Triangular Dependencies

Question

A triangular number is a number that is the sum of n natural numbers from 1 to n. For example 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10 so 10 is a triangular number.

Given a positive integer (0 < n <= 10000) as input (can be taken as an integer, or as a string), return the smallest possible triangular number that can be added to the input to create another triangular number.

For example given input 26, adding 10 results in 36, which is also a triangular number. There are no triangular numbers smaller than 10 that can be added to 26 to create another triangular number, so 10 is the correct result in this case.

0 is a triangular number, therefore if the input is itself a triangular number, the output should be 0

Testcases

Cases are given in the format input -> output (resulting triangular number)

0     -> 0   (0)
4     -> 6   (10)
5     -> 1   (6)
7     -> 3   (10)
8     -> 28  (36)
10    -> 0   (10)
24    -> 21  (45)
25    -> 3   (28)
26    -> 10  (36)
34    -> 21  (55)
10000 -> 153 (10153)

Scoring

This is code-golf so fewest bytes in each language wins!

Answer 1

Java 8, 58 57 bytes

n->{int i=0,m=0;while(n!=0)n+=n<0?++i:--m;return-~i*i/2;}

Online test suite

Thanks to Dennis for a 1-byte saving.

Answer 2

Java (OpenJDK 8), 83 bytes

n->{int m=0,a=n,b;for(;a-->0;)for(b=0;b<=n;)m=2*n+b*~b++==a*~a?a*a+a:m;return m/2;}

Try it online!

Credits

• -3 bytes thanks to ceilingcat

Answer 3

MATL, 13 12 bytes

1 byte removed using an idea (set intersection) from Emigna's 05AB1E answer

Q:qYstG-X&X<

Try it online!

Explanation

Let t(n) = 1 + 2 + ··· + n denote the n-th triangular number.

The code exploits the fact that, given n, the solution is upper-bounded by t(n-1). To see this, observe that t(n-1) + n equals t(n) and so it is a triangular number.

Consider input 8 as an example.

Q:q   % Input n implicitly. Push [0 1 2 ... n]
      % STACK: [0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8]
Ys    % Cumulative sum
      % STACK: [0 1 3 6 10 15 21 28 36]
t     % Duplicate
      % STACK: [0 1 3 6 10 15 21 28 36], [0 1 3 6 10 15 21 28 36]
G-    % Subtract input, element-wise
      % STACK: [0 1 3 6 10 15 21 28 36], [-8 -7 -5 -2  2  7 13 20 28]
X&    % Set intersection
      % STACK: 28
X<    % Minimum of array (in case there are several solutions). Implicit display
      % STACK: 28

Answer 4

Mathematica, 46 bytes

Min[Select[(d=Divisors[2#])-2#/d,OddQ]^2-1]/8&

Answer 5

Neim, 12 9 bytes

tSΛt)0

This takes too long to compute (but works given infinite time and memory), so in the link I only generate the first 143 triangular numbers - using £, which is enough to handle an input of 10,000, but not enough to time out.

^{Warning: this may not work in future versions. If so, substitute £ for 143}

Explanation:

t                 Infinite list of triangular numbers
 [ ]             Select the first  v  numbers
 [£ ]                              143
     S           Subtract the input from each element
       Λ  )       Only keep elements that are
        t          triangular
           0     Get the value closest to 0 - prioritising the higher number if tie

Try it!

Answer 6

PHP, 45 bytes

for(;!$$t;$t+=++$i)${$argn+$t}=~+$t;echo~$$t;

Try it online!

Is the shorter variant of for(;!$r[$t];$t+=++$i)$r[$argn+$t]=~+$t;echo~$r[$t];

Expanded

for(;!$$t;  # stop if a triangular number exists where input plus triangular number is a triangular number
$t+=++$i) # make the next triangular number
  ${$argn+$t}=~+$t; # build variable $4,$5,$7,$10,... for input 4 
echo~$$t; # Output result 

PHP, 53 bytes

for(;$d=$t<=>$n+$argn;)~$d?$n+=++$k:$t+=++$i;echo+$n;

Try it online!

Use the new spaceship operator in PHP 7

Expanded

for(;$d=$t<=>$n+$argn;) # stop if triangular number is equal to input plus triangular number 
  ~$d
    ?$n+=++$k  # raise additional triangular number
    :$t+=++$i; # raise triangular number sum
echo+$n; # Output and cast variable to integer in case of zero

PHP, 55 bytes

for(;fmod(sqrt(8*($t+$argn)+1),2)!=1;)$t+=++$i;echo+$t;

Try it online!

