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Program to count number of set bits in an (big) array | GeeksforGeeks

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Program to count number of set bits in an (big) array


March 12, 2011 Given an integer array of length N (an arbitrarily large number). How to count number of set bits in the array? The simple approach would be, create an efficient method to count set bits in a word (most prominent size, usually equal to bit length of processor), and add bits from individual elements of array. Various methods of counting set bits of an integer exists, see this for example. These methods run at best O(logN) where N is number of bits. Note that on a processor N is fixed, count can be done in O(1) time on 32 bit machine irrespective of total set bits. Overall, the bits in array can be computed in O(n) time, where n is array size.
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Program to count number of set bits in an (big) array | GeeksforGeeks

However, a table look up will be more efficient method when array size is large. Storing table look up that can handle 232 integers will be impractical. The following code illustrates simple program to count set bits in a randomly generated 64 K integer array. The idea is to generate a look up for first 256 numbers (one byte), and break every element of array at byte boundary. A meta program using C/C++ preprocessor generates the look up table for counting set bits in a byte. The mathematical derivation behind meta program is evident from the following table (Add the column and row indices to get the number, then look into the table to get set bits in that number. For example, to get set bits in 10, it can be extracted from row named as 8 and column named as 2),
0 1 2 3 , , , 0-0 1 1 2---- GOPA0 , , , ---- RU_() 4-1 2 2 3---- GOPA1 , , , ---- RU_() 8-1 2 2 3---- GOPA1 , , , ---- RU_() 1 -2 3 3 4---- GOPA2 2 , , , ---- RU_() 1 -1 2 2 3---- GOPA1 6 , , , ---- RU_() 2 -2 3 3 4---- GOPA2 0 , , , ---- RU_() 2 -2 3 3 4---- GOPA2 4 , , , ---- RU_() 2 -3 4 4 5---- GOPA3 ..s o 8 , , , ---- RU_() . o n

From the table, there is a patten emerging in multiples of 4, both in the table as well as in the group parameter. The sequence can be generalized as shown in the code. Complexity: All the operations takes O(1) except iterating over the array. The time complexity is O(n) where n is size of array. Space complexity depends on the meta program that generates look up. Code: #nld <ti.> icue sdoh #nld <tlbh icue sdi.> #nld <ieh icue tm.> / Sz o ary6 K* * ie f ra 4 / #eieSZ ( < 1) dfn IE 1 < 6 / Mt pormta gnrtsstbtcut * ea rga ht eeae e i on aryo frt26itgr * ra f is 5 nees / / GOPA-We cmie wt MT_OKU * RU_ hn obnd ih EALO_P gnrtscutfr44eeet * eeae on o x lmns /
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Program to count number of set bits in an (big) array | GeeksforGeeks

#eieGOPAx x x+1 x+1 x+2 dfn RU_() , , , / GOPB-We cmie wt MT_OKU * RU_ hn obnd ih EALO_P gnrtscutfr444eeet * eeae on o xx lmns / #eieGOPBx GOPAx,GOPAx1,GOPAx1,GOPAx2 dfn RU_() RU_() RU_(+) RU_(+) RU_(+) / GOPC-We cmie wt MT_OKU * RU_ hn obnd ih EALO_P gnrtscutfr4444eeet * eeae on o xxx lmns / #eieGOPCx GOPBx,GOPBx1,GOPBx1,GOPBx2 dfn RU_() RU_() RU_(+) RU_(+) RU_(+) / Poieaporaelte t gnrt tetbe* * rvd prpit etr o eeae h al / #eieMT_OKU(AAEE)\ dfn EALO_PPRMTR GOP#PRMTR0, \ RU_#AAEE() GOP#PRMTR1, \ RU_#AAEE() GOP#PRMTR1, \ RU_#AAEE() GOP#PRMTR2 RU_#AAEE() \ itcuteBt(n ary] sz_ arysz) n onStisit ra[, iet ra_ie { itcut=0 n on ; / MT_OKU()-gnrtsatbeo 26itgr woe * EALO_PC eeae al f 5 nees hs sqec wl b nme o bt i it psto eune il e ubr f is n -h oiin wee0< i<26 hr = 5 * / / Asai tbewl b mc fse t acs * * ttc al il e uh atr o ces / sai usge ca cntlo_p]={MT_OKU()} ttc nind hr os oku[ EALO_PC ; / N sitn fna(o bte raaiiy * * o hfig ud fr etr edblt) / usge ca *Dt =NL; nind hr paa UL frsz_ idx=0 idx<arysz;idx+ o(iet ne ; ne ra_ie ne+) { / I i fn,bps tetp sse * * t s ie yas h ye ytm / paa=(nindca *&ra[ne] Dt usge hr )aryidx; / Cutstbt i idvda bts* * on e is n niiul ye / cut+ lo_ppaa0] on = oku[Dt[]; cut+ lo_ppaa1] on = oku[Dt[]; cut+ lo_ppaa2] on = oku[Dt[]; cut+ lo_ppaa3] on = oku[Dt[];

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Program to count number of set bits in an (big) array | GeeksforGeeks

} / Die porm gnrtstbeo rno 6 Knmes* * rvr rga, eeae al f adm 4 ubr / itmi( n an) { itidx n ne; itrno[IE; n admSZ] / Se t terno-ubrgnrtr* * ed o h admnme eeao / sad(nindtm(); rn(usge)ie0) / Gnrt rno nmes * * eeae adm ubr. / fr idx=0 idx<SZ;idx+) o( ne ; ne IE ne+ { rno[ne]=rn(; admidx ad) } pit(Ttlnme o bt =%\" cuteBt(adm SZ); rnf"oa ubr f is dn, onStisrno, IE) rtr 0 eun ;

Contributed by Venki. Please write comments if you find anything incorrect, or you want to share more information about the topic discussed above.
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2 comments so far
1. pranav says: October 13, 2011 at 7:57 PM please someone explain clearly GROUP_A, GROUP_B, etc. concept and meaning of the definition of :
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Program to count number of set bits in an (big) array | GeeksforGeeks

#define META_LOOK_UP(PARAMETER) \ GROUP_##PARAMETER(0), \ GROUP_##PARAMETER(1), \ GROUP_##PARAMETER(1), \ GROUP_##PARAMETER(2) \ Reply Venki says: October 14, 2011 at 12:41 AM @pranav, the idea is to create table of 256 entries. The table contains number of set bits in the sequential index of table. The macro META_LOOK_UP(C) generates the table. After preprocessing stage the definition of look_up will be something like static unsigned char const look_up[] = { 0, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 3, ... 6, 7, 7, 8 }; The code in main, simply splits the array into individual bytes and looks up the bit count value in the table. Reply

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