# How do you take position “x” in multiple sublists to make a new list?

this is a rather rudimentary question, but I was wondering if there are more efficient ways to do the following:

dd = {{{12, 3, 5}, {14, 10, 11}}, {{15, 76, 65}}}


If I have list dd, I want identify alternative ways to pick out elements in each sublist that are in the same positions and make them into a new list. For example, if I took out the first position of every sublist, I'd get the output:

Output={{12, 14}, {15}}


To make new output lists with the first/last element positions are the easiest and can be achieved through:

lis1 = Map[First, dd, {2}]
lis2 = Map[Last, dd, {2}]


However, to get an output where the "middle" position elements are taken and put into a new list ({{3, 10}, {76}}) I used:

lis3 = Map[Rest, dd, {2}]
lis4 = Map[First, lis3, {2}]


This seems like a rather roundabout way to obtain the desired list. Would there be a more streamlined alternative which I can Map directly to list dd and avoid having to manipulating the list first (lis3)?

• Map[#[[k]]&, dd, {2}] with your choice of k? – kglr Jun 29 at 5:13
• Or Apply[#k &, dd, {-2}], e.g., Apply[#2 &, dd, {-2}]. – SneezeFor16Min Jun 29 at 5:59
• Is dd[[ All, All, k ]] what you need or did I miss something? – Kuba Jun 29 at 8:22
• dd/.{x_,y_,z_}:> y – user1066 Jun 29 at 13:47

k=2;

 {{3, 10}, {76}}

Flatten[dd, {3}][[k]]

 {{3, 10}, {76}}