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I ran into some problems with Recursion in Java

The task is to implement a program which counts how many different Sums of Primes there are for a given number sumtoBreak.
The Method primeSum should subtract all possible primes currprime from the number sumtoBreak until the sumtoBreak becomes zero and then return (in sum) a one for each possibilty. To account for all possibilities, in each recession step, it calls itself
with sumtoBreak - currprime plus
calls itself with the nextPrime.
My Problem is that java won't return anything unless the sumtoBreak is zero right at the beginning.
Would be glad for any advice!
Here's the code (I know that the parenthesis in the code with the nested if statements are redundant, but I just wanted to make sure, that's not the problem):
Here's the fixed code:
public class PrimeSum {
public static boolean isPrime(int primecandidate) {
int count = 0;
for (int i = 2; i <= primecandidate / 2; i++) {
if (primecandidate % i == 0)
count++;
}
if (count == 0)
return true;
else
return false;
}
public static int nextPrime(int currprime) {
int j = currprime + 1;
while (!isPrime(j))
j++;
return j;
}
public static int primeSum(int sumtoBreak, int currprime) {
if (sumtoBreak == 0) {
return 1;
} else {
if (sumtoBreak < 0 || currprime > sumtoBreak) {
return 0;
} else {
return primeSum(sumtoBreak, nextPrime(currprime)) + primeSum(sumtoBreak - currprime, currprime);
}
}
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println(primeSum(Integer.parseInt(args[0]), 2));
}
}

This doesn't answer your question, but corrects an error in your isPrime Method and computes the result much faster:
private static boolean isPrime(final int primecandidate) {
if ( primecandidate < 2) { // 0 & 1 are NOT Prime
return false;
}
if ((primecandidate & 0x1) == 0) { // Even is NOT Prime...
return primecandidate == 2; // ...except for 2 (and 0).
}
for (int i = 2, iMax = (int) Math.sqrt(primecandidate); i <= iMax; i++) {
if (primecandidate % i == 0) {
return false;
}
}
return true;
}
Note the following:
the final argument primecandidate is marked final
it corrects the result for 0 & 1 to false
the method is marked private
the iMax is Sqrt(primecandidate) & not primecandidate / 2
iMax is calculated once, instead of every iteration
I use a strategy I call "if you're done, be done."
Meaning: don't set a flag (in your case count), just get out!
Please note also, there is an apache commons Math3 function...
org.apache.commons.math3.primes.Primes.isPrime(j)
It is significantly slower for smallish values (<= Short.MAX_VALUE)
It is somewhat faster for largeish values (ca. Integer.MAX_VALUE)
There is also a BigInteger.isProbablePrime(...) function, but my Benchmark suggests it is rather slow.
I hope this helps a little?

Some things you might have missed:
in a function, a return statement terminates (break) the function immediatly. So in
if(...) { return ...; }
else {...}
→ else is redundant, as if the condition is true, the function is already terminated (break)
Something like a==0 has a boolean value (true or false). So
if(count==0) { return false; }
else { return true;}
can be shortened to return count!=0;
I recommend to always use braces, because something like if(i==0) ++i; break;, means if(i==0) {++i;}. break; will be called in any case.
public static boolean
isPrime(int n)
{
if(n==0 || n==1) { return false; }
for(int i= 2; i <= n/2; ++i)
{
if(n%i == 0) { return false; } //we know, n is not a prime,
//so function can break here
}
return true; //since for all values of i, the function did not break,
//n is a prime
}
I wish you a lot of motivation to code for the future!

Prime Number Program Problems

I'm currently working on a program in which the user inputs a number, and the program will give you the number of prime numbers up to that number. Although there are no errors, the program always outputs the same number: 3. This is the code:
public static int Prime(int num){
boolean isPrime = true;
int count = 0;
for (int a = 2; a <=num; a++){
for (int i = 2; i <= a/2; i++){
if (a == 2 || a == 3 || a == 5){
isPrime = true;
}
else if (a % i == 0){
isPrime = false;
}
}
if (isPrime == true)
count++;
}
return count;
}

In your inner for loop, you are setting isPrime, but then you keep looping. Subsequent loops may set isPrime to false if a candidate divisor i doesn't divide cleanly. Only 2, 3, and 5, the 3 numbers in your first if condition, set it to true always, so you always get 3.
Instead, set isPrime to true at the beginning of the inner for loop, and break out of the inner for loop after each time you set isPrime. If the number is 2, 3, or 5, set to true and break so nothing can set it to false, so you can count it. If you found a factor, it's not prime, so set to false and break so nothing can set it to true and it's not counted.
Incidentally, your final if condition tests a boolean; it can be simplified to if (isPrime).

