--- a/cws/cw04.tex Thu Jan 26 01:43:31 2017 +0000
+++ b/cws/cw04.tex Fri Jan 27 14:55:56 2017 +0000
@@ -36,14 +36,14 @@
Roman numerals are strings consisting of the letters $I$, $V$, $X$,
$L$, $C$, $D$, and $M$. Such strings should be transformed into an
internal representation using the datatypes \texttt{RomanDigit} and
-\texttt{RomanNumeral}, and then from this internal representation
-converted into an Integer.
+\texttt{RomanNumeral} (defined in \texttt{roman.scala}), and then from
+this internal representation converted into Integers.
\begin{itemize}
\item[(1)] First write a polymorphic function that recursively
transforms a list of options into an option of a list. For example,
- if you have the lists on the left, they should be transformed into
- the option on the right:
+ if you have the lists on the left-hand side, they should be transformed into
+ the option on the right-hand side:
\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{lcl}
@@ -61,28 +61,29 @@
produces \texttt{Some} of the empty list. \hfill[1 Mark]
-\item[(2)] Write a function first a function that converts a character
- $I$, $V$, $X$, $L$, $C$, $D$, or $M$ into an option of a \texttt{RomanDigit}.
+\item[(2)] Write first a function that converts the characters $I$, $V$,
+ $X$, $L$, $C$, $D$, and $M$ into an option of a \texttt{RomanDigit}.
If it is one of the roman digits, it should produce \texttt{Some};
otherwise \texttt{None}.
- Next write a function that converts a string into a \texttt{RomanNumeral}.
- Again, this function should return an \texttt{Option}:
- If the string consists of $I$, $V$, $X$, $L$, $C$, $D$, and $M$ only, then
- it produces \texttt{Some}; otherwise if there is any other character in
- the string, it should produce \texttt{None}. The empty string is just
- the empty \texttt{RomanNumeral}, that is empty list of \texttt{RomanDigit}'s.
- You should use the function under Task (1) to produce the result.
- \hfill[2 Marks]
+ Next write a function that converts a string into a
+ \texttt{RomanNumeral}. Again, this function should return an
+ \texttt{Option}: If the string consists of $I$, $V$, $X$, $L$, $C$,
+ $D$, and $M$ only, then it produces \texttt{Some}; otherwise if
+ there is any other character in the string, it should produce
+ \texttt{None}. The empty string is just the empty
+ \texttt{RomanNumeral}, that is the empty list of
+ \texttt{RomanDigit}'s. You should use the function under Task (1)
+ to produce the result. \hfill[2 Marks]
-\item[(3)] Write a recursive function RomanNumral2Int that converts a
- \texttt{RomanNumeral} into an integer. You can assume the generated
- integer will be between 0 and 3999. The argument of the function is
- a list of roman digits. It should look how this list starts and then
- calculate what the corresponding integer is for this ``start'' and
- add it with the integer for the rest of the list. That means if the
- argument is of the form shown on the left-hand side, it should do
- the calculation on the right-hand side.
+\item[(3)] Write a recursive function \texttt{RomanNumral2Int} that
+ converts a \texttt{RomanNumeral} into an integer. You can assume the
+ generated integer will be between 0 and 3999. The argument of the
+ function is a list of roman digits. It should look how this list
+ starts and then calculate what the corresponding integer is for this
+ ``start'' and add it with the integer for the rest of the list. That
+ means if the argument is of the form shown on the left-hand side, it
+ should do the calculation on the right-hand side.
\begin{center}
\begin{tabular}{lcl}
@@ -102,30 +103,82 @@
\end{tabular}
\end{center}
- The empty list will be converted into integer $0$.\hfill[1 Mark]
+ The empty list will be converted to integer $0$.\hfill[1 Mark]
\item[(4)] Write a function that takes a string and if possible
- converts it into the internal representation. If successful, then
- calculate the integer (an option of an integer) according to the
+ converts it into the internal representation. If successful, it then
+ calculates the integer (an option of an integer) according to the
function in (3). If this is not possible, then return
\texttt{None}.\hfill[1 Mark]
\item[(5)] The file \texttt{roman.txt} contains a list of roman numerals.
Read in these numerals, convert them into integers and then add them all
- up. The function for reading a file is
+ up. The Scala function for reading a file is
\begin{center}
\texttt{Source.fromFile("filename")("ISO-8859-9")}
\end{center}
Make sure you process the strings correctly by ignoring whitespaces
- where neded.\\ \mbox{}\hfill[1 Mark]
+ where needed.\\ \mbox{}\hfill[1 Mark]
\end{itemize}
\subsection*{Part 2 (Validation)}
+As you can see the function under Task (3) can produce some unexpected
+results. For example for $XXCIII$ it produces 103. The reason for this
+unexpected result is that $XXCIII$ is actually not a valid roman
+number, neither is $IIII$ for 4 nor $MIM$ for 1999. Although actual
+Romans were not so fussy about this,\footnote{They happily used
+ numbers like $XIIX$ or $IIXX$ for 18.} but modern times declared
+that there are precise rules for what a valid roman number is, namely:
+
+\begin{itemize}
+\item Repeatable roman digits are $I$, $X$, $C$ and $M$. The other ones
+ are non-repeatable. Repeatable digits can be repeated upto 3 times in a
+ number (for example $MMM$ is OK); non-repeatable digits cannot be
+ repeated at all (for example $VV$ is excluded).
+
+\item If a smaller digits precedes a bigger digit, then $I$ can precede $V$ and $C$; $X$ can preced
+ $L$ and $C$; and $C$ can preced $D$ and $M$. No other combination is permitted in this case.
+
+\item If a smaller digit precedes a bigger digit (for example $IV$), then the smaller number
+ must be either the first digit in the number, or follow a digit which is at least 10 times its value.
+ So $VIV$ is excluded, because $I$ follows $V$ and $I * 10$ is bigger than $V$; but $XIV$ is
+ allowed, because $I$ follows $X$ and $I * 10$ is equal to $X$.
+
+\item Let us say two digits are called a \emph{compound} roman digit
+ when a smaller digit precedes a bigger digit (so $IV$, $XL$, $CM$
+ for example). If a compound digit is followed by another digit, then
+ this digit must be smaller than the first digit in the compound
+ digit. For example $IXI$ is excluded, but $XLI$ is not.
+
+\item The empty roman numeral is valid.
+\end{itemize}
+
+\noindent
+The tasks in this part are as follows:
+
+\begin{itemize}
+\item[(6)] Implement a recursive function \texttt{isValidNumeral} that
+ takes a \texttt{RomanNumeral} as argument and produces true if \textbf{all}
+ the rules above are satisfied, and otherwise false.
+
+ Hint: It might be more convenient to test when the rules fail and then return false;
+ return true in all other cases.
+ \mbox{}\hfill[2 Marks]
+
+\item[(7)] Write a recursive function that converts an Integer into a \texttt{RomanNumeral}.
+ You can assume the function will only be called for integers between 0 and 3999.\mbox{}\hfill[1 Mark]
+
+\item[(8)] Write a function that reads a text file (for example \texttt{roman2.txt})
+ containing valid and invalid roman numerals. Convert all valid roman numerals into
+ integers, add them up and produce the result as a \texttt{RomanNumeral} (using the function
+ from (7)). \hfill[1 Mark]
+\end{itemize}
+
\end{document}