Applying Map function on specific arrays of nested list

Question

The output of a part of my scripts can be a list of list (e.g ccmppp1) or a list (e.g ccmppp2). I am using the following script to find the Root mean square of the nested list which is applied on the last element of each sublist and it worked well.

ccmppp1 = {{{45.8144, -0.864685, 10.7009}, {42.6579, -0.863343, 10.01}, {44.2365, -0.830501, 10.3459}, {171.179, 305.888, -107.992}}, {{173.75, 306.062, -108.301}, {171.775, 307.219, -110.29}, {174.06, 307.508, -111.119}, {170.034, 307.95, -111.296}, {174.329, 309.043, -113.554}, {172.091, 309.352, -113.408}, {169.571, 309.361, -113.06}, {169.98, 311.135, -115.16}, {174.687, 311.218, -116.291}, {172.25, 311.487, -115.947}, {173.124, 312.642, -117.252}, {174.887, 312.839, -117.922}}, {{168.792, 313.106, -116.923}, {171.072, 313.217, -117.375}, {173.008, 314.374, -118.78}, {175.094, 314.559, -119.475}, {169.427, 314.727, -118.452}, {171.107, 314.919, -118.858}, {173.699, 315.855, -120.169}, {170.027, 316.188, -119.749}, {175.261, 316.204, -120.815}, {171.812, 316.454, -120.228}, {173.568, 317.473, -121.382}, {169.795, 317.828, -121.02}, {175.483, 318.03, -122.247}, {171.704, 318.423, -121.752}}};

ccmppp2 = {{171.812, 316.454, -120.228}, {173.568, 317.473, -121.382}, {169.795, 317.828, -121.02}, {175.483, 318.03, -122.247}, {171.704, 318.423, -121.752}, {173.455, 319.502, -122.871}, {175.579, 319.568, -123.379}, {171.569, 320.011, -122.921}, {172.051, 321.326, -123.958}, {173.959, 321.362, -124.319}, {175.775, 321.389, -124.718}, {172.506, 323.092, -125.281}, {174.385, 323.193, -125.675}, {176.134, 323.528, -126.258}, {174.903, 324.765, -126.81}, {173.108, 325.129, -126.751}, {176.3, 325.268, -127.376}, {174.762, 326.297, -127.72}, {176.462, 327.022, -128.426}, {176.555, 328.653, -129.344}, {178.005, 342.933, -137.562}, {178.125, 344.653, -138.456}, {178.235, 346.388, -139.252}, {75.5718, 436.359, -80.7434}, {76.131, 438.132, -87.7129}, {76.9078, 439.652, -94.7067}};


RootMeanSquare /@ (#[[All, -1]] & /@ ccmppp1)

However, when my output is a list (e.g ccmppp2) the above script gives the wrong output. Considering that I do not know if my output is a list or list of list which command should I use that works for both. Or should I use the If function which I prefer not to use?

Answer 1

rootMeanSq[list_] := If[MatrixQ@list, {RootMeanSquare[Last /@ list]}, 
RootMeanSquare /@ Last /@ Transpose /@ list]

 rootMeanSq[ccmppp1]
 rootMeanSq[ccmppp2]

{54.7358, 113.669, 119.812}

{122.696}

Or

rootMeanSq /@ {ccmppp1, ccmppp2}

{{54.7358, 113.669, 119.812}, {122.696}}

Answer 2

Some possibilities:

rms1[data_] := RootMeanSquare /@ Level[data, {-3}][[All, All, 3]]
rms1[ccmppp1]
rms1[ccmppp2]

{54.7358,113.669,119.812}

{122.696}

rms2[data_] := Map[RootMeanSquare[#[[All, 3]]] &, data, {-3}]
rms2[ccmppp1]
rms2[ccmppp2]

{54.7358,113.669,119.812}

122.696

Of the two, I would prefer the first one as it returns a list in either case. This way, even if you only have a list of 1 element with ccmppp2, you can still use Map and friends. The second returns a List in one case and a Real in the other case. I think this is likely to cause the exact same kind of issue in your question later on, where functions that work on the list don't work on atomic expressions, or visa versa.