The comments so far are very welcome.

I'll add one or two myself.

I was originally thinking just of a quick data sheet that could assist people who are aquiring systems for running Maple (some individual machines, some for Maple computer labs, etc). Comments by Roman and Jacques bring home the point that a good performance suite would allow tracking of Maple's performance across releases. That could be useful information.

A few more subtleties of a benchmark suite: Some parts could have tasks split by restart (or, maybe better, by wholly fresh session), to minimize interference amongst tasks as memory allocation grew and memeory management costs took effect. OK.

But some other parts might deliberately involve lots of tasks together, because that might get closer to typical usage.

There is also the question of Maple performance over  very long continuous durations, possibly with large memory allocation. There's an active thread in comp.soft-sys.math.maple related to this.

Speaking of memory, there is also the question of memory fragmentation. Maple seems to not do best when contiguous memory hardware rtables are allocated and then unreferenced (ie. when they become collectible as garbage). The collected memory is not always available in larger free blocks, in current Maple, due to fragmentation of the freed space. I have heard proposals that garbage collection in Maple might be altered so as to also move memory chunks that were still in use. Such memory packing might release larger free contiguous blocks. Some similarity might be had with respect to Matlab's `pack` command, as far as the final effect (if not the means) goes of such memory consolidation.

The more I think about, the more I see that the two purposes would be better having very different and completely distinct sources: one simple set of codes to show the relative performance of Maple across OS/hardware, and another more sophisticated suite for long-term measurement of Maple as it develops.

acer

Hi Bill,

Estimated relative performance of Maple across different operating systems and architectures is one of the ideas behind this post about a possible Maple benchmark. The question that I mostly had in mind when posting that was: which platform does Maple perform best upon?

Others noted that there could be some good other benefits too. It might illustrate how different releases of Maple performed, on the same configuration. That could lead to insight about what's improved, what's deteriorated, and where subsequent improvement efforts for Maple itself could be well spent.

So maybe it would help you a bit, if we could summarize some of the differences in Maple on various platforms.

trunc(evalhf(Digits)) is 14 on MS-Windows, and 15 elsewhere. That's the cut-off value of the Digits Maple environment variable, above which quite a bit of modern Maple will use software floats. Below that threshold those parts of Maple (LinearAlgebra, Optimization, Statistics, evalf/Int) can use hardware double-precision floats and compute much faster (and without producing so much software garbage, which must be managed). It's also the working precision at which Maple's faster floating-point `evalhf` interpreter operates. So,, on MS-Windows, Maple's cut-off for these things is 1 decimal digit of precision less. This cut-off value doesn't really affect exact symbolic computations, though.

I have heard reports, but never seen hard figures, that MS-Windows is by far the leading platform for sales of Maple. This makes sense to me, especially with respect to my subjective experiences of slightly superior "look & feel" of Maple on Windows.

Some high-difficulty (non-officially supported) tweaking of Maple is easier on Linux. See here, and here.

This is an appropriate moment to mention that Maple's Classic graphical user interface is not available on OSX for Maple 10 & 11. It is not officially supported on 64bit Linux either, but here is a post that shows how it can be done.

You might also be interested in this post, which briefly discusses some performance differences between 32bit and 64bit Maple running on the same Linux machine and OS. That also arose briefly in this thread, and is something else into which a good Maple benchmark suite might provide insight.

I've noticed that running multiple invocations of Maple (all of Maple, separatey and concurrently, not just multiple worksheets or Documents) is handled very much better by Linux than by Windows. Also, I have seen Windows and OSX machines suffer more when hit hard by highly resource intensive Maple calculations. For example, when running on a network, the Windows and OSX machines seem much more likely to lose remote drive mounts and network services. Those are operating system distinctions, and not apsects of Maple implementation. They may, or may not, matter to you.

I'll state my subjective preference: a 64bit Linux distribution that is supported by Maplesoft and from which one can also install optional 32bit runtime OS components. For Maple 11, the 64bit SuSE 10 distributuon might be OK, though I have not used it. On the hardware side, I'd go for a machine that could run such an OS, either multi-core Athlon64 (X2) or Intel Core2 Duo.

acer

There is actually such a software-float backup to STATS_MaplePoissonRandomSample_HW. But it may not work very quickly.