Answer 7

Java 8, 110 102 100 93 92 bytes

n->{int r=0;for(;t(r)<-t(n+r);r++);return r;}int t(int n){for(int j=0;n>0;n-=++j);return n;}

-2 bytes thanks to @PeterTaylor.
-7 bytes thanks to @JollyJoker.
-1 byte thanks to @ceilingcat.

Explanation:

Try it online.

n->{                  // Method with integer as parameter and return-type
  int r=0;            //  Result-integer (starting at 0)
  for(;t(r)<-t(n+r);  //  Loop as long as neither `r` nor `n+r` is a triangular number
    r++);             //   And increase `r` by 1 after every iteration
  return r;}          //  Return the result of the loop

int t(int n){         // Separate method with integer as parameter and return-type
                      // This method will return 0 if the input is a triangular number
  for(int i=0;n>0;)   //  Loop as long as the input `n` is larger than 0
    n-=++j;           //   Decrease `n` by `j` every iteration, after we've raised `j` by 1
  return n;}          //  Return `n`, which is now either 0 or below 0

Answer 8

Brachylog, 17 15 bytes

⟦{a₀+}ᶠ⊇Ċ-ṅ?∧Ċh

Try it online!

Explanation

⟦                  [0, …, Input]
 {   }ᶠ            Find all…
  a₀+                …Sums of prefixes (i.e. triangular numbers)
       ⊇Ċ          Take an ordered subset of two elements
         -ṅ?       Subtracting those elements results in -(Input)
            ∧Ċh    Output is the first element of that subset

Answer 9

Japt, 24 23 16 15 bytes

ò å+
m!nNg)æ!øU

Test it

1 byte saved thanks to ETH

---

Explanation

    :Implicit input of integer U.
ò   :Create an array of integers from 0 to U, inclusive.
å+  :Cumulatively reduce by summing. Result is implicitly assigned to variable V.
m   :Map over U.
!n  :From the current element subtract...
Ng  :  The first element in the array of inputs (the original value of U).
æ   :Get the first element that returns true when...
!øU :  Checking if U contains it.
    :Implicit output of resulting integer.

Answer 10

Octave, 38 36 bytes

2 bytes off thanks to @Giuseppe!

@(n)(x=cumsum(0:n))(any(x+n==x'))(1)

Anonymous function that uses almost the same approach as my MATL answer.

Try it online!

Answer 11

Jelly, 8 bytes

0r+\ðf_Ḣ

Try it online!

How it works

0r+\ðf_Ḣ  Main link. Argument: n

0r        Build [0, ..., n].
  +\      Take the cumulative sum, generating A := [T(0), ..., T(n)].
    ð     Begin a dyadic chain with left argument A and right argument n.
      _   Compute A - n, i.e., subtract n from each number in A.
     f    Filter; keep only numbers of A that appear in A - n.
       Ḣ  Head; take the first result.

Answer 12

Python 2, 59 bytes

lambda n:min((r-2*n/r)**2/8for r in range(1,2*n,2)if n%r<1)

Try it online!

This uses the following characterization of the triangular numbers t than can be added to n to get a triangular number:

8*t+1 = (r-2*s)^2 for divisor pairs (r,s) with r*s==n and r odd.

The code takes the minimum of all such triangular numbers.

Answer 13

Mathematica, 62 bytes

(s=Min@Abs[m/.Solve[2#==(n-m)(n+m+1),{n,m},Integers]])(s+1)/2&

Answer 14

JavaScript (ES7), 46 44 bytes

f=(n,x=r=0)=>(8*(n+x)+1)**.5%1?f(n,x+=++r):x

---

Try it

o.innerText=(
f=(n,x=r=0)=>(8*(n+x)+1)**.5%1?f(n,x+=++r):x
)(i.value=8);oninput=_=>o.innerText=f(+i.value)

<input id=i type=number><pre id=o>

Answer 15

Python 2, 78 71 70 bytes

Seven bytes saved, thanx to ovs and theespinosa

One more byte saved due to the remark of neil, x+9 is suffisant and checked for all natural numbers 0 <= n <= 10000. It was also verified for x+1 instead of x+9, it works also.

x=input()
I={n*-~n/2for n in range(x+1)}
print min(I&{i-x for i in I})

Try it online!

Answer 16

05AB1E, 12 bytes

ÝηOãD€Æ¹QϬ¤

Uses the 05AB1E encoding. Try it online!

Answer 17

JavaScript (ES6), 43 42 bytes

f=(n,a=s=0)=>n?f(n+=n>0?--s:++a,a):a*++a/2

<input type=number min=0 value=0 oninput=o.textContent=f(+this.value)><pre id=o>0

Edit: Saved 1 byte thanks to @PeterTaylor.

