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How to subtract two Big Numbers


Calculate distance between two latitude-longitude points? (Haversine formula)How do you set, clear, and toggle a single bit?How do I iterate over the words of a string?What is JavaScript's highest integer value that a number can go to without losing precision?Determine Whether Two Date Ranges OverlapHow can I profile C++ code running on Linux?How to check if a number is a power of 2How to sum array of numbers in Ruby?Easy interview question got harder: given numbers 1..100, find the missing number(s)Divide a number by 3 without using *, /, +, -, % operators






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0















I am trying to subtract 2 very large ints / big nums, but I have run into an issue. My code works for subtractions like 123 - 94, 5 - 29 but I can't seem to get around edge cases. For example 13 - 15 should result in -2. But if I do num1 - num2 - borrow + 10 on the first digit I get 8 and borrow becomes 1. Moving on to the last digit I end up with 1 - 1 - borrow(=1) which leaves me with -1 therefor my end result is -18 instead of being -2.



Here is my code for the subtraction:




//Infint is the class for the very large number

Infint Infint::sub(Infint other)


string result;

Infint i1 = *this;
Infint i2 = other;


if (int(i1._numberstr.length() - i2._numberstr.length()) < 0)

Infint(result) = i2 - i1;
result._numberstr.insert(result._numberstr.begin(), '-');
return result;


else if (i1._numberstr.length() - i2._numberstr.length() > 0)

int diff = i1._numberstr.length() - i2._numberstr.length();
for (int i = diff; i > 0 ; --i)

i2._numberstr.insert(i2._numberstr.begin(), '0');




int borrow = 0;
int i = i2._numberstr.length() - 1;
for (; i >= 0 ; --i)

int sub = (i1._numberstr[i] - '0') - (i2._numberstr[i] - '0') - borrow;

if (sub < 0)

sub += 10;
borrow = 1;


else
borrow = 0;

result.insert(0, to_string(sub));


while (i > 0)

result.insert(result.begin(), i1._numberstr[i1._numberstr.length() - i]);
--i;


int j = 0;
while (result[j] == '0')
j++;

result.erase(0, j);

if (borrow == 1)
result.insert(result.begin(), '-');

return Infint(result);



Would you kindly help me understand the errors or mistakes in logic I have made ?










share|improve this question



















  • 1





    13 - 15 -- Why is this an "edge case" but 5 - 29 isn't an "edge case"? Looks like you need to review your entire logic on paper first before writing any code.

    – PaulMcKenzie
    Mar 8 at 4:46







  • 1





    Then make the numbers the same size by adding leading zeros to the smaller number before subtracting. Have you considered that? Then if you did that, there would be no difference at all in how you subtracted the number, since the sizes would always be the same.

    – PaulMcKenzie
    Mar 8 at 4:56







  • 1





    In calculating 13 - 15, you calculated the units digit as 8 and the tens digit as -1. Shouldn't that result in -18? You wrote -12. -18 makes sense in its own way, because -10 + 8 is -2.

    – Raymond Chen
    Mar 8 at 5:00






  • 1





    @Kai.G Forget about negative numbers for the moment. Does your code work if the subtraction results in a positive number or 0? If not, get that to work first. Once you get that to work, then the issue is what to do once you get to the most significant digit and then to determine the sign of the final answer.

    – PaulMcKenzie
    Mar 8 at 5:04







  • 1





    Not just those numbers. What about 23 - 18, where you are forced to make borrowing to occur? Or 101 - 89?

    – PaulMcKenzie
    Mar 8 at 5:09


















0















I am trying to subtract 2 very large ints / big nums, but I have run into an issue. My code works for subtractions like 123 - 94, 5 - 29 but I can't seem to get around edge cases. For example 13 - 15 should result in -2. But if I do num1 - num2 - borrow + 10 on the first digit I get 8 and borrow becomes 1. Moving on to the last digit I end up with 1 - 1 - borrow(=1) which leaves me with -1 therefor my end result is -18 instead of being -2.



