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Comments on Reduce over the range [1..n] [FINALIZED]

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Reduce over the range [1..n] [FINALIZED]

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Task

I often need to find the factorial of a number or the sum of all numbers up to a number when cheating on math tests. To help me with this, your task is to write $F$, a generalized version of those functions:

$$F(n) = 1 * 2 * \space ... \space * (n-1) * n$$

Please note that the operator $ * $ does not necessarily represent multiplication here, but stands for a commutative, associative operator that will be an input to your program/function. This means that $a * b$ is the same as $b * a$, and $a * (b * c)$ is the same as $(a * b) * c$. Its inputs are positive integers, and its outputs are integers.

Rules

  • $n$ will be a positive integer.
  • $*$ is a binary function/operator that can be taken in any convenient format, including but not limited to:
    • A function object
    • A function pointer
    • An object with a method with a specific name (e.g. Java's BiFunction)
    • A string that can be evaluated to get a function
  • $*$ is a blackbox function. That means that you will not be able to examine it to see how it works; all you can do is feed it two positive integers and get an integer back.
  • The output of your function will be an integer (not necessarily positive).
  • This is code golf, so shortest code in bytes wins!

Testcases

f         | n  | F(f, n)
Add       | 1  | 1
Add       | 5  | 15
Multiply  | 1  | 1
Multiply  | 5  | 120
XOR       | 1  | 1
XOR       | 2  | 3
XOR       | 5  | 1
XOR       | 10 | 11

Questions:

  • Interesting enough? Is a vanilla factorial better?
  • Are the tags okay?
  • Needs more testcases?
  • Input rules okay?
History
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2 comment threads

Regarding XOR (3 comments)
General (6 comments)
General
General Sebast1an‭ wrote over 3 years ago

I don't know what the blackbox-function is supposed to be, but yeah, this may seem like a cool repetitive calculation challenge.

Shaggy‭ wrote over 3 years ago

Can we take the operators themselves as a string input?

user‭ wrote over 3 years ago

Shaggy‭ Yes, anything reasonable is allowed. The challenge explicitly allows "A string that can be evaluated to get a function," actually.

user‭ wrote over 3 years ago

General Sebast1an‭ I've clarified what a blackbox function is, let me know if there's anything else I need to add. (btw, how did you write [blackbox-function] like that?)

General Sebast1an‭ wrote over 3 years ago · edited over 3 years ago

user‭ Simple, use <a class="badge is-tag">something</a>. This will give something.

user‭ wrote over 3 years ago · edited over 3 years ago

Ah, thanks, I've edited that into my draft.