Generator

barrier-reuse

One function in the barrier library, called 14 times across 6 essays. Below: what it draws at its defaults, what it draws at every value an essay asks for, the 11 claims it put to the test while drawing them, and where it stands against the rule this site is named for.

At its defaults it draws what a factorisation survives across one barrier step, against the step's reduction factor. From one interior-point iteration to the next, H, C and the sparsity pattern are identical and exactly 6 entries of the matrix change — the diagonal of the (2, 2) block, and nothing off it. That is the sparsity pattern reused for free forever. The factorisation is a different question, and the answer is a threshold: carrying the decomposition of K(μ) to K(σμ) and cleaning up with iterative refinement holds at the rounding level while σ is within a per cent of one, and by σ = 0.9 it buys one step. At the schedules an interior-point method actually uses — σ between 0.5 and 0.1 — the first reuse is already at 1.02 and 2.88·10¹¹. The reason is in the entry count: the 6 entries that moved are the 6 that dominate the matrix, and they moved by a factor of 1/σ, so the relative change in K across one step at σ = 0.1 is 9 rather than the 10⁻³ the collection's reuse essays are about.

barrier-reuse is one function in lib/figures/barrier.js — the barrier — a condition number sent to infinity on purpose, and the number that describes the error. Everything below came out of it during this build, at arguments taken from the essays rather than invented for this page. A figure here is the figure a reader meets in an essay, and if the generator changes, this page changes with it.

At its defaults

Drawn even though every essay passes arguments — which on this site is every essay, at 100% of placements since the standard pass. A default nothing exercises is a trap for the next essay to call this with none, and this is the page where a default that has drifted from the figures around it becomes visible.

What a factorisation survives across one barrier step, against the step's reduction factorFrom one interior-point iteration to the next, H, C and the sparsity pattern are identical and exactly 6 entries of the matrix change — the diagonal of the (2, 2) block, and nothing off it. That is the sparsity pattern reused for free forever. The factorisation is a different question, and the answer is a threshold: carrying the decomposition of K(μ) to K(σμ) and cleaning up with iterative refinement holds at the rounding level while σ is within a per cent of one, and by σ = 0.9 it buys one step. At the schedules an interior-point method actually uses — σ between 0.5 and 0.1 — the first reuse is already at 1.02 and 2.88·10¹¹. The reason is in the entry count: the 6 entries that moved are the 6 that dominate the matrix, and they moved by a factor of 1/σ, so the relative change in K across one step at σ = 0.1 is 9 rather than the 10⁻³ the collection's reuse essays are about.-1-0.75-0.5-0.25010⁻¹⁷10⁻¹⁴10⁻¹¹10⁻⁸10⁻⁵10⁻²10¹10⁴log₁₀ σ — the barrier's reduction factorresidual after one reused stepconvergedthe pattern free, the factors notentries moved6off-diagonal0survived at σ = 0.996survived at σ = 0.106 steps0 stepsthe few entries that movedare the ones that dominate

From one interior-point iteration to the next, H, C and the sparsity pattern are identical and exactly 6 entries of the matrix change — the diagonal of the (2, 2) block, and nothing off it. That is the sparsity pattern reused for free forever. The factorisation is a different question, and the answer is a threshold: carrying the decomposition of K(μ) to K(σμ) and cleaning up with iterative refinement holds at the rounding level while σ is within a per cent of one, and by σ = 0.9 it buys one step. At the schedules an interior-point method actually uses — σ between 0.5 and 0.1 — the first reuse is already at 1.02 and 2.88·10¹¹. The reason is in the entry count: the 6 entries that moved are the 6 that dominate the matrix, and they moved by a factor of 1/σ, so the relative change in K across one step at σ = 0.1 is 9 rather than the 10⁻³ the collection's reuse essays are about.

p: 6

The arguments are the ones A condition number sent to infinity passes. A value drawn at the generator's defaults instead would be a picture no essay asked for and no assertion has been run against.

What a factorisation survives across one barrier step, against the step's reduction factorFrom one interior-point iteration to the next, H, C and the sparsity pattern are identical and exactly 6 entries of the matrix change — the diagonal of the (2, 2) block, and nothing off it. That is the sparsity pattern reused for free forever. The factorisation is a different question, and the answer is a threshold: carrying the decomposition of K(μ) to K(σμ) and cleaning up with iterative refinement holds at the rounding level while σ is within a per cent of one, and by σ = 0.9 it buys one step. At the schedules an interior-point method actually uses — σ between 0.5 and 0.1 — the first reuse is already at 1.02 and 2.88·10¹¹. The reason is in the entry count: the 6 entries that moved are the 6 that dominate the matrix, and they moved by a factor of 1/σ, so the relative change in K across one step at σ = 0.1 is 9 rather than the 10⁻³ the collection's reuse essays are about.-1-0.75-0.5-0.25010⁻¹⁷10⁻¹⁴10⁻¹¹10⁻⁸10⁻⁵10⁻²10¹10⁴log₁₀ σ — the barrier's reduction factorresidual after one reused stepconvergedthe pattern free, the factors notentries moved6off-diagonal0survived at σ = 0.996survived at σ = 0.106 steps0 stepsthe few entries that movedare the ones that dominate

