Summation based benchmark for calculators

[toml_12953]

(08-27-2019 01:11 PM)jlind Wrote:  Nspire Notes:
Tweaked things with the 100k summation. Found that changing from cube root to 1/3rd power cut time by over 1/3rd. It's apparent the nth root function isn't as efficient as using the equivalent fractional power. Reduced time by several seconds more by letting CAS simplify original f(x) to the equation shown, which goes further than simply replacing the trig functions.

Should have tried replacing cube root with 1/3rd power in the other calculators. ;-)

John

Yes. If you change the algorithm on one you should change it on all. The whole point of a benchmark is to compare machines running identical (or as much as possible) code, not taking advantage of any one machines special features. I'm amazed at how many people don't get that. In any set of benchmark results, someone will invariably say, "My machine has [such-and-such] function which the others don't and it's faster when I include it!" Those numbers are invalid if you change the code more than absolutely necessary. That's why BASIC benchmarks are written in the lowest common version of BASIC rather than an extended BASIC of one version or another. Translating from one calculator's native language to another's is permissible only because there is no standard calculator language. Even so, using the same algorithm is essential. Comparing two calculators ability to compute integrals using an algorithm is moot if one uses trapezoids and one uses rectangles for example.