Imagine this Table:


All combinations represented in the table (1,2 ; 1,3 ; 1,4 ; etc.) are stored as strings in an array with a total of (n^2-n)/2 elements (combinations).

I'm looking for an algorithm that sorts the elements so no number of a combination is next to a combination with the same number in it.

For example a sorted array with n=5: {1,2 ; 3,4 ; 5,1 ; 2,3 ; 5,4 ; 1,3 ; 2,5 ; 4,1 ; 3,5 ; 4,2}

Of course this algorithm would only work with n > 4.


Think of this like a chess board. Visit all of the white squares first (in a left-to-right, top-to-bottom scan). Then visit all of the black squares (in a similar order).


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