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Performance of numerical functions decreases with time

  • To: mathgroup <mathgroup at yoda.physics.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Performance of numerical functions decreases with time
  • From: Magnus Nordborg <magnus at fisher.stanford.edu>
  • Date: Tue, 13 Jul 93 13:57:47 -0700

Hi,

	I have a "time-critical" question here.  I want to find the minimum of a simple  
function for many different parameters.  I define something like:
	
MyFunction[d_,s_,z_,a_,b_,g_,k_] :=
Module[{fn,res},
	fn = - 2*(1 - d)*M^z*(1 - M^g)^k*s - 

		 (1 - M^g)^k*(1 - (1 - M^a)^b)*(1 - M^z*s);
	res = FindMinimum[ fn, {M,0.5}][[2]];
	If[ MatchQ[res,{Rule_}],
		M /. res,
  	(* else *)
		res = FindMinimum[ fn, {M,0.1}][[2]];
  		If[ MatchQ[res,{Rule_}],
  			M /. res,
  		(* else *)
			res = FindMinimum[ fn, {M,0.9}][[2]];
  			If[ MatchQ[res,{Rule_}],
  				M /. res,
  			(* else *)
  				Null
  			]
  		]
  	]
]

This particular pattern tries several starting points, but everything I say below applies  
equally well to the simplest possible pattern.  Now, I am trying to use "Table" to find  
the minimum for 10^5 different values, say.  I did some small number (like 10) and  
then extrapolated to find that my job would take on the order of 20 hours (this is using  
Sparc 2 and NeXT).  80 hours later the machines are still crunching.  So I did a little  
test.  I timed 35 cases, then redid the same 35 cases, and so on 10 times.  To my  
chagrin, I find that the performance is decreasing over time!

why = Table[ Timing[ Table[
	{0.1,0.1,0.1,1.5,5,1.5,k,
		MyFunction [0.1,0.1,0.1,1.5,5,1.5,k]},
	{k,1.5,10,0.25}] ], {i,10} ];
	

Transpose[why][[1]]

{23.8333 Second, 26.2833 Second, 28.85 Second, 

 

  31.6667 Second, 34.5167 Second, 37.0833 Second, 

 

  39.7 Second, 42.6 Second, 45.5 Second, 48.5833 Second}
  

It doesn't take the proverbial rocket scientist to see that if time to completion more  
than doubles after doing 300 cases, 10^5 will take a bit MORE than 20 h...

What on earth is going on here?  What is causing this, and is there a work-around?   
We really need these numbers fast, unfortunately.  Time for C...?

Grateful for a quick reply,

			-Magnus
---
Magnus Nordborg
magnus at fisher.stanford.edu (NeXT mail preferred)
Department of Biological Sciences		
Stanford University				
Stanford, CA 94305-5020				
+1 (415) 723-4952 (office)

P.S.  I'm using Mathematica 2.1 on NeXT and Sparc.





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