How to use select and map together

Question

I have two lists, list1 and list2. I want to Select from list1 using list2 as a comparison standard.

For example:

list1 = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8}; 
list2 = {3, 5}; 
Select[list1, (#) < list2[[1]] &]

will give me elements in list1 that is smaller than the 1st element in list2. I want ot use Map to get lists of list, each containing sets of elements smaller than 1st, 2nd ..nth elemet of list2. Basically the results I want is the same as running

{Select[list1, (#) < list2[[1]] &], Select[list1, (#) < list2[[2]] &]}

but I want to use Map.Then I could not figure out how to get the slots to "find" its appropriate calling function. I was trying something like (Select[list1, #1 < #2 &]) /@ list2, but it was very obvious it won't work. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Map[Function[a, Select[list1, (#) < a &]], list2]

Answer 2

Some random test set:

n = 1000;
list1 = RandomInteger[1000, n];
list2 = RandomInteger[1000, n];

You can select elements with Select and Fuction

res1 = Function[{x}, Select[list1, # < x &]] /@ list2; // AbsoluteTiming
(* {0.988713, Null} *)

There is similar function Cases, which looks better here

res2 = Cases[list1, x_ /; x < #] & /@ list2; // AbsoluteTiming
(* {1.004461, Null} *)

Your specific task can be done very fast by sorting lists

res3 = With[{s = Sort@list1}, s[[;; #]] & /@ 
       Pick[Accumulate@#, #, 0][[Ordering@Ordering@list2]] &@
     UnitStep[Ordering@Join[list2, list1] - Length@list2 - 1]]; // AbsoluteTiming
(* {0.008168, Null} *)

Sort /@ res1 == Sort /@ res2 == Sort /@ res3
(* True *)