Function call takes a long time

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Sumant Raykar
Sumant Raykar on 15 Dec 2011
Hi all, I am writing a simulation code in MATLAB R2011b. I need it to run for at least 100,000 time steps, preferably more.
Here's the problem I am facing. I have a function call within my parent function. When I run the profiler, it shows that about 23.8% of the total time is spent CALLING the function. For one of my simulation models, the function gets called 715,903 times and the function call takes 174.432 seconds according to the profiler. The called function itself takes 195 seconds to run. My parent function takes 537 seconds.
This is what my function call looks like -
[C] = Decision(k,timeStep,MixedBuffer,c);
Is there any way I can reduce the 174.432 seconds (~3 minutes) which are taken by the function call? I hope I have been descriptive enough, but feel free to ask for more info.
Best, Sumant
Here's the relevant code -
function [C] = Decision(k,timeStep,MixedBuffer,c) %Returns serial number of chosen part.
global PartTable
global ActiveParts
global DemandArrivals
if(c==1) %For machine 1
I = zeros(1,5);
ChoiceMatrix = zeros(1,size(PartTable,2)); vertcat(ChoiceMatrix,PartTable(ActiveParts(serial,1),:));
ChoiceMatrix = vertcat(ChoiceMatrix,DemandArrivals);
ChoiceMatrix(1,:) = [];
if(isempty(ChoiceMatrix)==1)
C(1,1) = timeStep;
C(1,3) = 1;
else
[~,row] = min(ChoiceMatrix(:,1));
C = ChoiceMatrix(row,:);
C(1,3) = C(1,3)+1;
end
C;
else
I = zeros(1,5);
ChoiceMatrix = zeros(1,size(PartTable,2));
[serial,~] = find(ActiveParts(:,3)==k-1);
ChoiceMatrix = vertcat(ChoiceMatrix,PartTable(ActiveParts(serial,1),:));
k;
ChoiceMatrix(1,:) = [];
ActiveParts;
[~,row] = min(ChoiceMatrix(:,1));
C = ChoiceMatrix(row,:);
end
end

Accepted Answer

Jan
Jan on 16 Dec 2011
There are some dummy lines in your code, which do not assign anything:
vertcat(ChoiceMatrix,PartTable(ActiveParts(serial,1),:));
C;
k;
ActiveParts;
Such dummy lines waste time.
In "if (isempty(ChoiceMatrix)==1)", the "==1" is not needed. The "I = zeros(1,5)" is not used.
Using GLOBALS requires time. It might be possible, that this time appears in the calling line, when values are updated or copied.
  5 Comments
Sumant Raykar
Sumant Raykar on 16 Dec 2011
That is what I did. And it certainly seems more efficient, and so I would conclude that passing those variables as input arguments rather than declaring them GLOBAL saves time. I also did what you suggested yesterday, namely cleaning up my code for redundant lines/assignments. And that too saved time on the function call. Thank you!
Fangjun Jiang
Fangjun Jiang on 17 Dec 2011
Good to know, it makes sense. Thank you!

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More Answers (4)

Walter Roberson
Walter Roberson on 15 Dec 2011
Do you modify any of those parameters within the function? If so there could be copying overhead.

Sumant Raykar
Sumant Raykar on 15 Dec 2011
Hi Walter,
Nope, none of the parameters within the function are modified during one call of the function. From one call to the other, some parameters change values.
Best, Sumant
  2 Comments
Jan
Jan on 15 Dec 2011
Please post the relevant part of the code.
Walter Roberson
Walter Roberson on 15 Dec 2011
Remove any "clear all" statement you have!

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Fangjun Jiang
Fangjun Jiang on 15 Dec 2011
Pay attention to the warning message in M-editor. It gives you many hints on improvement. Some of them are minor. Others may have a big impact.
Two lines of I=zeros(1,5) are not needed because "I" is never used.
Input argument MixedBuffer is not used.
ChoiceMatrix = zeros(1,size(PartTable,2));
vertcat(ChoiceMatrix,PartTable(ActiveParts(serial,1),:));
ChoiceMatrix = vertcat(ChoiceMatrix,DemandArrivals);
ChoiceMatrix(1,:) = [];
In the above code, the first vertcat() has no returns. It's a waste of time. Why do you add an all-zeor row to the first row and then delete it. It's the same as ChoiceMatrix=DemandArrivals;
isempty(ChoiceMatrix)==1 is the same as isempty(ChoiceMatrix)
[serial,~] = find(ActiveParts(:,3)==k-1), no need to use the second return argument.
Another vertical concatenation and then removing.
The variable ChoiceMatrix seems unnecessary. Just use the global variable directly.
Don't use C and c as different variables. They are different but easily confused.

Sumant Raykar
Sumant Raykar on 15 Dec 2011
Thanks Fangjun! I appreciate it.
But do you think the points you mentioned are causing the function CALL to take so much time?
Best, Sumant
  3 Comments
Sumant Raykar
Sumant Raykar on 15 Dec 2011
True.
I was searching for this all over, and I read something about 'garbage disposal' and stuff. Ex: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4268113/matlab-takes-a-long-time-after-last-line-of-a-function
Does this seem relevant? Currently every function call takes on the average 0.000243653 seconds, which isn't high but since I call it over 700k times, it amounts to a lot.
Fangjun Jiang
Fangjun Jiang on 16 Dec 2011
If that's something you want to save, you can put the code of your function inside your main function to avoid the function call.

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