Intermediate 3
Hello! This is page 10 of the course called “Y Combinator for Non-programmers”. If you just got here, click here to read from the beginning.

Y Combinator for
Non-programmers

Intermediate 4: Can’t Add One?

Slide 1 / 9

Quick review

On the last page, we learned that, by using Saya’s lunchbox, we can reproduce the “Plus 1” feature of a mathbox.

In a mathbox, we use
In a lunchbox, we use
Saya’s lunchbox to reproduce
the “Plus 1” feature .
1
Lunchbox that can be converted to
1
13
2
23
1

That’s it for the quick review. Let’s continue.

Looking for some other page?

Intermediate 3·
·Intermediate 5
Slide 2 / 9

Saya’s question

Looks like Saya noticed something strange.

Hey guys, can you take a look at this?

First, this lunchbox can be converted to , right?

’s with on the bottom-right
→ Can be converted to
1
1

Yes, but what about it?

What do you think happens if I combined it with my lunchbox that reproduces the “Plus 1” feature ?

If I combined it with my lunchbox that
reproduces the “Plus 1” feature
1
1
1
1
13
2
23
1
What happens
when you run it?

Well, because it calculates

It should become a lunchbox that can be converted to , right?

Should become a lunchbox
that can be converted to …?

Let’s run it to check.

Slide 3 / 9

If you run it…

Press Run . You can also skip to the end.

1
1
1
1
13
2
23
1

Unfortunately: I won’t be able to convert this lunchbox into a mathbox.

Can’t convert this into a mathbox
12
2
1

Why not? Because it doesn’t follow this pattern.

There needs to be one
on the top-right and some number of
’s on the bottom-right
One
Some’s

There needs to be exactly one on the top-right, but there are two in this case.

There needs to be exactly one
on the top-right, but there are two.
That’s why it cannot be converted to a mathbox.
12
2
1

Hmm… what’s going on? Last time, it worked…

Slide 4 / 9

If the same item exists in both t and m, the results will differ

Let me tell you what’s going on.

First, let’s label each item with t, l, m, or r.

Label items as t l m r
1
t
t
1
t
t
1
l
1
m
m
13
r
2
r
r
23
r
1

Notice that: The sandwiches are labeled as either t or m.

The sandwiches are labeled as
either t or m
1
t
t
1
t
t
1
l
1
m
m
13
r
2
r
r
23
r
1

Now, here’s the secret: If the same item exists in both t and m, then the result changes.

In this case, is in both t and m.

That’s why it couldn’t calculate .

tm
If the same item exists in both t and m,
then the result changes

Really? Why does that happen?

Let me use a simple example to explain.

Slide 5 / 9

A Simple Example

Here’s a simple example that illustrates my point:

  • The left lunchbox has different t and m.
  • The right lunchbox has the same t and m (both ).

Let’s see what happens to each lunchbox.

t and m
are different
2
1
t
l
12
m
r
2
1
t
l
12
m
r
2
1
t
l
12
m
r
2
1
t
l
12
The bottom two
are different
1
1
t and m
are the same
2
1
t
l
12
m
r
2
1
t
l
12
m
r
2
1
t
l
12
m
r
2
1
t
l
12
The bottom two
are the same
1
1

We’re not done yet, but did you notice something?

The bottom two are different on the left, but they’re the same on the right.

Yes. And if we continue until the end…

  • On the left, the hamburger (which was r) will remain.
  • On the right, the chicken (which was t) will remain.
1
t
l
1
r
1
t
l
1
1
t
l
1
r
1
t
l
1
r
1
t
l
1

So this is before and after:

Before:
t and m
are different
2
1
t
l
12
m
r
After:
Before:
t and m
are the same
2
1
t
l
12
m
r
After:

So, this illustrates that: If the same item exists in both t and m, then the result changes.

tm
If the same item exists in both t and m
The result changes
Slide 6 / 9

Back to the original example

Let’s go back to the previous example that could NOT calculate .

This failed because was in both t and m, which caused the result to change.

Couldn’t calculate
because was in both t and m,
which caused the result to change.
1
t
t
1
t
t
1
l
1
m
m
13
r
2
r
r
23
r
1

Hmm… then what should we do in this case? Just give up?

Let’s not give up. I think there’s a way.

But… what can we do?

Let’s ask Minion if we can change the rule to fix this.

Minion: I’d like to ask you for a favor. Can we please add a special rule?

Special rule? What do you mean by that?

I’d like the following special rule to apply in cases like this:

  • If the same item appears in both t and m
  • Change one of them to something different.
tm
Can we use this special rule?
If the same item appears in
both t and m,
change one of them to
something different

Sure, that’s fine.

Thank you!

What… you can change the rule just like that?

Slide 7 / 9

The Special Rule

Let’s add the following special rule:

  • If the same item appears in both t and m
  • It will automatically change conflicting t’s to something different.
t
If the same item appears in
both t and m,
it will automatically change
conflicting t to something different.

So, if there’s the same item in both t and m… (in this case: )

Warning: Same item in t m
1
t
t
1
t
t
1
l
1
m
m
13
r
2
r
r
23
r
1

Because of this special rule: The sandwiches in t will now become something else.

t
The sandwiches in t
will now become something else.

What does it become then?

It will turn into a random food item that’s not yet used.

In this case, it becomes fried potatoes .

tt
It turns into fried potatoes ,
a random food item
that’s not yet used.
Special rule:
Change t to something else
1
t
t
1
t
t
1
l
1
m
m
13
r
2
r
r
23
r
1

on the top became .

And t and m no longer overlap now.

Yes. Let’s continue then. Press Run :

1
t
t
1
t
t
1
l
1
m
m
13
r
2
r
r
23
r
1

Yay! It became a lunchbox that can be converted to .

’s with on the bottom-right
→ Can be converted to
12
2
1

That means it calculated successfully.

Yes. Let’s summarize what we just did.

Slide 8 / 9

Summary

What we learned: If you combine Saya’s lunchbox which reproduces the “Plus 1” feature

Saya’s lunchbox which reproduces
the “Plus 1” feature
13
2
23
1

…with the following lunchbox which can be converted to

’s with on the bottom-right
→ Can be converted to
1
1

Then: There will be the same item () in both t and m.

Because of this, if we don’t do anything, it won’t be able to calculate .

is in both t and m
1
t
t
1
t
t
1
l
1
m
m
13
r
2
r
r
23
r
1
Because there’s a conflict in
t and m,
If we don’t do anything, it won’t be
able to calculate

However, the special rule applies in this case:

  • If the same item appears in both t and m
  • It will automatically change conflicting t’s to something different.
Warning: Same item in t m
1
t
t
1
t
t
1
l
1
m
m
13
r
2
r
r
23
r
1
Special rule:
Change t to something else
1
t
t
1
t
t
1
l
1
m
m
13
r
2
r
r
23
r
1

By doing this, it will be able to calculate .

I get it, but I don’t know if I can remember to use this rule…

Don’t worry: This special rule will appear starting from the next page, but you don’t have to memorize it. It will just happen automatically.

You just need to know that these rules exist, and you should be fine.

Slide 9 / 9

What happens now?

Anyway: We figured out how to reproduce the “Plus 1” feature .

As you promised, give us our mathboxes back!

Grr…

Will the villagers get their mathboxes back? Let’s see on the next page.

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Intermediate 3
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