Here is my code for the subtraction:




//Infint is the class for the very large number

Infint Infint::sub(Infint other)


string result;

Infint i1 = *this;
Infint i2 = other;


if (int(i1._numberstr.length() - i2._numberstr.length()) < 0)

Infint(result) = i2 - i1;
result._numberstr.insert(result._numberstr.begin(), '-');
return result;


else if (i1._numberstr.length() - i2._numberstr.length() > 0)

int diff = i1._numberstr.length() - i2._numberstr.length();
for (int i = diff; i > 0 ; --i)

i2._numberstr.insert(i2._numberstr.begin(), '0');




int borrow = 0;
int i = i2._numberstr.length() - 1;
for (; i >= 0 ; --i)

int sub = (i1._numberstr[i] - '0') - (i2._numberstr[i] - '0') - borrow;

if (sub < 0)

sub += 10;
borrow = 1;


else
borrow = 0;

result.insert(0, to_string(sub));


while (i > 0)

result.insert(result.begin(), i1._numberstr[i1._numberstr.length() - i]);
--i;


int j = 0;
while (result[j] == '0')
j++;

result.erase(0, j);

if (borrow == 1)
result.insert(result.begin(), '-');

return Infint(result);



Would you kindly help me understand the errors or mistakes in logic I have made ?










share|improve this question



















  • 1





    13 - 15 -- Why is this an "edge case" but 5 - 29 isn't an "edge case"? Looks like you need to review your entire logic on paper first before writing any code.

    – PaulMcKenzie
    Mar 8 at 4:46







  • 1





    Then make the numbers the same size by adding leading zeros to the smaller number before subtracting. Have you considered that? Then if you did that, there would be no difference at all in how you subtracted the number, since the sizes would always be the same.

    – PaulMcKenzie
    Mar 8 at 4:56







  • 1





    In calculating 13 - 15, you calculated the units digit as 8 and the tens digit as -1. Shouldn't that result in -18? You wrote -12. -18 makes sense in its own way, because -10 + 8 is -2.

    – Raymond Chen
    Mar 8 at 5:00






  • 1





    @Kai.G Forget about negative numbers for the moment. Does your code work if the subtraction results in a positive number or 0? If not, get that to work first. Once you get that to work, then the issue is what to do once you get to the most significant digit and then to determine the sign of the final answer.

    – PaulMcKenzie
    Mar 8 at 5:04







  • 1





    Not just those numbers. What about 23 - 18, where you are forced to make borrowing to occur? Or 101 - 89?

    – PaulMcKenzie
    Mar 8 at 5:09














0












0








0








I am trying to subtract 2 very large ints / big nums, but I have run into an issue. My code works for subtractions like 123 - 94, 5 - 29 but I can't seem to get around edge cases. For example 13 - 15 should result in -2. But if I do num1 - num2 - borrow + 10 on the first digit I get 8 and borrow becomes 1. Moving on to the last digit I end up with 1 - 1 - borrow(=1) which leaves me with -1 therefor my end result is -18 instead of being -2.



Here is my code for the subtraction:




//Infint is the class for the very large number

Infint Infint::sub(Infint other)


string result;

Infint i1 = *this;
Infint i2 = other;


if (int(i1._numberstr.length() - i2._numberstr.length()) < 0)

Infint(result) = i2 - i1;
result._numberstr.insert(result._numberstr.begin(), '-');
return result;


else if (i1._numberstr.length() - i2._numberstr.length() > 0)

int diff = i1._numberstr.length() - i2._numberstr.length();
for (int i = diff; i > 0 ; --i)

i2._numberstr.insert(i2._numberstr.begin(), '0');




int borrow = 0;
int i = i2._numberstr.length() - 1;
for (; i >= 0 ; --i)

int sub = (i1._numberstr[i] - '0') - (i2._numberstr[i] - '0') - borrow;

if (sub < 0)

sub += 10;
borrow = 1;


else
borrow = 0;

result.insert(0, to_string(sub));


while (i > 0)

result.insert(result.begin(), i1._numberstr[i1._numberstr.length() - i]);
--i;


int j = 0;
while (result[j] == '0')
j++;

result.erase(0, j);

if (borrow == 1)
result.insert(result.begin(), '-');

return Infint(result);



Would you kindly help me understand the errors or mistakes in logic I have made ?










share|improve this question
















I am trying to subtract 2 very large ints / big nums, but I have run into an issue. My code works for subtractions like 123 - 94, 5 - 29 but I can't seem to get around edge cases. For example 13 - 15 should result in -2. But if I do num1 - num2 - borrow + 10 on the first digit I get 8 and borrow becomes 1. Moving on to the last digit I end up with 1 - 1 - borrow(=1) which leaves me with -1 therefor my end result is -18 instead of being -2.



