这是受Haskell实现使用列表理解的启发：

def permutation(list):
    if len(list) == 0:
        return [[]]
    else:
        return [[x] + ys for x in list for ys in permutation(delete(list, x))]

def delete(list, item):
    lc = list[:]
    lc.remove(item)
    return lc

在我看来，一个很明显的方式可能是：

def permutList(l):
    if not l:
            return [[]]
    res = []
    for e in l:
            temp = l[:]
            temp.remove(e)
            res.extend([[e] + r for r in permutList(temp)])

    return res

这是初始排序后生成排列的渐近最优方式O（n*n！）。

有n个！最多进行一次置换，且具有下一次置换（..），以O（n）时间复杂度运行

在3个步骤中，

找到最大的j，使a[j]可以增加以最小可行量增加a[j]找到扩展新a[0..j]的字典最少方法

'''
Lexicographic permutation generation

consider example array state of [1,5,6,4,3,2] for sorted [1,2,3,4,5,6]
after 56432(treat as number) ->nothing larger than 6432(using 6,4,3,2) beginning with 5
so 6 is next larger and 2345(least using numbers other than 6)
so [1, 6,2,3,4,5]
'''
def hasNextPermutation(array, len):
    ' Base Condition '
    if(len ==1):
        return False
    '''
    Set j = last-2 and find first j such that a[j] < a[j+1]
    If no such j(j==-1) then we have visited all permutations
    after this step a[j+1]>=..>=a[len-1] and a[j]<a[j+1]

    a[j]=5 or j=1, 6>5>4>3>2
    '''
    j = len -2
    while (j >= 0 and array[j] >= array[j + 1]):
        j= j-1
    if(j==-1):
        return False
    # print(f"After step 2 for j {j}  {array}")
    '''
    decrease l (from n-1 to j) repeatedly until a[j]<a[l]
    Then swap a[j], a[l]
    a[l] is the smallest element > a[j] that can follow a[l]...a[j-1] in permutation
    before swap we have a[j+1]>=..>=a[l-1]>=a[l]>a[j]>=a[l+1]>=..>=a[len-1]
    after swap -> a[j+1]>=..>=a[l-1]>=a[j]>a[l]>=a[l+1]>=..>=a[len-1]

    a[l]=6 or l=2, j=1 just before swap [1, 5, 6, 4, 3, 2] 
    after swap [1, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2] a[l]=5, a[j]=6
    '''
    l = len -1
    while(array[j] >= array[l]):
        l = l-1
    # print(f"After step 3 for l={l}, j={j} before swap {array}")
    array[j], array[l] = array[l], array[j]
    # print(f"After step 3 for l={l} j={j} after swap {array}")
    '''
    Reverse a[j+1...len-1](both inclusive)

    after reversing [1, 6, 2, 3, 4, 5]
    '''
    array[j+1:len] = reversed(array[j+1:len])
    # print(f"After step 4 reversing {array}")
    return True

array = [1,2,4,4,5]
array.sort()
len = len(array)
count =1
print(array)
'''
The algorithm visits every permutation in lexicographic order
generating one by one
'''
while(hasNextPermutation(array, len)):
    print(array)
    count = count +1
# The number of permutations will be n! if no duplicates are present, else less than that
# [1,4,3,3,2] -> 5!/2!=60
print(f"Number of permutations: {count}")

我的Python解决方案：

def permutes(input,offset):
    if( len(input) == offset ):
        return [''.join(input)]

    result=[]        
    for i in range( offset, len(input) ):
         input[offset], input[i] = input[i], input[offset]
         result = result + permutes(input,offset+1)
         input[offset], input[i] = input[i], input[offset]
    return result

# input is a "string"
# return value is a list of strings
def permutations(input):
    return permutes( list(input), 0 )

# Main Program
print( permutations("wxyz") )

def permutations(head, tail=''):
    if len(head) == 0:
        print(tail)
    else:
        for i in range(len(head)):
            permutations(head[:i] + head[i+1:], tail + head[i])

称为：

permutations('abc')

此解决方案实现了一个生成器，以避免在内存中保留所有排列：

def permutations (orig_list):
    if not isinstance(orig_list, list):
        orig_list = list(orig_list)

    yield orig_list

    if len(orig_list) == 1:
        return

    for n in sorted(orig_list):
        new_list = orig_list[:]
        pos = new_list.index(n)
        del(new_list[pos])
        new_list.insert(0, n)
        for resto in permutations(new_list[1:]):
            if new_list[:1] + resto <> orig_list:
                yield new_list[:1] + resto