From one interior-point iteration to the next, H, C and the sparsity pattern are identical and exactly 6 entries of the matrix change — the diagonal of the (2, 2) block, and nothing off it. That is the sparsity pattern reused for free forever. The factorisation is a different question, and the answer is a threshold: carrying the decomposition of K(μ) to K(σμ) and cleaning up with iterative refinement holds at the rounding level while σ is within a per cent of one, and by σ = 0.9 it buys one step. At the schedules an interior-point method actually uses — σ between 0.5 and 0.1 — the first reuse is already at 1.02 and 2.88·10¹¹. The reason is in the entry count: the 6 entries that moved are the 6 that dominate the matrix, and they moved by a factor of 1/σ, so the relative change in K across one step at σ = 0.1 is 9 rather than the 10⁻³ the collection's reuse essays are about.

p: 4

The arguments are the ones A condition number sent to infinity passes. A value drawn at the generator's defaults instead would be a picture no essay asked for and no assertion has been run against.

What a factorisation survives across one barrier step, against the step's reduction factorFrom one interior-point iteration to the next, H, C and the sparsity pattern are identical and exactly 4 entries of the matrix change — the diagonal of the (2, 2) block, and nothing off it. That is the sparsity pattern reused for free forever. The factorisation is a different question, and the answer is a threshold: carrying the decomposition of K(μ) to K(σμ) and cleaning up with iterative refinement holds at the rounding level while σ is within a per cent of one, and by σ = 0.9 it buys one step. At the schedules an interior-point method actually uses — σ between 0.5 and 0.1 — the first reuse is already at 0.0527 and 1.49·10¹⁰. The reason is in the entry count: the 4 entries that moved are the 4 that dominate the matrix, and they moved by a factor of 1/σ, so the relative change in K across one step at σ = 0.1 is 9 rather than the 10⁻³ the collection's reuse essays are about.-1-0.75-0.5-0.25010⁻¹⁷10⁻¹⁴10⁻¹¹10⁻⁸10⁻⁵10⁻²10¹10⁴log₁₀ σ — the barrier's reduction factorresidual after one reused stepconvergedthe pattern free, the factors notentries moved4off-diagonal0survived at σ = 0.996survived at σ = 0.106 steps0 stepsthe few entries that movedare the ones that dominate

From one interior-point iteration to the next, H, C and the sparsity pattern are identical and exactly 4 entries of the matrix change — the diagonal of the (2, 2) block, and nothing off it. That is the sparsity pattern reused for free forever. The factorisation is a different question, and the answer is a threshold: carrying the decomposition of K(μ) to K(σμ) and cleaning up with iterative refinement holds at the rounding level while σ is within a per cent of one, and by σ = 0.9 it buys one step. At the schedules an interior-point method actually uses — σ between 0.5 and 0.1 — the first reuse is already at 0.0527 and 1.49·10¹⁰. The reason is in the entry count: the 4 entries that moved are the 4 that dominate the matrix, and they moved by a factor of 1/σ, so the relative change in K across one step at σ = 0.1 is 9 rather than the 10⁻³ the collection's reuse essays are about.

p: 8

The arguments are the ones The regularisation that legalises every order passes. A value drawn at the generator's defaults instead would be a picture no essay asked for and no assertion has been run against.

What a factorisation survives across one barrier step, against the step's reduction factorFrom one interior-point iteration to the next, H, C and the sparsity pattern are identical and exactly 8 entries of the matrix change — the diagonal of the (2, 2) block, and nothing off it. That is the sparsity pattern reused for free forever. The factorisation is a different question, and the answer is a threshold: carrying the decomposition of K(μ) to K(σμ) and cleaning up with iterative refinement holds at the rounding level while σ is within a per cent of one, and by σ = 0.9 it buys one step. At the schedules an interior-point method actually uses — σ between 0.5 and 0.1 — the first reuse is already at 0.915 and 2.59·10¹¹. The reason is in the entry count: the 8 entries that moved are the 8 that dominate the matrix, and they moved by a factor of 1/σ, so the relative change in K across one step at σ = 0.1 is 9 rather than the 10⁻³ the collection's reuse essays are about.-1-0.75-0.5-0.25010⁻¹⁷10⁻¹⁴10⁻¹¹10⁻⁸10⁻⁵10⁻²10¹10⁴log₁₀ σ — the barrier's reduction factorresidual after one reused stepconvergedthe pattern free, the factors notentries moved8off-diagonal0survived at σ = 0.996survived at σ = 0.106 steps0 stepsthe few entries that movedare the ones that dominate