Here is my code for the subtraction:




//Infint is the class for the very large number

Infint Infint::sub(Infint other)


string result;

Infint i1 = *this;
Infint i2 = other;


if (int(i1._numberstr.length() - i2._numberstr.length()) < 0)

Infint(result) = i2 - i1;
result._numberstr.insert(result._numberstr.begin(), '-');
return result;


else if (i1._numberstr.length() - i2._numberstr.length() > 0)

int diff = i1._numberstr.length() - i2._numberstr.length();
for (int i = diff; i > 0 ; --i)

i2._numberstr.insert(i2._numberstr.begin(), '0');




int borrow = 0;
int i = i2._numberstr.length() - 1;
for (; i >= 0 ; --i)

int sub = (i1._numberstr[i] - '0') - (i2._numberstr[i] - '0') - borrow;

if (sub < 0)

sub += 10;
borrow = 1;


else
borrow = 0;

result.insert(0, to_string(sub));


while (i > 0)

result.insert(result.begin(), i1._numberstr[i1._numberstr.length() - i]);
--i;


int j = 0;
while (result[j] == '0')
j++;

result.erase(0, j);

if (borrow == 1)
result.insert(result.begin(), '-');

return Infint(result);



Would you kindly help me understand the errors or mistakes in logic I have made ?







c++ math integer-arithmetic






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Mar 8 at 5:02







Kai.G

















asked Mar 8 at 4:30









Kai.GKai.G

185




185







  • 1





    13 - 15 -- Why is this an "edge case" but 5 - 29 isn't an "edge case"? Looks like you need to review your entire logic on paper first before writing any code.

    – PaulMcKenzie
    Mar 8 at 4:46







  • 1





    Then make the numbers the same size by adding leading zeros to the smaller number before subtracting. Have you considered that? Then if you did that, there would be no difference at all in how you subtracted the number, since the sizes would always be the same.

    – PaulMcKenzie
    Mar 8 at 4:56







  • 1





    In calculating 13 - 15, you calculated the units digit as 8 and the tens digit as -1. Shouldn't that result in -18? You wrote -12. -18 makes sense in its own way, because -10 + 8 is -2.

    – Raymond Chen
    Mar 8 at 5:00






  • 1





    @Kai.G Forget about negative numbers for the moment. Does your code work if the subtraction results in a positive number or 0? If not, get that to work first. Once you get that to work, then the issue is what to do once you get to the most significant digit and then to determine the sign of the final answer.

    – PaulMcKenzie
    Mar 8 at 5:04







  • 1





    Not just those numbers. What about 23 - 18, where you are forced to make borrowing to occur? Or 101 - 89?

    – PaulMcKenzie
    Mar 8 at 5:09













  • 1





    13 - 15 -- Why is this an "edge case" but 5 - 29 isn't an "edge case"? Looks like you need to review your entire logic on paper first before writing any code.

    – PaulMcKenzie
    Mar 8 at 4:46







  • 1





    Then make the numbers the same size by adding leading zeros to the smaller number before subtracting. Have you considered that? Then if you did that, there would be no difference at all in how you subtracted the number, since the sizes would always be the same.

    – PaulMcKenzie
    Mar 8 at 4:56







  • 1





    In calculating 13 - 15, you calculated the units digit as 8 and the tens digit as -1. Shouldn't that result in -18? You wrote -12. -18 makes sense in its own way, because -10 + 8 is -2.

    – Raymond Chen
    Mar 8 at 5:00






  • 1





    @Kai.G Forget about negative numbers for the moment. Does your code work if the subtraction results in a positive number or 0? If not, get that to work first. Once you get that to work, then the issue is what to do once you get to the most significant digit and then to determine the sign of the final answer.

    – PaulMcKenzie
    Mar 8 at 5:04







  • 1





    Not just those numbers. What about 23 - 18, where you are forced to make borrowing to occur? Or 101 - 89?

    – PaulMcKenzie
    Mar 8 at 5:09








1




1





13 - 15 -- Why is this an "edge case" but 5 - 29 isn't an "edge case"? Looks like you need to review your entire logic on paper first before writing any code.

– PaulMcKenzie
Mar 8 at 4:46






13 - 15 -- Why is this an "edge case" but 5 - 29 isn't an "edge case"? Looks like you need to review your entire logic on paper first before writing any code.

– PaulMcKenzie
Mar 8 at 4:46





1




1





Then make the numbers the same size by adding leading zeros to the smaller number before subtracting. Have you considered that? Then if you did that, there would be no difference at all in how you subtracted the number, since the sizes would always be the same.

– PaulMcKenzie
Mar 8 at 4:56






Then make the numbers the same size by adding leading zeros to the smaller number before subtracting. Have you considered that? Then if you did that, there would be no difference at all in how you subtracted the number, since the sizes would always be the same.

– PaulMcKenzie
Mar 8 at 4:56





1




1





In calculating 13 - 15, you calculated the units digit as 8 and the tens digit as -1. Shouldn't that result in -18? You wrote -12. -18 makes sense in its own way, because -10 + 8 is -2.

– Raymond Chen
Mar 8 at 5:00





In calculating 13 - 15, you calculated the units digit as 8 and the tens digit as -1. Shouldn't that result in -18? You wrote -12. -18 makes sense in its own way, because -10 + 8 is -2.

