MathGroup Archive 1998

[Date Index] [Thread Index] [Author Index]

Search the Archive

RE: Mathematica lock-up when comsuming Win95 system resources

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg13645] RE: [mg13619] Mathematica lock-up when comsuming Win95 system resources
  • From: "Barthelet, Luc" <lucb at ea.com>
  • Date: Fri, 7 Aug 1998 05:27:37 -0700
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

I suspect you are generating so much output that you are consuming the
system resources just formatting the output to be returned to the front
end. In general kernel operations can be aborted. Transfer of data
between kernel and front end cannot be.

Start your session with this code. it will catch those big outputs that
can kill you.

reallyBig[x_] := If[ByteCount[x] > 200000, "Too Large", x]; 
  $Post = reallyBig;


-----Original Message-----
From: L. Dwynn Lafleur [mailto:lafleur at usl.edu] To:
mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
Subject: [mg13645] [mg13619] Mathematica lock-up when comsuming Win95 system
resources


I am using Mathematica 3.0.1 under Windows 95.  Occasionally, when
executing a cell involving a large multidimensional list, Mathematica
will slowly consume all system resources and lock up.  No doubt, this
is because I am making a programming error that results in Mathematica
trying to do a ridiculously large amount of work.

Since I have the system resource meter running in the tray, I can see
the freeze coming, but all the attempts to abort the calculation fail. 
Right before the lock-up, Win95 posts a warning that 90% of its
resources are used up, but I can't do anything about it.  The only way
out is to Ctl-Alt-Del and shut Mathematica down.  Of course, that means
all the work since the last notebook save is lost.

Does anyone have advice on how to avoid this situation (other than being
a better Mathematica programmer, which might eventually happen)? Of
course, I could get into the habit of saving the notebook before each
and every execution.  Is that the only solution?

Thanks for any help.

Dwynn

-- 

=========================================== L. Dwynn Lafleur Professor
of Physics
The University of Southwestern Louisiana Lafayette, Louisiana  (USA)
lafleur at usl.edu               
===========================================


  • Prev by Date: RE: New Notebook Select or Evaluation Command?
  • Next by Date: Re: Pattern matching trivia
  • Previous by thread: Mathematica lock-up when comsuming Win95 system resources
  • Next by thread: Re: Mathematica lock-up when comsuming Win95 system resources