get the nth-lowest value in a `group by` clause - sql

Question

Here's a tough one: I have data coming back in a temporary table foo in this form:
id n v
-- - -
1 3 1
1 3 10
1 3 100
1 3 201
1 3 300
2 1 13
2 1 21
2 1 300
4 2 1
4 2 7
4 2 19
4 2 21
4 2 300
8 1 11
Grouping by id, I need to get the row with the nth-lowest value for v based on the value in n. For example, for the group with an ID of 1, I need to get the row which has v equal to 100, since 100 is the third-lowest value for v.
Here's what the final results need to look like:
id n v
-- - -
1 3 100
2 1 13
4 2 7
8 1 11
Some notes about the data:
the number of rows for each ID may vary
n will always be the same for every row with a given ID
n for a given ID will never be greater than the number of rows with that ID
the data will already be sorted by id, then v
Bonus points if you can do it in generic SQL instead of oracle-specific stuff, but that's not a requirement (I suspect that rownum may factor prominently in any solutions). It has in my attempts, but I wind up confusing myself before I get a working solution.

Answer 1

I would use row_number function make row number the compare with n column value in CTE, do another CTE to make row number order by v desc.
get rn = 1 which is mean max value in the n number group.
CREATE TABLE foo(
id int,
n int,
v int
);
insert into foo values (1,3,1);
insert into foo values (1,3,10);
insert into foo values (1,3,100);
insert into foo values (1,3,201);
insert into foo values (1,3,300);
insert into foo values (2,1,13);
insert into foo values (2,1,21);
insert into foo values (2,1,300);
insert into foo values (4,2,1);
insert into foo values (4,2,7);
insert into foo values (4,2,19);
insert into foo values (4,2,21);
insert into foo values (4,2,300);
insert into foo values (8,1,11);
Query 1:
with cte as(
select id,n,v
from
(
select t.*, row_number() over(partition by id ,n order by n) as rn
from foo t
) t1
where rn <= n
), maxcte as (
select id,n,v, row_number() over(partition by id ,n order by v desc) rn
from cte
)
select id,n,v
from maxcte
where rn = 1
Results:
| ID | N | V |
|----|---|-----|
| 1 | 3 | 100 |
| 2 | 1 | 13 |
| 4 | 2 | 7 |
| 8 | 1 | 11 |

Answer 2

use window function
select * from
(
select t.*, row_number() over(partition by id ,n order by v) as rn
from foo t
) t1
where t1.rn=t1.n
as ops sample output just need 3rd highest value so i put where condition t1.rn=3 though accodring to description it would be t1.rn=t1.n
https://dbfiddle.uk/?rdbms=oracle_11.2&fiddle=65abf8d4101d2d1802c1a05ed82c9064

Answer 3

If your database is version 12.1 or higher then there is a much simpler solution:
SELECT DISTINCT ID, n, NTH_VALUE(v,n) OVER (PARTITION BY ID) AS v
FROM foo
ORDER BY ID;
| ID | N | V |
|----|---|-----|
| 1 | 3 | 100 |
| 2 | 1 | 13 |
| 4 | 2 | 7 |
| 8 | 1 | 11 |
Depending on your real data you may have to add an ORDER BY n clause and/or windowing_clause as RANGE BETWEEN UNBOUNDED PRECEDING AND UNBOUNDED FOLLOWING, see NTH_VALUE