Hey, guys.

A Pythagorean triplet is a set of three natural numbers, a < b < c, for which, a² + b² = c².

For example, 3² + 4² = 9 + 16 = 25 = 5².

There exists exactly one Pythagorean triplet for which a + b + c = 1000.
Find the product abc.

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int a = 0; int b = 0; int c = 0;
bool Found = false;

int Find_Triplet(int,int,int);

int Find_Triplet(int a, int b, int c)
{
for (int i = 5; i < 1000; i++)
{
    c = i;
    for (int j = 2; j < c; j++)
    {
        b = j;
        for (int k = 1; k < b; k++)
        {
             a = k;
            if (a*a + b*b == c*c && a+b+c == 1000)
            {
                Found = true;
                break;
            }
        }
        if (Found)
            break;
    }
    if (Found)
        break;
}
return a*b*c;
}

int main()
{
    cout << Find_Triplet(a,b,c) << endl;
    return 0;
}

How can I improve my program?

Thank you.

Petcheco

The only time Found will be true is when the condition on line 21 is true. There you break and use Found to break out of the other loops. Use a goto label here! This is one of those rare conditions where a goto is useful. I think even Stroustrup says so in his book.

Thank you, sir.

Fundermentally, the loops are highly inefficient.

You have the condition that a+b+c == 1000, so why not loop on a and b BUT calcuate c.

Second you can limit the loop extent based on the idea that c>b>a.
Thus a can never go beyond 333 (1000/3) and b extends from a+1
to 1000-3*a.

This would leave you with two loops only.

// THIS is a long way off efficient.

for(int a=1;a<333;a++)  // b>a and a>c thus (3*a)<1000
  for(int b=a+1;b<1000-3*a;b++)
     {
       int c=1000-a-b; 
       if (a*a+b*b==c*c)
         return SUCCESS;
     }
 return FAILED;

Thank you, mate.

a can't be bigger than c.

if we have a²+b² = c², than c > b >= a.

Edited my code. It looks like

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int a = 0; int b = 0; int c = 0;

int Find_Triplet(int,int,int);

int Find_Triplet(int a, int b, int c)
{
for (a= 5; a < 500; a++)
{
    for (b = 2; b < a; b++)
    {

        c = 1000-a-b;
            if (a*a + b*b == c*c && a+b+c == 1000)
            {
                goto End_of_Loop;
            }
        }
    }

End_of_Loop:
return a*b*c;
}

int main()
{
    cout << Find_Triplet(a,b,c) << endl;
    return 0;
}

this now.

Any tips?

Don't use goto. In this case to get out of your nested loops just use return a*b*c; where you have goto End_of_Loop;. There is no point exiting out of the loops to get to the return statement when return will kill the function for you.

Thank you, Nathan.

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