Optimizing the dumb way to calculate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1_%2B_2_%2B_3_%2B_4_%2B_%E2%8B%AF

dumb_but_fast.py

from aoc import *


# This function caches very well
@cache
def fuel_cost(diff):
    return sum(range(diff + 1))


data = list(map(int, data.split(",")))
smallest = float('inf')
result_pos = None

for i in range(min(data), max(data) + 1):
    # Faster than sum(fuel_cost(abs(pos - i)) for pos in data)
    total_fuel = sum(map(fuel_cost, map(abs, map(partial(op.add, -i), data))))

    if total_fuel < smallest:
        smallest = total_fuel
        result_pos = i

print(result_pos, smallest)