Answer 18

Python 3, 60 44 bytes

f=lambda n,k=1:(8*n+1)**.5%1and f(n+k,k+1)+k

Thanks to @xnor for a suggestion that saved 16 bytes!

Try it online!

Background

Let n be a non-negative integer. If n is the k^th triangular number, we have

which means there will be a natural solution if and only if 1 + 8n is an odd, perfect square. Clearly, checking the parity of 1 + 8n is not required.

How it works

The recursive function n accepts a single, non-negative integer as argument. When called with a single argument, k defaults to 1.

First, (8*n+1)**.5%1 tests if n is a triangular number: if (and only if) it is, (8*n+1)**.5 will yield an integer, so the residue from the division by 1 will yield 0.

If the modulus is 0, the and condition will fail, causing f to return 0. If this happens in the initial call to f, note that this is the correct output since n is already triangular.

If the modulus is positive, the and condition holds and f(n+k,k+1)+k gets executed. This calls f again, incrementing n by k and k by 1, then adds k to the result.

When f(n₀, k₀) finally returns 0, we back out of the recursion. The first argument in the first call was n, the second one n + 1, the third one n + 1 + 2, until finally n₀ = n + 1 + … k₀-1. Note that n₀ - n is a triangular number.

Likewise, all these integers will be added to the innermost return value (0), so the result of the intial call f(n) is n₀ - n, as desired.

Answer 19

C# (.NET Core), 291 281 bytes

class p{static int Main(string[]I){string d="0",s=I[0];int c=1,j,k;for(;;){j=k=0;string[]D=d.Split(' '),S=s.Split(' ');for(;j<D.Length;j++)for(;k<S.Length;k++)if(D[j]==S[k])return int.Parse(D[k]);j=int.Parse(D[0])+c++;d=d.Insert(0,$"{j} ");s=s.Insert(0,$"{j+int.Parse(I[0])} ");}}}

Try it online! Program that takes a string as input and outputs through Exit Code.

Saved 10 Bytes thanks to Kevin Cruijssen

Answer 20

Dyalog APL, 19 bytes

6 bytes saved thanks to @KritixiLithos

{⊃o/⍨o∊⍨⍵+o←0,+\⍳⍵}

Try it online!

How?

o←0,+\⍳⍵ - assign o the first ⍵ triangular numbers

o/⍨ - filter o by

o∊⍨⍵+o - triangular numbers that summed with ⍵ produce triangulars

⊃ - and take the first

Answer 21

Pari/GP, 54 bytes

n->vecmin([y^2-1|y<-[2*n/d-d|d<-divisors(2*n)],y%2])/8

Try it online!

Answer 22

05AB1E, 8 bytes

ÝηODI-Ãн

Try it online! or as a Test suite

Explanation

Ý          # range [0 ... input]
 η         # prefixes
  O        # sum each
   D       # duplicate
    I-     # subtract input from each
      Ã    # keep only the elements in the first list that also exist in the second list
       н   # get the first (smallest)

Answer 23

R, 46 44 43 41 bytes

function(x,y=cumsum(0:x))y[(x+y)%in%y][1]

Try it online!

An anonymous function with one mandatory argument, x; computes first x+1 triangular numbers as an optional argument to golf out a few curly braces. I used choose before I saw Luis Mendo's Octave answer.

I shaved off a few bytes of Luis Mendo's answer but forgot to use the same idea in my answer.

Answer 24

Add++, 68 bytes

L,RBFEREsECAAx$pBcB_B]VARBFEREsB]GEi$pGBcB*A8*1+.5^1%!!@A!@*b]EZBF#@

Try it online!, or see the test suite!

