Flatten nested lists

sage.misc.flatten.flatten(in_list, ltypes=(<class 'list'>, <class 'tuple'>), max_level=9223372036854775807)

Flatten a nested list.

INPUT:

• in_list – a list or tuple

• ltypes – optional list of particular types to flatten

• max_level – the maximum level to flatten

OUTPUT:

a flat list of the entries of in_list

EXAMPLES:

Sage

sage: flatten([[1,1],[1],2])
[1, 1, 1, 2]
sage: flatten([[1,2,3], (4,5), [[[1],[2]]]])
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2]
sage: flatten([[1,2,3], (4,5), [[[1],[2]]]], max_level=1)
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, [[1], [2]]]
sage: flatten([[[3],[]]],max_level=0)
[[[3], []]]
sage: flatten([[[3],[]]],max_level=1)
[[3], []]
sage: flatten([[[3],[]]],max_level=2)
[3]

Python

>>> from sage.all import *
>>> flatten([[Integer(1),Integer(1)],[Integer(1)],Integer(2)])
[1, 1, 1, 2]
>>> flatten([[Integer(1),Integer(2),Integer(3)], (Integer(4),Integer(5)), [[[Integer(1)],[Integer(2)]]]])
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2]
>>> flatten([[Integer(1),Integer(2),Integer(3)], (Integer(4),Integer(5)), [[[Integer(1)],[Integer(2)]]]], max_level=Integer(1))
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, [[1], [2]]]
>>> flatten([[[Integer(3)],[]]],max_level=Integer(0))
[[[3], []]]
>>> flatten([[[Integer(3)],[]]],max_level=Integer(1))
[[3], []]
>>> flatten([[[Integer(3)],[]]],max_level=Integer(2))
[3]

In the following example, the vector is not flattened because it is not given in the ltypes input.

Sage

sage: flatten((['Hi', 2, vector(QQ, [1,2,3])], (4,5,6)))                         # needs sage.modules
['Hi', 2, (1, 2, 3), 4, 5, 6]

Python

>>> from sage.all import *
>>> flatten((['Hi', Integer(2), vector(QQ, [Integer(1),Integer(2),Integer(3)])], (Integer(4),Integer(5),Integer(6))))                         # needs sage.modules
['Hi', 2, (1, 2, 3), 4, 5, 6]

We give the vector type and then even the vector gets flattened:

Sage

sage: tV = sage.modules.vector_rational_dense.Vector_rational_dense              # needs sage.modules
sage: flatten((['Hi', 2, vector(QQ, [1,2,3])], (4,5,6)),                         # needs sage.modules
....:         ltypes=(list, tuple, tV))
['Hi', 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Python

>>> from sage.all import *
>>> tV = sage.modules.vector_rational_dense.Vector_rational_dense              # needs sage.modules
>>> flatten((['Hi', Integer(2), vector(QQ, [Integer(1),Integer(2),Integer(3)])], (Integer(4),Integer(5),Integer(6))),                         # needs sage.modules
...         ltypes=(list, tuple, tV))
['Hi', 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

We flatten a finite field.

Sage

sage: flatten(GF(5))
[0, 1, 2, 3, 4]
sage: flatten([GF(5)])
[Finite Field of size 5]
sage: tGF = type(GF(5))
sage: flatten([GF(5)], ltypes=(list, tuple, tGF))
[0, 1, 2, 3, 4]

Python

>>> from sage.all import *
>>> flatten(GF(Integer(5)))
[0, 1, 2, 3, 4]
>>> flatten([GF(Integer(5))])
[Finite Field of size 5]
>>> tGF = type(GF(Integer(5)))
>>> flatten([GF(Integer(5))], ltypes=(list, tuple, tGF))
[0, 1, 2, 3, 4]

Degenerate cases:

Sage

sage: flatten([[],[]])
[]
sage: flatten([[[]]])
[]

Python

>>> from sage.all import *
>>> flatten([[],[]])
[]
>>> flatten([[[]]])
[]