Difference Between Greedy Knapsack and 0/1 Knapsack Algorithms
Last Updated :
21 May, 2024
The 0/1 Knapsack algorithm is a dynamic programming approach where items are either completely included or not at all. It considers all combinations to find the maximum total value. On the other hand, the Greedy Knapsack algorithm, also known as the Fractional Knapsack, allows for items to be broken into fractions, selecting items with the highest value-to-weight ratio first. However, this approach may not provide the optimal solution for the 0/1 Knapsack problem.
The greedy knapsack is an algorithm for making decisions that have to make a locally optimal choice at each stage in the hope that this will eventually lead to the best overall decision. In other words, it chooses items that have high value-to-weight ratios by iteratively selecting them based on increasing cost-benefit ratio whereby those items whose price can be paid less per unit utility derived from them are always preferred over others. Therefore, at any point in time, it just picks the item with a higher value/weight ratio without considering future consequences.
Steps of the Greedy Knapsack Algorithm:
- Find out value-to-weight ratios for all items: This implies dividing the worth of every item by its weight.
- Rearrange items according to their value-to-weight ratios: Order them according to who has first got the highest ratio.
- Go through the sorted list: Starting from the highest rationed item add items to the knapsack until there’s no more leftover space or no more other considerations about components.
Example:
Suppose we have a knapsack with a capacity of 50 units and the following items with their respective values and weights:
Item 1: Value = 60, Weight = 10
Item 2: Value = 100, Weight = 20
Item 3: Value = 120, Weight = 30
Using the greedy approach, we sort the items based on their value-to-weight ratio:
Item 3 (120/30 = 4)
Item 2 (100/20 = 5)
Item 1 (60/10 = 6)
Now, starting with the highest ratio, we add items to the knapsack until its capacity is reached:
Knapsack: Item 3 (Value: 120, Weight: 30) + Item 2 (Value: 100, Weight: 20)
Total Value: 220
Implementation:
C++
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
// Structure for an item which stores weight and
// corresponding value of Item
struct Item {
int value, weight;
// Constructor
Item(int value, int weight)
: value(value)
, weight(weight)
{
}
};
// Comparison function to sort Item according to
// value/weight ratio
bool cmp(struct Item a, struct Item b)
{
double r1 = (double)a.value / a.weight;
double r2 = (double)b.value / b.weight;
return r1 > r2;
}
// Main greedy function to solve problem
double fractionalKnapsack(int W, struct Item arr[], int n)
{
// sorting Item on basis of ratio
sort(arr, arr + n, cmp);
// Uncomment to see new order of Items with their
// ratio
/*
for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
cout << arr[i].value << " " << arr[i].weight << " :
" << ((double)arr[i].value / arr[i].weight) << endl;
}
*/
int curWeight = 0; // Current weight in knapsack
double finalvalue = 0.0; // Result (value in Knapsack)
// Looping through all Items
for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
// If adding Item won't overflow, add it completely
if (curWeight + arr[i].weight <= W) {
curWeight += arr[i].weight;
finalvalue += arr[i].value;
}
// If we can't add current Item, add fractional part
// of it
else {
int remain = W - curWeight;
finalvalue
+= arr[i].value
* ((double)remain / arr[i].weight);
break;
}
}
// Returning final value
return finalvalue;
}
// Driver code
int main()
{
int W = 50; // Weight of knapsack
Item arr[] = { { 60, 10 }, { 100, 20 }, { 120, 30 } };
int n = sizeof(arr) / sizeof(arr[0]);
cout << "Maximum value we can obtain = "
<< fractionalKnapsack(W, arr, n);
return 0;
}
Java
import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.Comparator;
// Structure for an item which stores weight and
// corresponding value of Item
class Item {
int value, weight;
// Constructor
public Item(int value, int weight)
{
this.value = value;
this.weight = weight;
}
}
public class Main {
// Comparison function to sort Item according to
// value/weight ratio
static class ItemComparator
implements Comparator<Item> {
public int compare(Item a, Item b)
{
double r1 = (double)a.value / a.weight;
double r2 = (double)b.value / b.weight;
if (r1 < r2)
return 1;
else if (r1 > r2)
return -1;
return 0;
}
}
// Main greedy function to solve problem
static double fractionalKnapsack(int W, Item arr[],
int n)
{
// sorting Item on basis of ratio
Arrays.sort(arr, new ItemComparator());
int curWeight = 0; // Current weight in knapsack
double finalValue
= 0.0; // Result (value in Knapsack)
// Looping through all Items
for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
// If adding Item won't overflow, add it
// completely
if (curWeight + arr[i].weight <= W) {
curWeight += arr[i].weight;
finalValue += arr[i].value;
}
else {
// If we can't add current Item, add
// fractional part of it
int remain = W - curWeight;
finalValue
+= arr[i].value
* ((double)remain / arr[i].weight);
break;
}
}
// Returning final value
return finalValue;
}
// Driver code
public static void main(String[] args)
{
int W = 50; // Weight of knapsack
Item arr[] = { new Item(60, 10), new Item(100, 20),
