4 ms·

A one-line solution in Python: print '\n'.join(['%s%s%s' % (' '*((9-step)/2), '*'*step, ' '*((9-step)/2)) for step in [1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 9, 7, 5, 3, 1]]) Not

• BoppreH 17y ago
  I think the hardest part of the problem is defining the formula that generates the number (or position) of asterisks at each line. And you hard-coded it in a list. I consider this cheating.
  • BoppreH 17y ago
    Here, a one-liner that makes its own calculations: print '\n'.join(max(4-i, i-5)*' ' + (min(i, 9-i)*2+1)*'*' for i in range(0, 10)) Edit: shaved off a few more characters and somehow made it slightly clearer. I would make it diamond shaped, but python will whine because of "invalid indentation".
    • paulbaumgart 17y ago
      Parameterized! def d(n): return '\n'.join(int(max((n-1)/2-i,i-n/2))*' '+(min(i,n-1-i)*2+1)*'*' for i in xrange(0,n))
      • BoppreH 17y ago
        I have made a version of that myself just before posting here, but I made n be width, not the height. Still an interesting solution.
    • joss82 17y ago
      Slightly shorter: print '\n'.join([" "abs(4-i) + ""(9-abs(8-i2)) for i in range(9)])
      • BoppreH 17y ago
        That actually doesn't do the trick because there is only one line 9 asterisks wide when it should be two. I don't think you can accomplish this replacing max/min with any combination of abs.
        • joss82 17y ago
          You're right, but I couldn't correct it right away (because of noprocrast and life). Also, formatting was wrong: print '\n'.join([" "abs(int(4.5-i)) + ""(10-abs(9-i2)) for i in range(10)])
    • rbonvall 16y ago
      If you enclose the expression with parenthesis, you can indent it however you like: print ('\n' .join(max (4-i, i-5) * ' ' + (min(i, 9 -i) * 2 + 1) * '*' for i in range (0, 10) ))