Your strategy is to test each number from 2 through num for primality by scanning for factors other than itself and 1. That's ok, albeit a bit simplisitic, but your implementation is seriously broken.
An approach involving scanning for factors implies that you start by guessing that the number being tested is prime, and then go looking for evidence that it isn't. You've missed the "guessing it's prime" part, which in your particular code would take the form of setting isPrime to true at the beginning of your outer loop.
Your code, on the other hand, never resets isPrime to true after testing the case of a == 5. That variable will be set to false when testing the case of a == 6, and will remain so for the duration. That is why you always get the result 3 for any input greater than 4.
If you properly reset isPrime in the outer loop then you can also remove the first part of the conditional in the inner loop, as it will be redundant. It is anyway never executed in the cases of a == 2 and a == 3 because the inner loop performs zero iterations in those cases.
Note also that it would be more efficient to break from the inner loop as soon as you determine that a is composite, and that you run more iterations of that loop than you need to do for primes (it would be sufficient to loop until i exceeds the square root of a; that is, until i * i > a).
Finally, note that this problem would be more efficiently implemented via the Seive of Eratosthenes (or one of the other prime number seives) as long as the numbers you want to test are not so large that the needed array would be prohibitively large.

I simplified your code by reducing number of operations which is needed to check if a is 2, 3, or 5.
public static int Prime(int num) {
int count = 0;
if (num >= 2) {
count++; // One optimization here
}
for (int a = 3; a <= num; a+=2) { // Another one here as we don't have any even number except 2 :D
boolean isPrime = true;
for (int i = 2; i <= a / 2; i++) {
if (a % i == 0) {
isPrime = false;
break;
}
}
if (isPrime) {
count++;
}
}
return count;
}

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int numberOfPrimes(int num)
{
if(num==2)
return 1;
else if(num<2)
return 0;
int prime=1;
for(int i=3;i<=num;i++)
{
for(int j=2;j<=(i/2)+1;j++)
{
if(i%j==0)
break;
if(j==(i/2)+1)
prime++;
}
}
return prime;
}

package com.amit.primenumber;
public class PrimeNumber {
public static void main(String[] args) {
long number=23L;
String message=null;
PrimeNumber primeNumber = new PrimeNumber();
boolean result = primeNumber.primeNumber(number);
if(result){
message="a Prime Number";
}else{
message="Not a Prime Number";
}
System.out.println("The given "+number+" number is "+message);
}
public boolean primeNumber(long number){
for(long i=2;i<=number/2;i++){
if(number%i==0){
return false;
}
}
return true;
}
}

package basics;
public class CheckPrimeOrNot {
public void checkprimeNumber(int i){
int flag=0;
if(i>2){
for(int j = 2; j <= i/2; j++){
if(i%j == 0){
System.out.println("Given number is Not Prime");
flag=1;
break;
}
}
if(flag==0){
System.out.println("Given number is Prime");
}
} else{
System.out.println("Please enter a valid number");
}
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
CheckPrimeOrNot CheckNumber = new CheckPrimeOrNot();
CheckNumber.checkprimeNumber(11);
CheckNumber.checkprimeNumber(0);
CheckNumber.checkprimeNumber(250365);
CheckNumber.checkprimeNumber(1231);
}
}

Prime Numbers Assistance

I have to write a code, and this is what I have so far:
A prime number is a number that is evenly divisible only by itself and I. For example, the
number 5 is prime because it can be evenly divided only by 1 and 5. The number 6, however,
is not prime because it can be divided evenly by 1, 2, 3, and 6.
Write a method named isPrime, which takes an integer as an argument and returns true if
the argument is a prime number, or false otherwise. Demonstrate the method in a complete
program.
This is the code so far:
package isprime;
import java.util.Scanner;
public class IsPrime {
public static void main(String[] args) {
Scanner userInput = new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.println("Write a number.");
int num = userInput.nextInt();
}
public static boolean isPrime(int num) {
int isPrime = num % num;
if (isPrime !=0 || isPrime != 1)
return false;
else
return true;
}
}
Now the issue is I don't know much about how boolean expressions work, so this is why I made an inner method boolean, but it will not pick the user number response in the inner method. This is where I am stuck. Also, there is a message saying the if is redundant? Can anyone assist in getting to the answer, not the answer itself? I won't learn how to do it in the long run.
Part 2:
Now I have to place these prime numbers into a file. I know I have to use PrintWriter, but I am not really sure where to place it. Also, how do create a file, using PrintWriter fileName = new PrintWriter("PrimeNumbers.txt");
This is the new code created:
package isprime_final;
import java.io.PrintWriter;
import java.util.Scanner;
public class IsPrime_Final
{
public static void main(String args[]){
Scanner fileName = new Scanner(System.in);
System.out.println("Name the file for Prime Number list.");
String primeList = fileName.nextLine();
for (int isPrime = 0; isPrime <= 100; isPrime++) {
if (isPrime(isPrime)) {
PrintWriter PrimeNumbers = new PrintWriter(System.out);
PrintWriter.println(isPrime);
}
}
PrintWriter.close();
}
public static boolean isPrime(int prime) {
if ((prime & 1) == 0) {
if (prime == 2) {
return true;
} else {
return false;
}
}
for (int i = 3; (i * i) <= prime; i += 2) {
if ((prime % i) == 0) {
return false;
}
}
return prime != 1;
}
}

