[i][j] = L + 1
        L += 1
  
        # Increase the value of L
        x.add(L)
    return A, L, x
  
  
# Function to find the number
# of distinct integers
def solve(N, M):
  
    # initialise the list (NxM) with 0.
    A = []
    for i in range(N):
        K = []
        for j in range(M):
            K.append(0)
        A.append(K)
      
    # Set to contain distinct
    # value of integers from 1-L
    x = set()
    L = 0
  
    # Number of integer required
    # may vary from 1 to 4.
    if N < 4 or M < 4:
        if N > M:  # if N is greater
            for i in range(N):
                for j in range(M):
                    cal_main(A, L, x, i, j)
  
        else:
            # if M is greater
            for j in range(M):
                for i in range(N):
                    cal_main(A, L, x, i, j)
    else:
  
        # Number of integer required
        # must be 4
        L = 4
  
        # 4×4 matrix to fill the NxM matrix.
        m4 = [[1, 2, 3, 4], 
            [1, 2, 3, 4], 
            [3, 4, 1, 2], 
            [3, 4, 1, 2]]
  
        for i in range(4):
            for j in range(4):
                A[i][j] = m4[i][j]
        for i in range(4, N):
            for j in range(4):
                A[i][j] = m4[i % 4][j]
        for j in range(4, M):
            for i in range(N):
                A[i][j] = A[i][j % 4]
    print(L)
    display_matrix(A)
  
  
# Driver Code
if __name__ == "__main__":
  
    # sample input
    # Number of rows and columns
    N, M = 10, 5
    solve(N, M)

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Output:


4
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2
3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2
3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2







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