Even Java is beating me. I really need to add some set commands to Add++

How it works

L,    - Create a lambda function
      - Example argument:  8
  R   - Range;     STACK = [[1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8]]
  BF  - Flatten;   STACK = [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8]
  ER  - Range;     STACK = [[1] [1 2] ... [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8]
  Es  - Sum;       STACK = [1 3 6 10 15 21 28 36]
  EC  - Collect;   STACK = [[1 3 6 10 15 21 28 36]]
  A   - Argument;  STACK = [[1 3 6 10 15 21 28 36] 8]
  A   - Argument;  STACK = [[1 3 6 10 15 21 28 36] 8 8]
  x   - Repeat;    STACK = [[1 3 6 10 15 21 28 36] 8 [8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8]]
  $p  - Remove;    STACK = [[1 3 6 10 15 21 28 36] [8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8]]
  Bc  - Zip;       STACK = [[1 8] [3 8] [6 8] [10 8] [15 8] [21 8] [28 8] [36 8]]
  B_  - Deltas;    STACK = [-7 -5 -2 2 7 13 20 28]
  B]  - Wrap;      STACK = [[-7 -5 -2 2 7 13 20 28]]
  V   - Save;      STACK = []
  A   - Argument;  STACK = [8]
  R   - Range;     STACK = [[1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8]]
  BF  - Flatten;   STACK = [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8]
  ER  - Range;     STACK = [[1] [1 2] ... [1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8]]
  Es  - Sum;       STACK = [1 3 6 10 15 21 28 36]
  B]  - Wrap;      STACK = [[1 3 6 10 15 21 28 36]]
  G   - Retrieve;  STACK = [[1 3 6 10 15 21 28 36] [-7 -5 -2 2 7 13 20 28]]
  Ei  - Contains;  STACK = [[1 3 6 10 15 21 28 36] [0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1]]
  $p  - Remove;    STACK = [[0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1]]
  G   - Retrieve;  STACK = [[0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1] [-7 -5 -2 2 7 13 20 28]]
  Bc  - Zip;       STACK = [[0 -7] [0 -5] [0 -2] [0 2] [0 7] [0 13] [0 20] [1 28]]
  B*  - Products;  STACK = [0 0 0 0 0 0 0 28]
  A   - Argument;  STACK = [0 0 0 0 0 0 0 28 8]
  8*  - Times 8;   STACK = [0 0 0 0 0 0 0 28 64]
  1+  - Increment; STACK = [0 0 0 0 0 0 0 28 65]
  .5^ - Root;      STACK = [0 0 0 0 0 0 0 28 8.1]
  1%  - Frac part; STACK = [0 0 0 0 0 0 0 28 0.1]
  !!  - To bool;   STACK = [0 0 0 0 0 0 0 28 1]
  @   - Reverse;   STACK = [1 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0]
  A   - Argument;  STACK = [1 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8] 
  !   - Not;       STACK = [1 28 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0]
  @   - Reverse;   STACK = [0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 28 1]
  *   - Multiply;  STACK = [0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 28]
  b]  - Wrap;      STACK = [0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 [28]]
  EZ  - Unzero;    STACK = [[28]]
  BF  - Flatten;   STACK = [28]
  #   - Sort;      STACK = [28]
  @   - Reverse;   STACK = [28]

Answer 25

Haskell, 56 bytes

f x|e<-(`elem`scanl1(+)[0..x])=[n|n<-[0..],e n,e$x+n]!!0

Try it online!

Answer 26

Python 2, 83 81 bytes

• @Felipe Nardi Batista saved 2 bytes.

lambda n:min(x for x in i(n)if n+x in i(n))
i=lambda n:[i*-~i/2for i in range(n)]

Try it online!

Answer 27

Jelly, 18 bytes

0rRS$€ċ
0ð,+Ç€Ạð1#

Try it online!

Answer 28

APL (Dyalog Classic), 16 14 bytes

(⊃0∘,∩⊢-≢)+\∘⍳

Try it online!

Answer 29

Clojure, 74 bytes

#(nth(for[t[(reductions +(range))]i t :when((set(take 1e5 t))(+ i %))]i)0)
#(nth(for[R[reductions]i(R + %(range)):when((set(R - i(range 1e5)))0)]i)0)

Pick your favourite :) Loops might be shorter...

Answer 30

Python 2, 82 bytes

f=lambda n,R=[1]:n-sum(R)and f(n,[R+[R[-1]+1],R[1:]][sum(R)>n])or sum(range(R[0]))

Try it online

This was created by modifying this answer from the related question.

Answer 31

Retina, 70 bytes

.+
$*
1+
$&;$&;
{`^(1+);(?=(\b1|1\2)+;)\1(1*);1*
$3
}`;(1*)$
1$1;1$1
1

Try it online! Link includes test suite. Explanation: The algorithm works with three numbers, the input number, the sum of the input number and the current triangular number, and the index of the current triangular number. If the sum is triangular (using @MartinEnder's excellent algorithm) then the whole thing is replaced by the difference of the sum and the original number, thus achieving the desired result. Otherwise, the index is incremented and added to the sum, until the sum becomes triangular. Note that if the input number is zero then all of this is simply ignored as the result is zero anyway.

Answer 32

Swift 3.0,97 bytes

let n=4
var o=0,s=0.0;for i in 0...n{o=i*(i+1)/2;s=sqrt(Double(8*(n+o)+1))
if floor(s)==s{break}}

To see output use print(o)

Try it online!

Answer 33

Ruby, 44 bytes

->n{*r=a=b=0;r<<a+=b+=1until r-[a-n]!=r;a-n}

Try it online!