int isPrime = num % num;
This doesn't accomplish anything. num % num is always 0 by definition (remember that a % b is the remainder when dividing a by b).
if (isPrime !=0 || isPrime != 1)
This doesn't accomplish anything either because the expression is always true. You're asking if isPrime is different from 0, or different from 1. There are three possible cases:
isPrime is 0. isPrime != 0 is false, isPrime != 1 is true, the whole expression is true.
isPrime is 1. isPrime != 0 is true, isPrime != 1is false, the whole expression is true.
isPrime is any other value. isPrime != 0 is true, isPrime != 1 is true, the whole expression is true.
What you need, to begin with, is a loop to look for divisors. If you can find a a divisor between 2 and num-1 so that num % divisor == 0, then num isn't prime. If you can't find one, then it is prime.

You are not calling the Boolean method isPrime from anywhere from your main method. You need to call it first after you read the response from user. Secondly, you are doing
num%num
Which will always gives you true. So it will never go into false condition.
Hope this helps something
Happy learning :)

A prime number is defined as a number only divisible by itself and 1.
To determine if a number N is a prime, a naive approach would be to check if the number is divisible by any number between 1 and N.
public static boolean isPrime (int num) {
for (int i=2; i<num; i++)
if (num % i == 0) // num is divisible by i
return false; // num is not prime.
return true; // because num passed all tests, num is prime.
}

Method to check if number is symmetric in Java [duplicate]

This question already has answers here:
How do I check if a number is a palindrome?
(53 answers)
Closed 9 years ago.
I need help with a method to check if a number is symmetric, so from what I understand I need to check equality between all the numbers and to make sure there is no different number amounts them...right?
This is my code:
public boolean isSemetric (int number) {
int temp;
boolean answer = true;
while (number != 0) {
temp = number % 10;
number /= 10;
if (temp != (number%10)) {
answer = false;
} else {
answer = true;
}
}
return answer;
}
I'm kind of new to programming so be forgiven to my code :/
Thanks!

As peter.petrov pointed out in the comment section of your question, your method as it's written will always return false, except for when number is equal to 0. The reason for this can be seen when you pass in a number like 111 and step through the code in a debugger. The final iteration will fail because number /= 10 will result in 0, and temp will be 1, which fails your test.
If you are indeed looking to identify palindromes, consider the following approach that should be simple to implement
1. copy number into temp
2. convert temp to a String, and reverse it (tmpStr)
3. convert tmpStr back to an integer (reversedInt)
4. compare number and reversedInt for equality
viola. Not the most efficient algorithm, but its easy to understand and gets the job done.

I would do it like this (I don't want to use String here and I don't want to use local array variable for the digits).
public static boolean isSymmetric (long number) {
if (number == 0) return true;
else if (number < 0) return false;
long DEG_10 = (long)(Math.pow(10, (int)Math.log10(number)));
while (number > 0){
long dStart = number / DEG_10;
long dEnd = number % 10;
if (dStart != dEnd) return false;
number = (number - dStart * DEG_10 - dEnd) / 10;
DEG_10 /= 100;
}
return true;
}

This is the easiest approach I can think of - Get the String value of the number, if the reverse is the same then it is symmetrical.
// Symmetry
public static boolean isSymmetric(int number) {
String val = String.valueOf(number); // Get the string.
StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(val);
return (val.equals(sb.reverse().toString())); // if the reverse is the same...
}

Here's a somewhat fixed up version of your code. However, it checks if all numbers are the same, e.g. 5555 or 111. 11211 would return false.
public boolean areAllDigitsTheSame (int number) {
int temp;
boolean answer = true;
while (number >= 10) {
temp = number % 10;
number /= 10;
if (temp != (number%10)) {
return false
}
}
return true;
}
Edit: The C++ answer in the linked question works by constructing the reverse number gradually in the loop, and finally checking if they're the same. This is a similar to what you are doing.
Here's another version for fun:
public boolean isPalindrome (int number) {
int reversedNumber = 0;
while (number > 0) {
int digit = number % 10;
reversedNumber = reversedNumber*10 + digit;
if (reversedNumber == number) { // odd number of digits
return true;
}
number /= 10;
if (reversedNumber == number) { // even number of digits
return true;
}
}
return false;
}

