MathGroup Archive 2009

[Date Index] [Thread Index] [Author Index]

Search the Archive

Re: Given a matrix, find position of first non-zero element

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg99554] Re: [mg99492] Given a matrix, find position of first non-zero element
  • From: Adriano Pascoletti <adriano.pascoletti at dimi.uniud.it>
  • Date: Thu, 7 May 2009 06:40:46 -0400 (EDT)
  • References: <200905060929.FAA02194@smc.vnet.net>

A solution with Split


In[110]:= (First /@ Split[#1, First[#1] === First[#2] & ] & )[
   Position[A, x_ /; x != 0]]
Out[110]= {{1, 3}, {2, 1}, {3, 2}, {4, 1}, {5, 2}, {6, 2}}



Adriano Pascoletti

2009/5/6 Nasser Abbasi <nma at 12000.org>

> This is a little problem I saw in another forum, and I am trying to also
> solve it in Mathematica.
>
> Given a Matrix, I need to find the position of the first occurance of a
> value which is not zero in each row.
>
> The position found will be the position in the orginal matrix ofcourse.
>
> So, given this matrix,
>
> A = {
> {0, 0, 5},
> {50, 0, 100},
> {0, 75, 100},
> {75, 100, 0},
> {0, 75, 100},
> {0, 75, 100}
> };
>
> The result should be
>
> {{1, 3}, {2, 1}, {3, 2}, {4, 1}, {5, 2}, {6, 2}}
>
> This is how I solved this problem and after a bit of  struggle. I wanted to
> see if I could avoid using a Table, and solve it just using Patterns and
> Position and Select, but could not so far.
>
>
> Table[Flatten[{i, Flatten[Position[A[[i,All]], _?(#1 != 0 & ), 1, 1]]}],
> {i,
> 1, 6}]
>
> Out[174]= {{1, 3}, {2, 1}, {3, 2}, {4, 1}, {5, 2}, {6, 2}}
>
> I am not happy with the above solution. I am sure there is a better one
> (the
> above also do not work well when one row has all zeros).
>
> Do you see a better and more elegant way to do this?
>
> thanks,
> --Nasser
>
>
>
>


  • Prev by Date: Re: Picking Off Lists That Have No Numbers
  • Next by Date: Re: Picking Off Lists That Have No Numbers
  • Previous by thread: Re: Given a matrix, find position of first non-zero element
  • Next by thread: Picking Off Lists That Have No Numbers