> MPFloat("libstatsmp.so"); true > a2:=define_external("STATS_MaplePoissonRandomSample_MP", MAPLE,LIB = "libstatsmp.so"); a2 := proc() option call_external, define_external("STATS_MaplePoissonRandomSample_MP", MAPLE, LIB = "libstatsmp.so"); call_external(0, 182955163792, 0, args) end proc

In another reply below, I showed how some answer might be obtained even when the parameter was greater than this cut-off point, by setting UseHardwareFloats=false or by having Digits be greater than trunc(evalhf(Digits)). But it works slowly then, and only seven digits of information are ever returned (which isn't so useful, I think).

acer

There is actually such a software-float backup to STATS_MaplePoissonRandomSample_HW. But it may not work very quickly.

> MPFloat("libstatsmp.so"); true > a2:=define_external("STATS_MaplePoissonRandomSample_MP", MAPLE,LIB = "libstatsmp.so"); a2 := proc() option call_external, define_external("STATS_MaplePoissonRandomSample_MP", MAPLE, LIB = "libstatsmp.so"); call_external(0, 182955163792, 0, args) end proc

In another reply below, I showed how some answer might be obtained even when the parameter was greater than this cut-off point, by setting UseHardwareFloats=false or by having Digits be greater than trunc(evalhf(Digits)). But it works slowly then, and only seven digits of information are ever returned (which isn't so useful, I think).

acer

If I'm not interpreting the PLOT structures incorrectly, then what happens is this: The feasible region is initially constructed as a POLYGON structure that fills the whole space (and is then colored). This gets used as the background. And then the complement of what is actually feasible is formed into (at least) one POLYGON structure, and is used as the foreground. Ie., the complement is laid over the feasible region, and so acts as a mask (so that only the actual feasible region shows  through).

If it were done the opposite way then wouldn't it be very easy to merge such inequal plots? That is to say: fill the background or create a POLYGON which fills in entirely as background, then form a POLYGON of only the actual feasible region and color it. Make the feasible region the foreground not the background.

If done that way, then each `inequal` plot produces a background (filling) POLYGON as well as a foreground feasible POLYGON. To display more than one such plot, one only has to remove all but the first background filler. Eg. with p1 and p2,  one simply uses both op(p1) and op(p2) where the background POLYGON is removed from op(p2). Probably display(op(p1),op([2..-1],p2)) would then suffice.

Overlaps would occur naturally, in any order of the arguments to `display`.

Please pardon me, if I'm wrong.

acer

If I'm not interpreting the PLOT structures incorrectly, then what happens is this: The feasible region is initially constructed as a POLYGON structure that fills the whole space (and is then colored). This gets used as the background. And then the complement of what is actually feasible is formed into (at least) one POLYGON structure, and is used as the foreground. Ie., the complement is laid over the feasible region, and so acts as a mask (so that only the actual feasible region shows  through).

If it were done the opposite way then wouldn't it be very easy to merge such inequal plots? That is to say: fill the background or create a POLYGON which fills in entirely as background, then form a POLYGON of only the actual feasible region and color it. Make the feasible region the foreground not the background.

If done that way, then each `inequal` plot produces a background (filling) POLYGON as well as a foreground feasible POLYGON. To display more than one such plot, one only has to remove all but the first background filler. Eg. with p1 and p2,  one simply uses both op(p1) and op(p2) where the background POLYGON is removed from op(p2). Probably display(op(p1),op([2..-1],p2)) would then suffice.

Overlaps would occur naturally, in any order of the arguments to `display`.

Please pardon me, if I'm wrong.

acer

Here's a kludge, for just this one example.

It works by substituting the name `2` for the number 2 in the two fractions 1/2 and -1/2. (That's the non-technical explanation. Experts may nit-pick...) The 2D fraction layout works better for pure names in the denominator. Conversion back can be accomplished using expand().

