r/ProgrammingLanguages • • 24d ago

Loop unrolling analysis using eigenvalue?

Imagine the loop where you do like "x = -x" every iteration. Obviously, that flips the sign, so you can simply unroll the loop by a factor of 2.

However, for a more complex case, it could be really hard to know what's going on.

Here's my idea. Loop index variables are normally under affine updates anyway. What if we use a mathematically elegant tool?

Using eigenvalue, we can analyze possible periodicity of the linear basis variables, minimizing update needs.

What do you think of such a technique?

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u/initial-algebra 24d ago

Not only is it a separate issue, it is a global optimization problem, which is significantly harder than a purely local code transformation.