From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Received: (from majordomo@localhost) by pauillac.inria.fr (8.7.6/8.7.3) id SAA26408; Thu, 13 Feb 2003 18:29:11 +0100 (MET) X-Authentication-Warning: pauillac.inria.fr: majordomo set sender to owner-caml-list@pauillac.inria.fr using -f Received: from nez-perce.inria.fr (nez-perce.inria.fr [192.93.2.78]) by pauillac.inria.fr (8.7.6/8.7.3) with ESMTP id SAA25979 for ; Thu, 13 Feb 2003 18:29:10 +0100 (MET) Received: from epexch01.qlogic.org ([63.170.40.3]) by nez-perce.inria.fr (8.11.1/8.11.1) with ESMTP id h1DHT9P29797 for ; Thu, 13 Feb 2003 18:29:09 +0100 (MET) Received: from epmailtmp.qlogic.org ([10.20.33.254]) by epexch01.qlogic.org with Microsoft SMTPSVC(5.0.2195.5329); Thu, 13 Feb 2003 11:28:09 -0600 Received: from [10.20.33.146] ([10.20.33.146]) by epmailtmp.qlogic.org with Microsoft SMTPSVC(5.0.2195.4905); Thu, 13 Feb 2003 11:28:08 -0600 Date: Thu, 13 Feb 2003 11:38:49 -0600 (CST) From: Brian Hurt X-X-Sender: Reply-To: Brian Hurt To: Chris Hecker cc: Ocaml Mailing List Subject: Re: [Caml-list] Request: matrix_init function in Array In-Reply-To: <4.3.2.7.2.20030213083000.02fedc40@localhost> Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII X-OriginalArrivalTime: 13 Feb 2003 17:28:08.0943 (UTC) FILETIME=[46A9A7F0:01C2D385] Sender: owner-caml-list@pauillac.inria.fr Precedence: bulk Here's my problem with a matrix module: when I see a module named Matrix, I immediately think linear algebra- BLAS. A full-on BLAS implementation might be usefull, but probably way more work than most people think it would be to do right. Oh, doing it the obvious way would be simple enough for anyone who passed linear algebra. Doing it right gives you a 10x or better speed up. Two papers anyone who *wants* to do a full-on Ocaml BLAS should read (IMHO) are: http://citeseer.nj.nec.com/luj00oolala.html (BLAS isn't the only, or necessarily even the best, interface) http://www.irisa.fr/bibli/publi/pi/1994/803/803.html (Shows the importance of blocking *and* copying in matrix operations) Throw in vectorizing kernels using SSE-2, and you've got yourself a fair bit of work there. Brian On Thu, 13 Feb 2003, Chris Hecker wrote: > > >I don't agree with you: a Matrix module would definitively end > >questions and requests on trivial functionality about matrices. > > I just reviewed 10384 messages to caml-list from the past 2 years. Of > around 40 separate questions containing the word "matrix", only 3 (or 5 > being incredibly generous) would even be affected by having a Matrix > module, and it's not clear they'd be answered. And that's ignoring any new > questions that might be generated by the module's existence itself if it's > implemented. > > The point is that a) there are just not many questions pertaining to this > topic, and b) any Matrix module you guys implemented would either be a toy, > or it'd take forever to write and still not please people who really use > matrices for real work (which account for 90% of the questions referenced > above). > > As far as I can tell (unless I'm missing a bunch of caml-list messages), > the questions relating to this on the caml-list are simply not worth a > Matrix module that takes even just a couple days of the core caml team's > time. I can name probably 20 equivalently sized tasks that would help way > more people who are trying to use caml and answer way more future > questions, and that only the core team can do. > > Now, if you just have a hankering to write a matrix module, that's cool, go > for it. But if you goal is to spend 2 days and solve as many caml > programmers' problems as possible, this is not the place to spend it. > > How about this as a counterproposal: I will personally, promptly, and > tirelessly answer any and all matrix related questions on the caml-list for > the remainder of 2003 if you will work on something more important? :) > > The key thing is that anybody on this list could write the Matrix > module. There are lots of things that only the core caml team can do. > > Okay, I'm done wasting your time. Sorry if this came off as rude, I didn't > intend it that way. > > Thanks, > Chris > > ------------------- To unsubscribe, mail caml-list-request@inria.fr Archives: http://caml.inria.fr Bug reports: http://caml.inria.fr/bin/caml-bugs FAQ: http://caml.inria.fr/FAQ/ Beginner's list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ocaml_beginners