> restart:

> sol:=solve({x^2+b*x+c},{x});

     /                        (1/2)\    /                        (1/2)\ 
     |      1     1 / 2      \     |    |      1     1 / 2      \     | 
    < x = - - b + - \b  - 4 c/      >, < x = - - b - - \b  - 4 c/      >
     |      2     2                |    |      2     2                | 
     \                             /    \                             / 


> op(simplify(subs(-1/2=-1/`2`,1/2=1/`2`,[sol])));

           /                    /1\\    /                    /1\\ 
           |                    |-||    |                    |-|| 
           |                    \2/|    |                    \2/| 
          <           / 2      \    >  <           / 2      \    >
           |      b - \b  - 4 c/   |    |      b + \b  - 4 c/   | 
           |x = - -----------------| ,  |x = - -----------------| 
           \              2        /    \              2        / 


> expand(%);

                          /                    /1\\ 
                          |                    |-|| 
                          |                    \2/| 
                         <           / 2      \    >
                          |      b   \b  - 4 c/   | 
                          |x = - - + -------------| 
                          \      2         2      / 

Notice that it also makes the sqrt display as power-1/2, which you may not enjoy. That too could be side-stepped, but the code might then look too involved.

acer

Here's a kludge, for just this one example.

It works by substituting the name `2` for the number 2 in the two fractions 1/2 and -1/2. (That's the non-technical explanation. Experts may nit-pick...) The 2D fraction layout works better for pure names in the denominator. Conversion back can be accomplished using expand().

> restart:

> sol:=solve({x^2+b*x+c},{x});

     /                        (1/2)\    /                        (1/2)\ 
     |      1     1 / 2      \     |    |      1     1 / 2      \     | 
    < x = - - b + - \b  - 4 c/      >, < x = - - b - - \b  - 4 c/      >
     |      2     2                |    |      2     2                | 
     \                             /    \                             / 


> op(simplify(subs(-1/2=-1/`2`,1/2=1/`2`,[sol])));

           /                    /1\\    /                    /1\\ 
           |                    |-||    |                    |-|| 
           |                    \2/|    |                    \2/| 
          <           / 2      \    >  <           / 2      \    >
           |      b - \b  - 4 c/   |    |      b + \b  - 4 c/   | 
           |x = - -----------------| ,  |x = - -----------------| 
           \              2        /    \              2        / 


> expand(%);

                          /                    /1\\ 
                          |                    |-|| 
                          |                    \2/| 
                         <           / 2      \    >
                          |      b   \b  - 4 c/   | 
                          |x = - - + -------------| 
                          \      2         2      / 

Notice that it also makes the sqrt display as power-1/2, which you may not enjoy. That too could be side-stepped, but the code might then look too involved.

acer

I don't believe that anyone intended to convey that this might be a font issue. It's more that some of us miss more about the Classic interface than just its superior typesetting and 2D output layout capabilities.

At one point I had hoped that setting the prettyprint level might resolve it, if only for this one example. That is,

interface(prettyprint=1):

But I now believe that this is not adequate either.

acer

I don't believe that anyone intended to convey that this might be a font issue. It's more that some of us miss more about the Classic interface than just its superior typesetting and 2D output layout capabilities.

At one point I had hoped that setting the prettyprint level might resolve it, if only for this one example. That is,

interface(prettyprint=1):

But I now believe that this is not adequate either.

acer

Joe, are you thinking about Maple 11?

acer

Joe, are you thinking about Maple 11?

acer

The calls to CrossProduct do not resolve to LinearAlgebra:-CrossProduct.

I suggest that you replace CrossProduct with LinearAlgebra:-CrossProduct.

You could also use `use`.

For example,

> CalculerH := proc(Mc)
local Wc, W, vuOB, vuBA, vuBD, vW, Mow, Mowc, MoBA, eqrOB, eqrBA, eqrBD,
eqSommeMoy, eqSommeMoz;
    Wc := 9.81*Mc;
    W := 9.81*(0.5 + 0.125);
    vuOB := Vector([xB/80, yB/80, zB/80]);
    vuBA := Vector([4/3 - xB/60, 1/12 - yB/60, 2/5 - zB/60]);
    vuBD := Vector([-xB/d, -yB/d, (100 - zB)/d]);
    vW := Vector([0, -W, 0]);
    Mow := LinearAlgebra:-CrossProduct(50*vuOB, vW);
    Mowc := LinearAlgebra:-CrossProduct(80*vuOB, Wc*vuBD);
    MoBA := LinearAlgebra:-CrossProduct(80*vuOB, TBA*vuBA);
    eqrOB := 80 = sqrt(xB^2 + yB^2 + zB^2);
    eqrBA := 60 = sqrt((80 - xB)^2 + (5 - yB)^2 + (24 - zB)^2);
    eqrBD := d = sqrt(xB^2 + yB^2 + (100 - zB)^2);
    eqSommeMoy := Mow[2] + Mowc[2] + MoBA[2] = 0;
    eqSommeMoz := Mow[3] + Mowc[3] + MoBA[3] = 0;
    fsolve({eqrOB, eqrBA, eqrBD, eqSommeMoy, eqSommeMoz},
        {xB, yB, zB, d, TBA}, {xB = -100 .. 100, yB = -100 .. 100,
        zB = -100 .. 100, d = -100 .. 100, TBA = -10000 .. 10000})
end proc:

