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Fix exponential_moving_average for window_size=1 - #15451

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intertermux-code wants to merge 1 commit into
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intertermux-code:fix/ema-window-size-1
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intertermux-code wants to merge 1 commit into
TheAlgorithms:masterfrom
intertermux-code:fix/ema-window-size-1

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@intertermux-code intertermux-code commented Sep 27, 2026 •

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Describe your change

  • Fix a bug or typo in an existing algorithm?
  • Add or change doctests?

For window_size=1 the documented smoothing factor is alpha = 2/(1+1) = 1, so the recurrence should return each input unchanged. Instead the warmup branch (i <= window_size) averaged the second price: [10.0, 20.0, 30.0] came out [10.0, 15.0, 30.0].

This narrows the warmup to i < window_size so the exponential recurrence applies from the second value onward, and adds a doctest pinning the window_size=1 behavior. The existing window_size=3 doctest is unchanged and still passes.

Verified with the module doctests plus the issue's repro.

Checklist

  • I have read CONTRIBUTING.md.
  • This pull request is all my own work -- I have not plagiarized.
  • I know that pull requests will not be merged if they fail the automated tests.
  • This PR only changes one algorithm file. To ease review, please open separate PRs for separate algorithms.
  • All new Python files are placed inside an existing directory.
  • All filenames are in all lowercase characters with no spaces or dashes.
  • All functions and variable names follow Python naming conventions.
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  • All functions have doctests that pass the automated testing.
  • All new algorithms include at least one URL that points to Wikipedia or another similar explanation.
  • If this pull request resolves one or more open issues, then the description above includes the issue number(s) with a closing keyword: "Fixes exponential_moving_average returns an incorrect second value when window_size=1 #15449".

Fixes #15449.

The warmup branch used `i <= window_size`, so with window_size=1 the
second price was averaged ((10+20)*0.5=15) instead of applying the
documented smoothing factor alpha=2/(1+1)=1, which must return each
input unchanged. Narrowing the warmup to `i < window_size` applies
the exponential recurrence from the second value onward, and adds a
doctest pinning the window_size=1 behavior.
@algorithms-keeper algorithms-keeper Bot added the awaiting reviews This PR is ready to be reviewed label Sep 27, 2026
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Closing this pull request as invalid

@intertermux-code, this pull request is being closed as none of the checkboxes have been marked. It is important that you go through the checklist and mark the ones relevant to this pull request. Please read the Contributing guidelines.

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@algorithms-keeper algorithms-keeper Bot removed the awaiting reviews This PR is ready to be reviewed label Sep 27, 2026
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exponential_moving_average returns an incorrect second value when window_size=1

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