Programming puzzle (Assign value without any control statement)
Last Updated :
20 Jul, 2022
Given four integers 'a', 'b', 'y' and 'x', where 'x' can only be either zero or one. Your task is as follows:
- If 'x' is zero assign value 'a' to the variable 'y'
- If 'x' is one assign value 'b' to the variable 'y'.
It is not allowed to use any conditional operator (including the ternary operator).
Examples :
Input : a = 3, b = 7, x = 1
Output : y = 7
Input : a = 3, b = 7, x = 0
Output : y = 3
The idea is to create an array of size two where the first element is 'a' and the second element is 'b'. We use x as an index in the array.
Implementation:
C++
// CPP program to pick a value among two
// according to value of a third variable.
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
// Returns a if x is 0 and returns
// b if x is 1.
int assignValue(int a, int b, bool x)
{
int arr[] = {a, b};
return(arr[x]);
}
// Driver code
int main()
{
int y = assignValue(3, 7, 0);
cout << y;
return 0;
}
// C program to pick a value among two
// according to value of a third variable.
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdbool.h>
// Returns a if x is 0 and returns
// b if x is 1.
int assignValue(int a, int b, bool x)
{
int arr[] = {a, b};
return(arr[x]);
}
// Driver code
int main()
{
int y = assignValue(3, 7, 0);
printf("%d",y);
return 0;
}
// This code is contributed by kothvvsaakash.
// Java program to pick a value among two
// according to value of a third variable.
class GFG {
// Returns a if x is 0 and returns
// b if x is 1.
static int assignValue(int a, int b, int x)
{
int arr[] = {a, b};
return (arr[x]);
}
// Driver code
public static void main(String[] args)
{
int y = assignValue(3, 7, 0);
System.out.println(y);
}
}
// This code is contributed by Smitha Dinesh Semwal.
# Python 3 program to
# pick a value among two
# according to value
# of a third variable.
# Returns a if x
# is 0 and returns
# b if x is 1.
def assignValue(a, b, x):
arr = [a, b]
return(arr[x])
# Driver code
y = assignValue(3, 7, 0)
print(y)
# This code is contributed by
# Smitha Dinesh Semwal
// C# program to pick a value among two
// according to value of a third variable.
using System;
public class GFG {
// Returns a if x is 0 and returns
// b if x is 1.
static int assignValue(int a, int b, int x)
{
int []arr = {a, b};
return (arr[x]);
}
// Driver code
public static void Main()
{
int y = assignValue(3, 7, 0);
Console.WriteLine(y);
}
}
// This code is contributed by PrinciRaj1992
<?php
// PHP program to pick a value
// among two according to value
// of a third variable.
// Returns a if x is 0 and
// returns b if x is 1.
function assignValue($a, $b, $x)
{
$arr = array($a, $b);
return($arr[$x]);
}
// Driver code
$y = assignValue(3, 7, 0);
echo $y;
// This code is contributed by ajit
?>
<script>
// javascript program to pick a value among two
// according to value of a third variable.
// Returns a if x is 0 and returns
// b if x is 1.
function assignValue(a , b , x) {
var arr = [ a, b ];
return (arr[x]);
}
// Driver code
var y = assignValue(3, 7, 0);
document.write(y);
// This code is contributed by todaysgaurav
</script>
Time complexity : O(1)
Auxiliary Space : O(1)
Alternate Solution:
C++
// C++ program to pick a value among two
// according to value of a third variable.
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
// Returns a if x is 0 and returns
// b if x is 1.
int assignValue(int a, int b, bool x)
{
return (1 - x)*a + x*b;
}
// Driver code
int main()
{
int y = assignValue(3, 7, 0);
cout << y;
return 0;
}
// C program to pick a value among two
// according to value of a third variable.
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdbool.h>
// Returns a if x is 0 and returns
// b if x is 1.
int assignValue(int a, int b, bool x)
{
return (1 - x)*a + x*b;
}
// Driver code
int main()
{
int y = assignValue(3, 7, 0);
printf("%d",y);
return 0;
}
// This code is contributed by kothvvsaakash.
// Java program to pick a value among two
// according to value of a third variable.
import java.io.*;
class GFG {
// Returns a if x is 0 and returns
// b if x is 1.
static int assignValue(int a, int b, int x)
{
return (1 - x) * a + x * b;
}
// Driver code
public static void main (String[] args)
{
int y = assignValue(3, 7, 0);
System.out.println(y);
}
}
// This code is contributed by ShubhamCoder
# Python3 program to pick a value among two
# according to the value of a third variable.
# Returns a if x is 0 and returns
# b if x is 1.
def assignValue(a, b, x):
return (1 - x) * a + x * b
# Driver code
y = assignValue(3, 7, 0)
print(y)
# This code is contributed by ShubhamCoder
// C# program to pick a value among two
// according to value of a third variable.
using System;
class GFG {
// Returns a if x is 0 and returns
// b if x is 1.
static int assignValue(int a, int b, int x)
{
return (1 - x) * a + x * b;
}
// Driver code
public static void Main()
{
int y = assignValue(3, 7, 0);
Console.WriteLine(y);
}
}
// This code is contributed by ShubhamCoder
<script>
// Javascript program to pick a value among two
// according to value of a third variable.
// Returns a if x is 0 and returns
// b if x is 1.
function assignValue(a , b , x) {
return (1 - x) * a + x * b;
}
// Driver code
var y = assignValue(3, 7, 0);
document.write(y);
// This code contributed by Rajput-Ji
</script>
Time complexity : O(1)
Auxiliary Space : O(1)
Thanks to Forrest Smith for suggesting the above solution.
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