ancestors.py

ada_family = { 'Judith Blunt-Lytton': ['Anne Isabella Blunt', 'Wilfrid Scawen Blunt'],
              'Ada King-Milbanke': ['Ralph King-Milbanke', 'Fanny Heriot'],
              'Ralph King-Milbanke': ['Augusta Ada King', 'William King-Noel'],
              'Anne Isabella Blunt': ['Augusta Ada King', 'William King-Noel'],
              'Byron King-Noel': ['Augusta Ada King', 'William King-Noel'],
              'Augusta Ada King': ['Anne Isabella Milbanke', 'George Gordon Byron'],
              'George Gordon Byron': ['Catherine Gordon', 'Captain John Byron'],
              'John Byron': ['Vice-Admiral John Byron', 'Sophia Trevannion'] }


def ancestors(genealogy, person):
    result=[]
    if person in genealogy:
        result=result + genealogy[person]
        for ancestor in result:
            result=result +ancestors(genealogy, ancestor)
    return result

        






# Here are some examples:

print ancestors(ada_family, 'Augusta Ada King')
#>>> ['Anne Isabella Milbanke', 'George Gordon Byron',
#    'Catherine Gordon','Captain John Byron']

#print ancestors(ada_family, 'Judith Blunt-Lytton')
#>>> ['Anne Isabella Blunt', 'Wilfrid Scawen Blunt', 'Augusta Ada King',
#    'William King-Noel', 'Anne Isabella Milbanke', 'George Gordon Byron',
#    'Catherine Gordon', 'Captain John Byron']

#print ancestors(ada_family, 'Dave')
#>>> []