new Item(120, 30) };
int n = arr.length;
System.out.println("Maximum value we can obtain = "
+ fractionalKnapsack(W, arr, n));
}
}
Python
from typing import List
# Class representing an item with value and weight
class Item:
def __init__(self, value: int, weight: int):
self.value = value
self.weight = weight
# Function to compare items based on value/weight ratio
def item_comparator(a: Item, b: Item) -> int:
r1 = a.value / a.weight
r2 = b.value / b.weight
if r1 < r2:
return 1
elif r1 > r2:
return -1
return 0
# Main greedy function to solve the problem
def fractional_knapsack(W: int, arr: List[Item]) -> float:
# Sorting items based on ratio
arr.sort(key=lambda x: item_comparator(x, x))
cur_weight = 0 # Current weight in knapsack
final_value = 0.0 # Result (value in Knapsack)
# Looping through all items
for item in arr:
# If adding the item won't overflow, add it completely
if cur_weight + item.weight <= W:
cur_weight += item.weight
final_value += item.value
else:
# If we can't add the current item, add fractional part of it
remain = W - cur_weight
final_value += item.value * (remain / item.weight)
break
# Returning the final value
return final_value
# Driver code
if __name__ == "__main__":
W = 50 # Weight of knapsack
arr = [Item(60, 10), Item(100, 20), Item(120, 30)]
print("Maximum value we can obtain =", fractional_knapsack(W, arr))
JavaScript
// Structure for an item which stores weight and
// corresponding value of Item
class Item {
constructor(value, weight) {
this.value = value;
this.weight = weight;
}
}
// Comparison function to sort Item according to
// value/weight ratio
function cmp(a, b) {
let r1 = a.value / a.weight;
let r2 = b.value / b.weight;
return r1 > r2;
}
// Main greedy function to solve problem
function fractionalKnapsack(W, arr) {
// sorting Item on basis of ratio
arr.sort(cmp);
let curWeight = 0; // Current weight in knapsack
let finalvalue = 0.0; // Result (value in Knapsack)
// Looping through all Items
for (let i = 0; i < arr.length; i++) {
// If adding Item won't overflow, add it completely
if (curWeight + arr[i].weight <= W) {
curWeight += arr[i].weight;
finalvalue += arr[i].value;
}
// If we can't add current Item, add fractional part of it
else {
let remain = W - curWeight;
finalvalue += arr[i].value * (remain / arr[i].weight);
break;
}
}
// Returning final value
return finalvalue;
}
// Driver code
let W = 50; // Weight of knapsack
let arr = [new Item(60, 10), new Item(100, 20), new Item(120, 30)];
console.log("Maximum value we can obtain = ", fractionalKnapsack(W, arr));
OutputMaximum value we can obtain = 240
An alternative approach of the dynamic programming is taken by the 0/1 Knapsack Algorithm unlike that which is greedy. This is why it was named “0/1” since it completely takes or leaves each item which is a binary decision. The algorithm guarantees an overall optimal but can become very expensive for large number of problem sizes.
Steps of the 0/1 Knapsack Algorithm:
- Create a table: A table will be initialized to store maximum value that can be obtained with different weights and items.
- Fill the table iteratively: For every item and every possible weight, determine whether including the item would increase its value without exceeding the weight limit.
- Use the table to determine the optimal solution: Follow through backward in order to find items that have been included in optimal solution.
Example:
Suppose we have a knapsack with a capacity of 5 units and the following items with their respective values and weights:
Item 1: Value = 6, Weight = 1
Item 2: Value = 10, Weight = 2
Item 3: Value = 12, Weight = 3
We construct a dynamic programming table to find the optimal solution:
0/1 KnapsackFinally, we find that the optimal solution is to include Item 2 and Item 3:
Knapsack: Item 2 (Value: 10, Weight: 2) + Item 3 (Value: 12, Weight: 3)
Total Value: 22
Difference between Greedy Knapsack and 0/1 Knapsack Algorithm:
Criteria
| Greedy Knapsack
| 0/1 Knapsack
|
---|
Approach
| Greedy strategy, locally optimal choices
| Dynamic programming, considers all options
|
---|
Decision Making
| Based on value-to-weight ratio
| Considers all possible combinations
|
---|
Complexity
| O(n log n) - Sorting
| O(nW) - Where n is the number of items, W is the capacity
|
---|
Optimal Solution
| Not always optimal
| Always optimal
|
---|
Item Inclusion
| May include fractions of items
| Items are either fully included or excluded
|
---|
Memory Usage
| Requires less memory
| Requires more memory due to DP table
|
---|
Algorithm Type
| Greedy
| Dynamic Programming
|
---|
Sorting
| Requires sorting based on certain criteria
| No sorting required
|
---|
Speed
| Faster due to greedy selection
| Slower due to exhaustive search
|
---|
Use Cases
| Quick approximation, large datasets
| Small datasets, guaranteed optimality
|
---|
Conclusion
To sum up, both greedy knapsack and 0/1 knapsack algorithms have different trade offs between optimality and efficiency. Fast solutions may come from greedy knapsack but such solutions are not optimal in some cases whereas 0/1 knap sack guarantee that at the cost of high computational complexity. This understanding will form a basis upon which to select an appropriate algorithm for a given knapsack problem.
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