The code works great, Thanks for the speedy response. The only problem which I can see is that the code scales very bad with the size of n.
So, as I want a small subsection of the data (i.e lines where there are only 4 1s, number in the code below) for a system where n is large(>20). The idea is that this would reduce the number of iterations dramatic despite the individual loop taking longer to operate.(see example data). I've modified the bit_list_maker to allow for this but it has started to produce rows which are identical. Can anyone make any suggestion/improvements to the code def bit_list_maker_mod(n, number): x = n*number solution_set = [] row_total = number for i in range(x): this_answer = [] row = 0 while i>0: this_answer.append(i%2) if i%2 == 1: row +=1 i=i/2 if row == row_total: break while len(this_answer)<n: this_answer.append(0) this_answer.reverse() solution_set.append(this_answer) return solution_set Hugh M wrote: > The 2**n different lists that you are seeking have a direct association > to the binary representation of the integers 0 through (2**n)-1. > > You can use this fact and the "repeated division method" for converting > numbers between different bases to generate these lists and form the > desired list of lists: > > def bit_list_maker(n): > x = 2**n > solution_set = [] > for i in range(x): > this_answer = [] > while i>0: > this_answer.append(i%2) > i=i/2 > while len(this_answer)<n: > this_answer.append(0) > this_answer.reverse() > solution_set.append(this_answer) > return solution_set > * > * > Another fun way to do it is to build up the lists recursively. The > possibilities for n bits can be built from the possibilities for n-1 > bits by adding a 1 and a 0 to each possibility (ending up with twice as > many elements): > > def recursive_bit_list(n): > if n==1: > return [[0],[1]] > else: > return map(lambda x: x+[0], recursive_bit_list(n-1)) + \ > map(lambda x: x+[1], recursive_bit_list(n-1)) > > Hope this helps! > > -Hugh > > > On 6/14/07, *Andy Cheesman* <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> wrote: > > Hi people > > I am trying to generate an array of all possible combinations of 1, and > zeros (see example data) for a rather nice Kinetic mote Carlo program > which I am writing python. So far, I've been working out for > combinations for 4 or less species by hand as it is quick! but I am > looking to automate the process so I can compute combinations for large > numbers of possible species. > I could automate the generation of the array by the use of multiple > loops but that doesn't seem rather pythonic. I was wondering if anyone > had any sensible suggestions or pointers for efficient mechanisms for > the array. > > Many Thanks > Andy > > Example Data > 3 species > array([[1, 1, 1], > [1, 1, 0], > [1, 0, 1], > [0, 1, 1], > [1, 0, 0], > [0, 1, 0], > [0, 0, 1], > [0, 0, 0]]) > 4 species > array([[1, 1, 1, 1], > [0, 1, 1, 1], > [1, 0, 1, 1], > [1, 1, 0, 1], > [1, 1, 1, 0], > [1, 1, 0, 0], > [1, 0, 1, 0], > [1, 0, 0, 1], > [0, 1, 1, 0], > [0, 1, 0, 1], > [0, 0, 1, 1], > [1, 0, 0, 0], > [0, 1, 0, 0], > [0, 0, 1, 0], > [0, 0, 0, 1], > [0, 0, 0, 0]]) > > _______________________________________________ > Tutor maillist - Tutor@python.org <mailto:Tutor@python.org> > http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/tutor > > _______________________________________________ Tutor maillist - Tutor@python.org http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/tutor