Splitting values into groups evenly
- by Paul Knopf
Let me try to explain the situation the best I can.
Lets say I have 3 values
1, 2, 3
I tell an algorithm to split this values into x columns. Lets say x = 2 for clarification.
The algorithm determines that the group of values is best put into two columns the following way.
1st column 2nd column
---------------------------
1 3
2
Each column has an even number (totals, not literals) value.
Now lets say I have the following values
7, 8, 3, 1, 4
I tell the algorithm that I want the values split into 3 columns. The algorithm now tells me that the following is the best fit.
1st column 2nd column 3rd column
8 7 3
1 4
Notice how the columns arent quiet even, but it is as close as it can get. A little over and a little under is considered ok, as long as the list is AS CLOSE TO EVEN AS IT CAN BE.
Anybody got any suggestions? Know any good methods of doing this?