Generator

regression-window

One function in the race library, called 17 times across 14 essays. Below: what it draws at its defaults, what it draws at every value an essay asks for, the 6 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 the smallest defect a regression test can catch, on a machine that will not repeat itself. A 150 × 150 system with κ = 10⁴, solved by conjugate gradients to 10⁻¹⁰ on six partitionings. The shaded band is how far the answer moves across those six when nothing at all is wrong: 3.24·10⁻¹², relative. Each pair of dots is one defect — a single entry of the matrix changed by a relative δ, an assembly slip or a stale coefficient — solved on the same six machines, showing its nearest and furthest run. A defect is catchable only when its nearest run clears the band, because a test whose threshold sits inside the band fails a correct build. Everything at or below 10⁻¹³ overlaps and is invisible; 10⁻¹² is the smallest that separates, at 4.61·10⁻¹². So the tolerance exists, it is bracketed between 3.24·10⁻¹² and 4.61·10⁻¹² — a factor of 1.42 — and it is neither zero nor the 10⁻⁸ that usually gets typed.

regression-window is one function in lib/figures/race.js — what a reduction decides when the decision is discrete — a step count, a rank, and a test's tolerance. 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.

The smallest defect a regression test can catch, on a machine that will not repeat itselfA 150 × 150 system with κ = 10⁴, solved by conjugate gradients to 10⁻¹⁰ on six partitionings. The shaded band is how far the answer moves across those six when nothing at all is wrong: 3.24·10⁻¹², relative. Each pair of dots is one defect — a single entry of the matrix changed by a relative δ, an assembly slip or a stale coefficient — solved on the same six machines, showing its nearest and furthest run. A defect is catchable only when its nearest run clears the band, because a test whose threshold sits inside the band fails a correct build. Everything at or below 10⁻¹³ overlaps and is invisible; 10⁻¹² is the smallest that separates, at 4.61·10⁻¹². So the tolerance exists, it is bracketed between 3.24·10⁻¹² and 4.61·10⁻¹² — a factor of 1.42 — and it is neither zero nor the 10⁻⁸ that usually gets typed.-15-13-11-910⁻¹³10⁻¹¹10⁻⁹10⁻⁷log₁₀ of the defect, relative to the entry it sits inhow far the answer movedthe machine, on its owna tolerance with two sidesmachine band3.2·10⁻¹²smallest caught10⁻¹²its nearest run4.6·10⁻¹²defects hidden3window, factor1.4below the band nothing is visibleand above it everything is

A 150 × 150 system with κ = 10⁴, solved by conjugate gradients to 10⁻¹⁰ on six partitionings. The shaded band is how far the answer moves across those six when nothing at all is wrong: 3.24·10⁻¹², relative. Each pair of dots is one defect — a single entry of the matrix changed by a relative δ, an assembly slip or a stale coefficient — solved on the same six machines, showing its nearest and furthest run. A defect is catchable only when its nearest run clears the band, because a test whose threshold sits inside the band fails a correct build. Everything at or below 10⁻¹³ overlaps and is invisible; 10⁻¹² is the smallest that separates, at 4.61·10⁻¹². So the tolerance exists, it is bracketed between 3.24·10⁻¹² and 4.61·10⁻¹² — a factor of 1.42 — and it is neither zero nor the 10⁻⁸ that usually gets typed.

n: 150

The arguments are the ones A matrix that is definite on one machine 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.

The smallest defect a regression test can catch, on a machine that will not repeat itselfA 150 × 150 system with κ = 10⁴, solved by conjugate gradients to 10⁻¹⁰ on six partitionings. The shaded band is how far the answer moves across those six when nothing at all is wrong: 3.24·10⁻¹², relative. Each pair of dots is one defect — a single entry of the matrix changed by a relative δ, an assembly slip or a stale coefficient — solved on the same six machines, showing its nearest and furthest run. A defect is catchable only when its nearest run clears the band, because a test whose threshold sits inside the band fails a correct build. Everything at or below 10⁻¹³ overlaps and is invisible; 10⁻¹² is the smallest that separates, at 4.61·10⁻¹². So the tolerance exists, it is bracketed between 3.24·10⁻¹² and 4.61·10⁻¹² — a factor of 1.42 — and it is neither zero nor the 10⁻⁸ that usually gets typed.-15-13-11-910⁻¹³10⁻¹¹10⁻⁹10⁻⁷log₁₀ of the defect, relative to the entry it sits inhow far the answer movedthe machine, on its owna tolerance with two sidesmachine band3.2·10⁻¹²smallest caught10⁻¹²its nearest run4.6·10⁻¹²defects hidden3window, factor1.4below the band nothing is visibleand above it everything is