> CalculerH(2);
{TBA = 20.64833346, d = 51.53334730, zB = 68.72157058, xB = 40.83550627,
 
    yB = -3.131639188}

Alternatively,

> CalculerH := proc(Mc)
local Wc, W, vuOB, vuBA, vuBD, vW, Mow, Mowc, MoBA, eqrOB, eqrBA, eqrBD,
eqSommeMoy, eqSommeMoz;
    Wc := 9.81*Mc;
    W := 9.81*(0.5 + 0.125);
    vuOB := Vector([xB/80, yB/80, zB/80]);
    vuBA := Vector([4/3 - xB/60, 1/12 - yB/60, 2/5 - zB/60]);
    vuBD := Vector([-xB/d, -yB/d, (100 - zB)/d]);
    vW := Vector([0, -W, 0]);
    use LinearAlgebra in
    Mow := CrossProduct(50*vuOB, vW);
    Mowc := CrossProduct(80*vuOB, Wc*vuBD);
    MoBA := CrossProduct(80*vuOB, TBA*vuBA);
    end use;
    eqrOB := 80 = sqrt(xB^2 + yB^2 + zB^2);
    eqrBA := 60 = sqrt((80 - xB)^2 + (5 - yB)^2 + (24 - zB)^2);
    eqrBD := d = sqrt(xB^2 + yB^2 + (100 - zB)^2);
    eqSommeMoy := Mow[2] + Mowc[2] + MoBA[2] = 0;
    eqSommeMoz := Mow[3] + Mowc[3] + MoBA[3] = 0;
    fsolve({eqrOB, eqrBA, eqrBD, eqSommeMoy, eqSommeMoz},
        {xB, yB, zB, d, TBA}, {xB = -100 .. 100, yB = -100 .. 100,
        zB = -100 .. 100, d = -100 .. 100, TBA = -10000 .. 10000})
end proc:

> CalculerH(2);
{TBA = 20.64833346, d = 51.53334730, xB = 40.83550627, yB = -3.131639188,
 
    zB = 68.72157058}

It is not advised to load LinearAlgebra (outside any such proc definition) and then define a procedure with bare calls like CrossProduct.

acer

It's been four releases (5 years) of the Standard GUI now, that many of those things have been missing.

I miss all the easy colourizing control that the X11_defaults/Maple resource configuration file gives for the Classic UI. (Blaming such loss, in Standard, on Java is fun but doesn't help any.)

And the fuzzy fonts have been a big disappointment. Is font anti-aliasing off by default? (Turned on, it used to sometimes cause leading minus signs to display erroneously as merged with fraction-bars.)

Is hardware acceleration of plots still turned off by default, and how does one tell in 11.02? (When did that first appear? MapleV R5.1 , or am I thinking of something else?)

I prefer Maple's TTY interface. It's the definition of rock solid.

acer

It's been four releases (5 years) of the Standard GUI now, that many of those things have been missing.

I miss all the easy colourizing control that the X11_defaults/Maple resource configuration file gives for the Classic UI. (Blaming such loss, in Standard, on Java is fun but doesn't help any.)

And the fuzzy fonts have been a big disappointment. Is font anti-aliasing off by default? (Turned on, it used to sometimes cause leading minus signs to display erroneously as merged with fraction-bars.)

Is hardware acceleration of plots still turned off by default, and how does one tell in 11.02? (When did that first appear? MapleV R5.1 , or am I thinking of something else?)

I prefer Maple's TTY interface. It's the definition of rock solid.

acer