Category: evolution
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Relative performance of computers since the 1990s
What was the range of performance of desktop’ish computers introduced since the 1990s, and what was the annual rate of performance increase (answers for earlier computers)? Microcomputers based on Intel’s x86 family was decimating most non-niche cpu families by the early 1990s. During this cpu transition a shift to a new benchmark suite followed a…
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Algorithm complexity and implementation LOC
As computer functionality increases, it becomes easier to write programs to handle more complicated problems which require more computing resources; also, the low-hanging fruit has been picked and researchers need to move on. In some cases, the complexity of existing problems continues to increase. The Linux kernel is an example of a solution to a…
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Distribution of method chains in Java and Python
Some languages support three different ways of organizing a sequence of functions/methods, with calls taking as their first argument the value returned by the immediately prior call. For instance, Java supports the following possibilities: r1=f1(val); r2=f2(r1); r3=f3(r2); // Sequential calls r3=f3(f2(f1(val))); // Nested calls, read right to left r3=val.f1().f2().f3(); // Method chain, read left to…
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Evolution has selected humans to prefer adding new features
Assume that clicking within any of the cells in the image below flips its color (white/green). Which cells would you click on to create an image that is symmetrical along the horizontal/vertical axis? In one study, 80% of subjects added a block of four green cells in each of the three white corners. The other…
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Long term growth of programming language use
The names of files containing source code often include a suffix denoting the programming language used, e.g., .c for C source code. These suffixes provide a cheap and cheerful method for estimating programming language use within a file system directory. This method has its flaws, with two main factors introducing uncertainty into the results: The…
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Discussing new language features is more fun than measuring feature usage in code
How often are the features supported by a programming language used by developers in the code that they write? This fundamental question is rarely asked, let alone answered (my contribution). Existing code is what developers spend their time reading, compilers translating to machine code, and LLMs use as training data. Frequently used language features are…
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Memory bandwidth: 1991-2009
The Stream benchmark is a measure of sustained memory bandwidth; the target systems are high performance computers. Sustained in the sense of distance running, rather than a short sprint (the term for this is peak memory bandwidth and occurs when the requested data is in cache), and bandwidth in the sense of bytes of memory…
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The 2024 update to my desktop system
I have just upgraded my desktop system. As you can see from the picture below, it is a bespoke system; the third system built using the same chassis. The 11 drive bays on the right are configured for six 5.25-inch and five 3.5-inch disks/CD/DVD/tape drives, there is a drive cage that fits above the power…