– Raymond Chen
Mar 8 at 5:00




1




1





@Kai.G Forget about negative numbers for the moment. Does your code work if the subtraction results in a positive number or 0? If not, get that to work first. Once you get that to work, then the issue is what to do once you get to the most significant digit and then to determine the sign of the final answer.

– PaulMcKenzie
Mar 8 at 5:04






@Kai.G Forget about negative numbers for the moment. Does your code work if the subtraction results in a positive number or 0? If not, get that to work first. Once you get that to work, then the issue is what to do once you get to the most significant digit and then to determine the sign of the final answer.

– PaulMcKenzie
Mar 8 at 5:04





1




1





Not just those numbers. What about 23 - 18, where you are forced to make borrowing to occur? Or 101 - 89?

– PaulMcKenzie
Mar 8 at 5:09






Not just those numbers. What about 23 - 18, where you are forced to make borrowing to occur? Or 101 - 89?

– PaulMcKenzie
Mar 8 at 5:09













1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes


















0














Since you got 8 at the 1s position and -1 at the 10s position. the sum of these two is -10 + 8 = -2, the correct answer (instead of -10 - 8 = -18, which is wrong).



EDIT: To systematically derive the correct answer, if you find the highest-digit difference to be negative, distribute the minus sign to all digits. Suppose the per-digit differences of two n-digit values are



an-1, ..., a0



with aj be the difference at digit of 10j, and you find that an-1 < 0. Then total difference of the two numbers could be calculated as



-1 * (-an-1 * 10n-1 + ... + -a0)



It should be fairly straight-forward to derive the correct (negative) answer by going through the sum from 10n-1 down to 1s.






share|improve this answer

























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    0














    Since you got 8 at the 1s position and -1 at the 10s position. the sum of these two is -10 + 8 = -2, the correct answer (instead of -10 - 8 = -18, which is wrong).



    EDIT: To systematically derive the correct answer, if you find the highest-digit difference to be negative, distribute the minus sign to all digits. Suppose the per-digit differences of two n-digit values are



    an-1, ..., a0



    with aj be the difference at digit of 10j, and you find that an-1 < 0. Then total difference of the two numbers could be calculated as



    -1 * (-an-1 * 10n-1 + ... + -a0)



    It should be fairly straight-forward to derive the correct (negative) answer by going through the sum from 10n-1 down to 1s.






    share|improve this answer





























      0














      Since you got 8 at the 1s position and -1 at the 10s position. the sum of these two is -10 + 8 = -2, the correct answer (instead of -10 - 8 = -18, which is wrong).



      EDIT: To systematically derive the correct answer, if you find the highest-digit difference to be negative, distribute the minus sign to all digits. Suppose the per-digit differences of two n-digit values are



      an-1, ..., a0



      with aj be the difference at digit of 10j, and you find that an-1 < 0. Then total difference of the two numbers could be calculated as



      -1 * (-an-1 * 10n-1 + ... + -a0)



      It should be fairly straight-forward to derive the correct (negative) answer by going through the sum from 10n-1 down to 1s.






      share|improve this answer



























        0












        0








        0







        Since you got 8 at the 1s position and -1 at the 10s position. the sum of these two is -10 + 8 = -2, the correct answer (instead of -10 - 8 = -18, which is wrong).



        EDIT: To systematically derive the correct answer, if you find the highest-digit difference to be negative, distribute the minus sign to all digits. Suppose the per-digit differences of two n-digit values are



        an-1, ..., a0



        with aj be the difference at digit of 10j, and you find that an-1 < 0. Then total difference of the two numbers could be calculated as



        -1 * (-an-1 * 10n-1 + ... + -a0)



        It should be fairly straight-forward to derive the correct (negative) answer by going through the sum from 10n-1 down to 1s.






        share|improve this answer















        Since you got 8 at the 1s position and -1 at the 10s position. the sum of these two is -10 + 8 = -2, the correct answer (instead of -10 - 8 = -18, which is wrong).



        EDIT: To systematically derive the correct answer, if you find the highest-digit difference to be negative, distribute the minus sign to all digits. Suppose the per-digit differences of two n-digit values are



        an-1, ..., a0



        with aj be the difference at digit of 10j, and you find that an-1 < 0. Then total difference of the two numbers could be calculated as



        -1 * (-an-1 * 10n-1 + ... + -a0)



        It should be fairly straight-forward to derive the correct (negative) answer by going through the sum from 10n-1 down to 1s.







        share|improve this answer














        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer








        edited Mar 8 at 5:21

























        answered Mar 8 at 5:08









        EdyEdy

        36918




        36918





























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