Polynomial Interpolation

J + sh

J script:

i=:0".(1!:1)3
i=:((-:#i),2)$i
c=:|.(%.(x:((i.#i)^~])"0({."1 i)))(+/ .*)(|:{:"1 i)
(":(-.0=c)#(c,.i.-#c))(1!:2)2

sh script:

echo -n 'f(x) = '
tr -d 'f()=' | tr /\\n- r' '_  | ./polyint.ijs | sed -e 's/^/+/;s/_/-/;s/\([0-9]*\)r\([0-9]*\)/\\frac{\1}{\2}/;s/ \([0-9]*$\)/x^\1/;s/\^1//;s/x^0//;s/+\(.*-.*\)/\1/'

Run the sh script:

./pol-int.sh
f(1/2) = -1/2
f(-25) = -1/2
f(-54/12) = -1/2

f(x) = -\frac{1}{2}

.

./pol-int.sh
f(4/3) = 617/8
f(2) = 20/3
f(-8/3) = 6749/81
f(-5) = 7367/12
f(0) = 23/3

f(x) = -\frac{37745}{14592}x^4
       -\frac{853249}{43776}x^3
     +  \frac{57809}{7296}x^2
     + \frac{225205}{2736}x
     +  \frac{23}{3}

Perl (569 characters)

use Math'BigInt;sub r{($u,$v)=@_;$v?r($v,$u%$v):$u}sub c{new Math'BigInt$_[0]}$a=@c=<>;for(@c){m!(-?\d+)/?(\d*). = (-?\d+)/?(\d*)!;$j{$_,$i}=$1**c$_,$k{$_,$i|=0}=($2||1)**c$_ for 0..$a;$j{$a,$i}=c$3;$k{$a,$i++}=c$4||1}for$p(0..$a-1){for$y(0..$p-1,$p+1..$a-1){$n=$j{$p,$y}*$k{$p,$p};$o=$k{$p,$y}*$j{$p,$p};$j{$_,$y}=$j{$_,$y}*$k{$_,$p}*$o-$k{$_,$y}*$j{$_,$p}*$n,$k{$_,$y}*=$k{$_,$p}*$o for 0..$a}}print"f(x)=";for(1..$a){$s=r$t=$j{$a,$p=$a-$_}*$k{$p,$p},$w=$k{$a,$p}*$j{$p,$p};$u=abs$t,print$t>0?"$z":'-',($z='+',$w/=$s)-1?"\\frac{$u}{$w}":$u,$p>1?"x^$p":x x$p if$t/=$s}

Detailed explanation:

use Math'BigInt;

# Subroutine to calculate gcd of two numbers
sub r{($u,$v)=@_;$v?r($v,$u%$v):$u}

# Subroutine to create BigInts
sub c{new Math'BigInt$_[0]}

# Read input
# Throughout, $a is the number of equations.
$a=@c=<>;

# Initialises the $a+1 × $a matrix with all the values.
# $j{$x,$y} contains the numerator, $k{$x,$y} the denominator.
for(@c)
{
    m!(-?\d+)/?(\d*). = (-?\d+)/?(\d*)!;

    # Puzzle for the reader: why is $i|=0 in the second one,
    # not the first one? Answer at the bottom!
    $j{$_,$i}=$1**c$_,$k{$_,$i|=0}=($2||1)**c$_ for 0..$a;
    $j{$a,$i}=c$3;
    $k{$a,$i++}=c$4||1
}

# Generates the matrix echelon form.
# Basically, it works like this:
for$p(0..$a-1)
{
    # For each element along the diagonal {$p,$p}, set all the values above and
    # below it to 0 by adding a multiple of row $p to each of the other rows.
    for$y(0..$p-1,$p+1..$a-1)
    {
        # So we need to multiply the row $p by the value of {$p,$y}/{$p,$p}
        # (stored in $n/$o) and then subtract that from row $y.
        $n=$j{$p,$y}*$k{$p,$p};
        $o=$k{$p,$y}*$j{$p,$p};
            $j{$_,$y}=$j{$_,$y}*$k{$_,$p}*$o-$k{$_,$y}*$j{$_,$p}*$n,
            $k{$_,$y}*=$k{$_,$p}*$o
        for 0..$a
    }
}

# Outputs the result
print"f(x)=";
for(1..$a)
{
    # Note this sets $p = $a-$_. $p is the power of x.
    # We need to divide {$a,$p} by {$p,$p}. Store the result in $t/$w.
    # We also need to put the fraction in lowest terms, so calculate the gcd.
    $s=r$t=$j{$a,$p=$a-$_}*$k{$p,$p},$w=$k{$a,$p}*$j{$p,$p};

    # Output this term only if the numerator ($t) is non-zero.
    # Output a plus sign only if this isn’t the first term.
    # Output a fraction only if the denomator ($w) isn’t 1.
        $u=abs$t,print$t>0?"$z":'-',
        ($z='+',$w/=$s)-1?"\\frac{$u}{$w}":$u,$p>1?"x^$p":x x$p
    if$t/=$s
}

# Answer to the puzzle buried in the code above:
# It’s because the second part is passed as a second argument to c,
# hence it is evaluated before the first part.

Comments

• I am sure there is a module for matrix manipulation that provides a function for echelon form. I specifically didn’t use that (didn’t even search for one) because I assume it is the point of this contest to do it yourself. It is more interesting that way, too. Of course the same could be said about BigInt, but then I suspect nobody will attempt this challenge...

Edits

• (630 → 585) Realised I can do the echelon form in one loop instead of two. Add explanation as comments in code.

• (585 → 583) Just discovered the package syntax that lets me use ' instead of ::.

• (583 → 573) Some more microgolfing

• (573 → 569) Shorter regular expression to parse input

TI-Basic(83/84): 109 characters

Technically 109 characters, TI-Basic counts dim(, For(, ->, rref(, [A], and lists as "one character".

The input is formatted into L1 and L2, in (x,y) pairs [e.x. L1=(1,2,3,4), L2=(2,3,5,7)].

{1,1}->dim([A]
{dim(L1),dim(L2)+1}->dim([A]
For(A,1,dim(L1)
For(B,dim(L1)-1,0,-1
L1(A)^B->[A](A,dim(L1)-B
End
L2(A->[A](A,dim(L1)+1
End
rref([A]->[A]
{0}->L3
For(A,1,dim(L1)
[A](A,dim(L1)+1->L3(A
End
Disp L3