Very simple prime number test - I think I'm not understanding the for loop

I am practicing past exam papers for a basic java exam, and I am finding it difficult to make a for loop work for testing whether a number is prime. I don't want to complicate it by adding efficiency measures for larger numbers, just something that would at least work for 2 digit numbers.
At the moment it always returns false even if n IS a prime number.
I think my problem is that I am getting something wrong with the for loop itself and where to put the "return true;" and "return false;"... I'm sure it's a really basic mistake I'm making...
public boolean isPrime(int n) {
int i;
for (i = 2; i <= n; i++) {
if (n % i == 0) {
return false;
}
}
return true;
}
The reason I couldn't find help elsewhere on stackoverflow is because similar questions were asking for a more complicated implementation to have a more efficient way of doing it.

Your for loop has a little problem. It should be: -
for (i = 2; i < n; i++) // replace `i <= n` with `i < n`
Of course you don't want to check the remainder when n is divided by n. It will always give you 1.
In fact, you can even reduce the number of iterations by changing the condition to: - i <= n / 2. Since n can't be divided by a number greater than n / 2, except when we consider n, which we don't have to consider at all.
So, you can change your for loop to: -
for (i = 2; i <= n / 2; i++)

You can stop much earlier and skip through the loop faster with:
public boolean isPrime(long n) {
// fast even test.
if(n > 2 && (n & 1) == 0)
return false;
// only odd factors need to be tested up to n^0.5
for(int i = 3; i * i <= n; i += 2)
if (n % i == 0)
return false;
return true;
}

Error is i<=n
for (i = 2; i<n; i++){

You should write i < n, because the last iteration step will give you true.

public class PrimeNumberCheck {
private static int maxNumberToCheck = 100;
public PrimeNumberCheck() {
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
PrimeNumberCheck primeNumberCheck = new PrimeNumberCheck();
for(int ii=0;ii < maxNumberToCheck; ii++) {
boolean isPrimeNumber = primeNumberCheck.isPrime(ii);
System.out.println(ii + " is " + (isPrimeNumber == true ? "prime." : "not prime."));
}
}
private boolean isPrime(int numberToCheck) {
boolean isPrime = true;
if(numberToCheck < 2) {
isPrime = false;
}
for(int ii=2;ii<numberToCheck;ii++) {
if(numberToCheck%ii == 0) {
isPrime = false;
break;
}
}
return isPrime;
}
}

With this code number divisible by 3 will be skipped the for loop code initialization.
For loop iteration will also skip multiples of 3.
private static boolean isPrime(int n) {
if ((n > 2 && (n & 1) == 0) // check is it even
|| n <= 1 //check for -ve
|| (n > 3 && (n % 3 == 0))) { //check for 3 divisiable
return false;
}
int maxLookup = (int) Math.sqrt(n);
for (int i = 3; (i+2) <= maxLookup; i = i + 6) {
if (n % (i+2) == 0 || n % (i+4) == 0) {
return false;
}
}
return true;
}

You could also use some simple Math property for this in your for loop.
A number 'n' will be a prime number if and only if it is divisible by itself or 1.
If a number is not a prime number it will have two factors:
n = a * b
you can use the for loop to check till sqrt of the number 'n' instead of going all the way to 'n'. As in if 'a' and 'b' both are greater than the sqrt of the number 'n', a*b would be greater than 'n'. So at least one of the factors must be less than or equal to the square root.
so your loop would be something like below:
for(int i=2; i<=Math.sqrt(n); i++)
By doing this you would drastically reduce the run time complexity of the code.
I think it would come down to O(n/2).

One of the fastest way is looping only till the square root of n.
private static boolean isPrime(int n){
int square = (int)Math.ceil((Math.sqrt(n)));//find the square root
HashSet<Integer> nos = new HashSet<>();
for(int i=1;i<=square;i++){
if(n%i==0){
if(n/i==i){
nos.add(i);
}else{
nos.add(i);
int rem = n/i;
nos.add(rem);
}
}
}
return nos.size()==2;//if contains 1 and n then prime
}

You are checking i<=n.So when i==n, you will get 0 only and it will return false always.Try i<=(n/2).No need to check until i<n.

The mentioned above algorithm treats 1 as prime though it is not.
Hence here is the solution.
static boolean isPrime(int n) {
int perfect_modulo = 0;
boolean prime = false;
for ( int i = 1; i <= n; i++ ) {
if ( n % i == 0 ) {
perfect_modulo += 1;
}
}
if ( perfect_modulo == 2 ) {
prime = true;
}
return prime;
}

Doing it the Java 8 way is nicer and cleaner
private static boolean isPrimeA(final int number) {
return IntStream
.rangeClosed(2, number/2)
.noneMatch(i -> number%i == 0);
}