Counting "perfect squares" in a list in Haskell - haskell

Question

I am new to Haskell and I am struggling to get this concept to work.
I have to use a list of integers as a parameter and count the number of perfect squares (1,4,9,etc) in the list and output that value. So for example, if I entered myfunction[1,5,9] the output would be 2.
So far I have only got one function to work:
myfunction list = map per list
where per y = floor(sqrt (y) * sqrt (y))
Takes the square root of the element multiplied by the square root of the element. My mindset with the above is that I could set the above result equal to the original element. And if they are equal to each other, that would mean they are perfect squares. And then I would increment a value.
My issue is that my book doesn't give me any ideas for how to increment a variable or how to incorporate more than 1 function at a time. And as a result, I've been aimlessly working on this over the course of 3 days.
Thank you in advance for any help, advice, or resources!

Answer 1

fixing your version
first completed your version could look like this:
myfunction list = length $ filter per list
where
per y = floor(sqrt y * sqrt y) == y
this would even type-check but it would not work (try it)
that's because there is a small little problem - let's make it obvious by giving some types:
myfunction :: [Int] -> Int
myfunction list = length $ filter per list
where
per :: Int -> Bool
per y = floor(sqrt y * sqrt y) == y
you get an error:
No instance for (Floating Int) arising from a use of ‘sqrt’
it is trying to say to you that it does not know how to use sqrt for an Int - an easy fix is using fromIntegral and let it convert the Int into something that can:
myfunction :: [Int] -> Int
myfunction list = length $ filter per list
where
per :: Int -> Bool
per y = floor(sqrt (fromIntegral y) * sqrt (fromIntegral y)) == y
this kind of works (wrong answer) but gives an warning - we could get rid of with
myfunction :: [Int] -> Int
myfunction list = length $ filter per list
where
per :: Int -> Bool
per y = floor(sqrt (fromIntegral y :: Double) * sqrt (fromIntegral y)) == y
were we tell Haskell what type to use for the conversion (the warning would tell you that you default to this anyway).
So there is the wrong answer still.
#jpmarinier already told why - the way you test/sqr is sadly not cutting it (at least as I thought you wanted) - here is a fix:
myfunction :: [Int] -> Int
myfunction list = length $ filter per list
where
per :: Int -> Bool
per y = let y' = (fromIntegral y :: Double) in sqrt y' ** 2 == y'
where we first convert y to a Double value y' and test this.
Another option is using a integer-sqr as #jpmarinier mentioned:
myfunction :: [Int] -> Int
myfunction list = length $ filter per list
where
per :: Int -> Bool
per y = squareRoot y * squareRoot y == y
squareRoot :: Int -> Int
squareRoot = floor . sqrt . (fromIntegral :: Int -> Double)
that should finally work.
without floor and sqr:
ok this is maybe a bit to grok for you but here is how you can do this by sieving out the values.
Let's start by creating a (ascending) list of all perfect squares - I don't know which type you want those numbers to be so let's stay generic as well:
-- need later
import Data.List (sort)
perfectSquares :: Enum a => Num a => [a]
perfectSquares = [ n*n | n <- [1..] ]
no let's make a function counting elements from two lists - if the lists are sorted this can be done recursively by walking alongside the lists - I don't know if your input lists are always sorted so let's sort it before:
countOccurances :: (Enum a, Num a, Ord a) => [a] -> [a] -> a
countOccurances from list =
countAlong from $ sort list
where
countAlong [] _ = 0
countAlong _ [] = 0
countAlong allXs#(x:xs) allYs#(y:ys)
| x < y = countAlong xs allYs
| x > y = countAlong allXs ys
| otherwise = 1 + countAlong allXs ys
having both we can combine them for the answer:
import Data.List (sort)
countPerfectSquares :: (Enum a, Num a, Ord a) => [a] -> a
countPerfectSquares = countOccurances perfectSquares
countOccurances :: (Enum a, Num a, Ord a) => [a] -> [a] -> a
countOccurances from list =
countAlong from $ sort list
where
countAlong [] _ = 0
countAlong _ [] = 0
countAlong allXs#(x:xs) allYs#(y:ys)
| x < y = countAlong xs allYs
| x > y = countAlong allXs ys
| otherwise = 1 + countAlong allXs ys
perfectSquares :: Enum a => Num a => [a]
perfectSquares = [ n*n | n <- [1..] ]
Example:
> countPerfectSquares [1,5,9] :: Int
2