#input of initial matrix
matrix = [[1, 2, 3, 4],[5, 6, 7, 8],[9, 10, 11, 12],[13, 14, 15, 16]]
for i in matrix: print(i)
rows = len(matrix)
cols = len(matrix[0])
print (rows,"x",cols)
print ("--------")

output_list = []
width = cols
depth = rows-1

#initial thrust settings
direction = 0
a,b = 0,1
x, y = 0,-1
move = width

#loop through all items in the matrix
while len(output_list) < rows * cols:	

	while move > 0:
		x,y = x+a,y+b
		output_list.append(matrix[x][y])
		move += -1

	if direction%2==0:
		width += -1
	else:
		depth += -1

        #turn to the right for next thrust
	direction += 1
	if direction > 3: direction = 0
	if direction == 0: 
		a,b = 0,1
		move = width
	elif direction == 1: 
		a,b = 1,0
		move = depth
	elif direction == 2: 
		a,b = 0,-1
		move = width
	else: 
		a,b = -1,0
		move = depth

print(output_list)

function swirl(arr) {
  if (!arr || !arr.length || !arr[0] || !arr[0].length) return;
  const dim = [arr.length, arr[0].length], ds = [[0, 1], [1, 0], [0, -1], [-1, 0]], limits = [0, 0, 0, 0];
  const turns = [[1, 0, 0, 0], [0, -1, 0, 0], [0, 0, 1, 0], [0, 0, 0, -1]];
  let currentPos = [0, 0], nextPos, dir = 0;
  const result = [];
  while (limits[0] + limits[2] < dim[0] && limits[1] + limits[3] < dim[1]) {
    result.push(arr[currentPos[0]][currentPos[1]]);
    nextPos = currentPos.map((k, i) => k + ds[dir][i]);
    if (nextPos[0] < limits[0] || nextPos[0] >= (dim[0] - limits[2]) || nextPos[1] < limits[3] || nextPos[1] >= (dim[1] - limits[1])) {
      limits[dir]++;
      dir = (dir + 1) % 4;
      nextPos = currentPos.map((k, i) => k + ds[dir][i]);
    }
    currentPos = nextPos;
  }
  return result;
}

const initialMatrix = [
    [1,  2,  3,  4],
    [5,  6,  7,  8],
    [9, 10, 11, 12],
    [13, 14, 15, 16],
    [17, 18, 19, 20]
];
const result = unwindMatrix(initialMatrix);

function unwindMatrix(matrix) {
    const result = matrix.splice(0, 1)[0];

    return matrix.length === 0 ? result : result.concat(unwindMatrix(rotateMatrix(matrix)));
}

function rotateMatrix(matrix) {
    const rotatedMatrix = [];
    for (let c = matrix[0].length - 1; c > -1; c--) {
        rotatedMatrix.push([]);
        for (let r = 0; r < matrix.length; r++) {
            rotatedMatrix[rotatedMatrix.length - 1].push(matrix[r][c]);
        }
    }
    return rotatedMatrix;
}

const matrix = [ 
[1,  2,  3,  4], 
[5,  6,  7,  8], 
[9, 10, 11, 12],
[13, 14, 15, 16],
[17, 18, 19, 20]];

let i=-1;
let j=-1;
let ii = matrix.length+1;
let jj = matrix[0].length+1;

while (i++ < ii-- && j++ < jj--) {
  let x, z, p, q;
  for (x = j; x<jj; x++) console.log(matrix[i][x]);
  for (z = i+1; z<ii; z++) console.log(matrix[z][x-1]);
  for (p = jj-2; p>=j; p--) console.log(matrix[z-1][p]);
  for (q = ii-2; q>i; q--) console.log(matrix[q][p+1]);
}

so many variables lol

def swirl(m, t):
    for i in range(len(m[0])):
        t.append(m[0][i])
    m.pop(0)
    if m == []:
        print t
        return None
    for i in range(len(m) - 1):
        t.append(m[i][-1])
        m[i].pop(-1)
    for i in range(len(m[0]), -1, -1):
        t.append(m[-1][i])
    m.pop(-1)
    for i in range(len(m), 0, -1):
        t.append(m[i - 1][0])
        m[i - 1].pop(0)                 
    swirl(m, t)

def unravel(m):
    return ' '.join(map(str, unravel_helper(m, [])))


def unravel_helper(m, acc):
    if len(m) == 0:
        return acc
    else:
        acc += m[0]
        return unravel_helper(list(reversed(zip(*m[1:]))), acc)

test = [range(1, 21)[i:i + 4] for i in range(0, 20, 4)]
print(test)
print(unravel(test))