From one interior-point iteration to the next, H, C and the sparsity pattern are identical and exactly 8 entries of the matrix change — the diagonal of the (2, 2) block, and nothing off it. That is the sparsity pattern reused for free forever. The factorisation is a different question, and the answer is a threshold: carrying the decomposition of K(μ) to K(σμ) and cleaning up with iterative refinement holds at the rounding level while σ is within a per cent of one, and by σ = 0.9 it buys one step. At the schedules an interior-point method actually uses — σ between 0.5 and 0.1 — the first reuse is already at 0.915 and 2.59·10¹¹. The reason is in the entry count: the 8 entries that moved are the 8 that dominate the matrix, and they moved by a factor of 1/σ, so the relative change in K across one step at σ = 0.1 is 9 rather than the 10⁻³ the collection's reuse essays are about.

p: 5

The arguments are the ones Two condition numbers of one matrix passes. A value drawn at the generator's defaults instead would be a picture no essay asked for and no assertion has been run against.

What a factorisation survives across one barrier step, against the step's reduction factorFrom one interior-point iteration to the next, H, C and the sparsity pattern are identical and exactly 5 entries of the matrix change — the diagonal of the (2, 2) block, and nothing off it. That is the sparsity pattern reused for free forever. The factorisation is a different question, and the answer is a threshold: carrying the decomposition of K(μ) to K(σμ) and cleaning up with iterative refinement holds at the rounding level while σ is within a per cent of one, and by σ = 0.9 it buys one step. At the schedules an interior-point method actually uses — σ between 0.5 and 0.1 — the first reuse is already at 0.522 and 1.48·10¹¹. The reason is in the entry count: the 5 entries that moved are the 5 that dominate the matrix, and they moved by a factor of 1/σ, so the relative change in K across one step at σ = 0.1 is 9 rather than the 10⁻³ the collection's reuse essays are about.-1-0.75-0.5-0.25010⁻¹⁷10⁻¹⁴10⁻¹¹10⁻⁸10⁻⁵10⁻²10¹10⁴log₁₀ σ — the barrier's reduction factorresidual after one reused stepconvergedthe pattern free, the factors notentries moved5off-diagonal0survived at σ = 0.996survived at σ = 0.106 steps0 stepsthe few entries that movedare the ones that dominate

From one interior-point iteration to the next, H, C and the sparsity pattern are identical and exactly 5 entries of the matrix change — the diagonal of the (2, 2) block, and nothing off it. That is the sparsity pattern reused for free forever. The factorisation is a different question, and the answer is a threshold: carrying the decomposition of K(μ) to K(σμ) and cleaning up with iterative refinement holds at the rounding level while σ is within a per cent of one, and by σ = 0.9 it buys one step. At the schedules an interior-point method actually uses — σ between 0.5 and 0.1 — the first reuse is already at 0.522 and 1.48·10¹¹. The reason is in the entry count: the 5 entries that moved are the 5 that dominate the matrix, and they moved by a factor of 1/σ, so the relative change in K across one step at σ = 0.1 is 9 rather than the 10⁻³ the collection's reuse essays are about.

p: 10

The arguments are the ones What survives one step of the barrier passes. A value drawn at the generator's defaults instead would be a picture no essay asked for and no assertion has been run against.

What a factorisation survives across one barrier step, against the step's reduction factorFrom one interior-point iteration to the next, H, C and the sparsity pattern are identical and exactly 10 entries of the matrix change — the diagonal of the (2, 2) block, and nothing off it. That is the sparsity pattern reused for free forever. The factorisation is a different question, and the answer is a threshold: carrying the decomposition of K(μ) to K(σμ) and cleaning up with iterative refinement holds at the rounding level while σ is within a per cent of one, and by σ = 0.9 it buys one step. At the schedules an interior-point method actually uses — σ between 0.5 and 0.1 — the first reuse is already at 0.983 and 2.78·10¹¹. The reason is in the entry count: the 10 entries that moved are the 10 that dominate the matrix, and they moved by a factor of 1/σ, so the relative change in K across one step at σ = 0.1 is 9 rather than the 10⁻³ the collection's reuse essays are about.-1-0.75-0.5-0.25010⁻¹⁷10⁻¹⁴10⁻¹¹10⁻⁸10⁻⁵10⁻²10¹10⁴log₁₀ σ — the barrier's reduction factorresidual after one reused stepconvergedthe pattern free, the factors notentries moved10off-diagonal0survived at σ = 0.996survived at σ = 0.106 steps0 stepsthe few entries that movedare the ones that dominate