A 150 × 150 system with κ = 10⁴, solved by conjugate gradients to 10⁻¹⁰ on six partitionings. The shaded band is how far the answer moves across those six when nothing at all is wrong: 3.24·10⁻¹², relative. Each pair of dots is one defect — a single entry of the matrix changed by a relative δ, an assembly slip or a stale coefficient — solved on the same six machines, showing its nearest and furthest run. A defect is catchable only when its nearest run clears the band, because a test whose threshold sits inside the band fails a correct build. Everything at or below 10⁻¹³ overlaps and is invisible; 10⁻¹² is the smallest that separates, at 4.61·10⁻¹². So the tolerance exists, it is bracketed between 3.24·10⁻¹² and 4.61·10⁻¹² — a factor of 1.42 — and it is neither zero nor the 10⁻⁸ that usually gets typed.

n: 80

The arguments are the ones What a regression test can ask for 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.

The smallest defect a regression test can catch, on a machine that will not repeat itselfA 80 × 80 system with κ = 10⁴, solved by conjugate gradients to 10⁻¹⁰ on six partitionings. The shaded band is how far the answer moves across those six when nothing at all is wrong: 6.66·10⁻¹², relative. Each pair of dots is one defect — a single entry of the matrix changed by a relative δ, an assembly slip or a stale coefficient — solved on the same six machines, showing its nearest and furthest run. A defect is catchable only when its nearest run clears the band, because a test whose threshold sits inside the band fails a correct build. Everything at or below 10⁻¹⁴ overlaps and is invisible; 10⁻¹³ is the smallest that separates, at 6.93·10⁻¹². So the tolerance exists, it is bracketed between 6.66·10⁻¹² and 6.93·10⁻¹² — a factor of 1.04 — and it is neither zero nor the 10⁻⁸ that usually gets typed.-15-13-11-910⁻¹³10⁻¹¹10⁻⁹10⁻⁷log₁₀ of the defect, relative to the entry it sits inhow far the answer movedthe machine, on its owna tolerance with two sidesmachine band6.7·10⁻¹²smallest caught10⁻¹³its nearest run6.9·10⁻¹²defects hidden2window, factor1below the band nothing is visibleand above it everything is

A 80 × 80 system with κ = 10⁴, solved by conjugate gradients to 10⁻¹⁰ on six partitionings. The shaded band is how far the answer moves across those six when nothing at all is wrong: 6.66·10⁻¹², relative. Each pair of dots is one defect — a single entry of the matrix changed by a relative δ, an assembly slip or a stale coefficient — solved on the same six machines, showing its nearest and furthest run. A defect is catchable only when its nearest run clears the band, because a test whose threshold sits inside the band fails a correct build. Everything at or below 10⁻¹⁴ overlaps and is invisible; 10⁻¹³ is the smallest that separates, at 6.93·10⁻¹². So the tolerance exists, it is bracketed between 6.66·10⁻¹² and 6.93·10⁻¹² — a factor of 1.04 — and it is neither zero nor the 10⁻⁸ that usually gets typed.

n: 220

The arguments are the ones What a regression test can ask for 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.

The smallest defect a regression test can catch, on a machine that will not repeat itselfA 220 × 220 system with κ = 10⁴, solved by conjugate gradients to 10⁻¹⁰ on six partitionings. The shaded band is how far the answer moves across those six when nothing at all is wrong: 1.88·10⁻¹¹, relative. Each pair of dots is one defect — a single entry of the matrix changed by a relative δ, an assembly slip or a stale coefficient — solved on the same six machines, showing its nearest and furthest run. A defect is catchable only when its nearest run clears the band, because a test whose threshold sits inside the band fails a correct build. Everything at or below 10⁻¹¹ overlaps and is invisible; 10⁻¹⁰ is the smallest that separates, at 1.33·10⁻¹⁰. So the tolerance exists, it is bracketed between 1.88·10⁻¹¹ and 1.33·10⁻¹⁰ — a factor of 7.07 — and it is neither zero nor the 10⁻⁸ that usually gets typed.-15-13-11-910⁻¹³10⁻¹¹10⁻⁹10⁻⁷log₁₀ of the defect, relative to the entry it sits inhow far the answer movedthe machine, on its owna tolerance with two sidesmachine band1.9·10⁻¹¹smallest caught10⁻¹⁰its nearest run1.3·10⁻¹⁰defects hidden5window, factor7.1below the band nothing is visibleand above it everything is

A 220 × 220 system with κ = 10⁴, solved by conjugate gradients to 10⁻¹⁰ on six partitionings. The shaded band is how far the answer moves across those six when nothing at all is wrong: 1.88·10⁻¹¹, relative. Each pair of dots is one defect — a single entry of the matrix changed by a relative δ, an assembly slip or a stale coefficient — solved on the same six machines, showing its nearest and furthest run. A defect is catchable only when its nearest run clears the band, because a test whose threshold sits inside the band fails a correct build. Everything at or below 10⁻¹¹ overlaps and is invisible; 10⁻¹⁰ is the smallest that separates, at 1.33·10⁻¹⁰. So the tolerance exists, it is bracketed between 1.88·10⁻¹¹ and 1.33·10⁻¹⁰ — a factor of 7.07 — and it is neither zero nor the 10⁻⁸ that usually gets typed.

