In python.
I had some problems with "global vars" so I put the function as method of an object. It is recursive and it calls itself 29 times for the question in the comic, stopping at the first successful match
class Solver(object):
def __init__(self):
self.solved = False
self.total = 0
def solve(s, p, pl, curList = []):
poss = [i for i in sorted(pl, reverse = True) if i <= p]
if len(poss) == 0 or s.solved:
s.total += 1
return curList
if abs(poss[0]-p) < 0.00001:
s.solved = True # Solved it!!!
s.total += 1
return curList + [poss[0]]
ml,md = [], 10**8
for j in [s.solve(p-i, pl, [i]) for i in poss]:
if abs(sum(j)-p)
Output:
Total time it runned: 29
------------------------------
1 x Sampler Plate (5.80)
2 x Hot wings (3.55)
1 x Mixed Fruit (2.15)
------------------------------
Total: 15.05
