How to divide a set into two subsets such that difference between the sum of numbers in two sets is minimal?

Question

Given a set of numbers, divide the numbers into two subsets such that difference between the sum of numbers in two subsets is minimal.

T

Answer 1

Combinations over combinations approach:

import itertools as it

def min_diff_sets(data):
    """
        Parameters:
        - `data`: input list.
        Return:
        - min diff between sum of numbers in two sets
    """

    if len(data) == 1:
        return data[0]
    s = sum(data)
    # `a` is list of all possible combinations of all possible lengths (from 1
    # to len(data) )
    a = []
    for i in range(1, len(data)):
        a.extend(list(it.combinations(data, i)))
    # `b` is list of all possible pairs (combinations) of all elements from `a`
    b = it.combinations(a, 2)
    # `c` is going to be final correct list of combinations.
    # Let's apply 2 filters:
    # 1. leave only pairs where: sum of all elements == sum(data)
    # 2. leave only pairs where: flat list from pairs == data
    c = filter(lambda x: sum(x[0])+sum(x[1])==s, b)
    c = filter(lambda x: sorted([i for sub in x for i in sub])==sorted(data), c)
    # `res` = [min_diff_between_sum_of_numbers_in_two_sets,
    #           ((set_1), (set_2))
    #         ]
    res = sorted([(abs(sum(i[0]) - sum(i[1])), i) for i in c],
            key=lambda x: x[0])
    return min([i[0] for i in res])

if __name__ == '__main__':
    assert min_diff_sets([10, 10]) == 0, "1st example"
    assert min_diff_sets([10]) == 10, "2nd example"
    assert min_diff_sets([5, 8, 13, 27, 14]) == 3, "3rd example"
    assert min_diff_sets([5, 5, 6, 5]) == 1, "4th example"
    assert min_diff_sets([12, 30, 30, 32, 42, 49]) == 9, "5th example"
    assert min_diff_sets([1, 1, 1, 3]) == 0, "6th example"