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.

6 distinct claims across 4 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 problem the sweep can solve fifty times

and some defect does not

LU is for square matrices

matmul shapes agree

so there is a tolerance to choose, and it is bracketed on both sides

some defect clears the machine's own variation

Against the rule

The rule does not apply to it. It factorises nothing, so there is no residual it could be withholding. That is worth stating rather than leaving blank: a site that reported the rule as satisfied by every generator would be counting mostly generators the rule never reached.

Across the library: the rule bites on 197 of 363 generators — 179 print a residual and 18 are exempt with a published reason; 166 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 answer that depends on the machine

A matrix that is definite on one machine

Two hundred Gram matrices, two conforming builds, and twenty-six of them get different answers to "is this positive definite". The exact verdict, from determinants in BigInt rationals, says the fused build is right nine times and the other one seventeen.

The answer that depends on the machine

A rank that depends on the thread count

One 60 × 14 matrix, one threshold, seven partitionings of the inner products that build its Gram matrix — and numerical ranks of 12, 12, 12, 10, 10, 11 and 11. Not a digit of an answer: the number of columns a model built from this matrix would have.

The answer that depends on the machine

A square that evaluates negative

(x − 1)⁶ evaluated near x = 1 comes out negative at 179 of 401 points on one build and 196 on another, and the two disagree about the sign at 98 of them. Neither is nearer the truth: both traces are made entirely of rounding.

The answer that depends on the machine

A stopping test is a race

One matrix, one right-hand side, one tolerance, thirteen partition counts — and eleven different iteration counts between 674 and 690. Every run converged, every answer is right to the accuracy asked for, and what differs is the bill.

The answer that depends on the machine

Accuracy and agreement are different properties

The most accurate policy on this site's summation figure returns 119 different answers, and the one that returns a single answer is four orders less accurate. Neither property implies the other, and the vocabulary has one word for both.

The answer that depends on the machine

One multiply the compiler removed

A determinant whose value is exactly 1, computed as exactly 0 by the expression that is written down, and exactly 1 by the same expression with the multiply and the add fused. Both forms conform to IEEE-754, both are legal compilations of the same source, and nothing in the program says which one you have.

Two errors, and whose fault they are

The fifth author

Four authors of a wrong answer have been named on this site and each is a statement about one computation. The fifth is not: it is what separates two computations that are both correct, it is a backward error of measurable size, and no residual, bound or condition number contains it.

The answer that depends on the machine

The length that changes the kernel

A dot product's accuracy steps by a factor of 1.57 between 63 and 64 terms, on vectors drawn identically at both lengths. Nothing about the problem changes there. A library switches from one accumulator to four, at a constant in somebody else's source file.

The answer that depends on the machine

The sum that cannot be wrong

Snap every addend to a common multiple before adding, and every partial sum is exact — so the order stops mattering, by construction rather than by luck. Four hundred permutations return one value where an ordinary reduction returns three hundred and three.

The answer that depends on the machine

The tolerance that buys no agreement

Ask for four more orders of accuracy and you get them — the answers improve by a factor of 1.5 million. The ratio between the best and the worst run is 1.34, 1.48, 1.71 and 1.17 across the same sweep. The band falls and it does not close.

The answer that depends on the machine

The variation that comes with a seed

A randomised low-rank approximation's error moves by 31% between draws and by 10⁻¹⁵ between partitionings of one draw. In the one field on this site whose answer already comes as a band, the machine is inside the width of the line — and it is still there.

The answer that depends on the machine

Two machines, one certificate

Nothing a solver returns says which of its answers you got. Four things could be reported instead — the summation condition number, the partition count, an exactly accumulated residual and a directed-rounding interval — and each costs about one pass over data the routine already has in hand.

The answer that depends on the machine

What a regression test can ask for

The machine's own variation on one solve is 3.2·10⁻¹², and the smallest defect whose answers clear it is one part in 10¹². The tolerance exists, it is bracketed on both sides by a factor of 1.42, and it is neither zero nor the 10⁻⁸ that usually gets typed.

The answer that depends on the machine

What determinism costs

Six ways to add up a vector, priced in operations per element and in accuracy. Nothing sits in the bottom left of the figure — an answer that is the same on every machine costs between three and twelve operations where an answer that is not costs one.

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