From one interior-point iteration to the next, H, C and the sparsity pattern are identical and exactly 10 entries of the matrix change — the diagonal of the (2, 2) block, and nothing off it. That is the sparsity pattern reused for free forever. The factorisation is a different question, and the answer is a threshold: carrying the decomposition of K(μ) to K(σμ) and cleaning up with iterative refinement holds at the rounding level while σ is within a per cent of one, and by σ = 0.9 it buys one step. At the schedules an interior-point method actually uses — σ between 0.5 and 0.1 — the first reuse is already at 0.983 and 2.78·10¹¹. The reason is in the entry count: the 10 entries that moved are the 10 that dominate the matrix, and they moved by a factor of 1/σ, so the relative change in K across one step at σ = 0.1 is 9 rather than the 10⁻³ the collection's reuse essays are about.

What it checked while drawing

Every figure above asserted its own claims on the way to being drawn, and a claim that failed would have failed the build rather than drawn a wrong picture. Those assertions used to leave no trace at all: a passing one returned true and the only evidence the figure had checked anything was that nothing crashed. The list below is what they actually said, collected by running this generator with an observer installed — not a description of what it is believed to check.

11 distinct claims across 6 sets of arguments, grouped below by shape — because most of them are one sentence with a different number in it, and how many separate times that sentence was put to the test is the informative part.

a constraint count with room for an active set inside it

a factorisation of the base system

a factorisation that did not break down

a pivot rule this routine implements

a problem with constraints and unknowns

a size the sweep can afford

an active set that is neither empty nor everything

and at σ = 0.1 it survives nothing

at σ = 0.999 the factorisation survives the run

because a barrier step is a relative change of more than one

matmul shapes agree

Against the rule

It draws a decomposition and prints its residual. It calls reuseThreshold, and every figure above carries the badge — which residualcheck verifies by looking for it in the emitted SVG rather than by finding the call that builds one. A badge that is constructed and then left out of the body is the failure that check exists for.

Across the library: the rule bites on 165 of 306 generators — 150 print a residual and 15 are exempt with a published reason; 141 factorise nothing. Read from lib/residual-rule.js, which is the same body the gate enforces from, and the gate's last check fails the build if this page and it disagree about any generator.

Where it is called

Changing this generator changes every figure on this list. That is what makes the list worth publishing rather than keeping in a check script.

The matrix a constraint makes

A condition number sent to infinity

An interior-point method manufactures an ill-conditioned matrix on every iteration, deliberately, because the separating of a diagonal is how it discovers which constraints are active. Written one way the answer keeps fifteen digits at a condition number of 3·10¹⁵. Written the other way — the way almost every code writes it — it has none left.

Sparsity, and what elimination costs

An ordering that does not wait for the numbers

A sparse factorisation's memory is decided by an ordering computed from the graph, and its stability by pivots computed from the values, and the two decisions fight. On one family of matrices they do not — the ordering can be chosen for fill alone, and the fill the symbolic phase predicts is the fill the factorisation produces — exactly, not as a bound.

The matrix a constraint makes

The regularisation that legalises every order

Perturb a saddle-point matrix's two blocks in opposite directions and it acquires a factorisation with a diagonal D under every symmetric permutation — not under a good one, under all of them. Five hundred random orderings, five hundred successes, and a growth factor that spans six orders across them.

The matrix a constraint makes

Three eigenvalues, and two are the golden ratio

Precondition a saddle-point system by the block diagonal of its own two definite pieces and the preconditioned matrix has exactly three distinct eigenvalues — 1, and the two roots of λ² − λ − 1. A minimal polynomial of degree three means three steps, at every conditioning, and the preconditioner nobody can afford turns out to be the statement the affordable ones are measured against.

Two errors, and whose fault they are

Two condition numbers of one matrix

κ₂ is a worst case over perturbations of a given norm, and a normwise perturbation may put its whole budget on the smallest entry. The componentwise number is a worst case over perturbations proportional to the entries, which is what a backward-stable factorisation actually makes. On one matrix they are 3·10¹³ and 13.3, and the error obeys the second.

When the problem arrives again

What survives one step of the barrier

An interior-point method solves the same system dozens of times with the same pattern and different numbers, and exactly p entries change between one step and the next. The pattern is reusable for ever. The factorisation is reusable for none of them, and the threshold that says so is a reduction factor of about a per cent against schedules that use ten.

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