When using Mathematica, how can I make the best use of my system's memory?

In Mathematica, you can recover memory associated with calculations you no longer need by using ClearAll; for this to work, you must also use Unprotect and Clear[Out] (to remove your output history).

For example, Mathematica uses some amount of memory to start up:

In[1]:= MemoryInUse[] Out[1]= 812448

Create a large matrix (but suppress the output), and check the memory again:

In[2]:= t = Table[Random[], {1000}, {1000}]; In[3]:= MemoryInUse[] Out[3]= 20843256

If you clear the variable t from memory, the memory used actually increases slightly:

In[4]:= Clear[t] In[5]:= MemoryInUse[] Out[5]= 20844712

However, if you also clear the output from memory, the memory being used is reduced to nearly the minimal amount:

In[6]:= Unprotect[Out] Out[6]= {Out} In[7]:= Clear[Out] In[8]:= Protect[Out] Out[8]= {Out} In[9]:= MemoryInUse[] Out[9]= 827120

For more information about Mathematica, a good place to start is the Stat/Math Center's Mathematica at IU page.

For more information about statistical and mathematical software, email the UITS Stat/Math Center, visit the center's web page, or phone 812-855-4724 (IUB) or 317-278-4740 (IUPUI). The center is located in Bloomington at 410 N. Park Avenue, and is open for consultation by appointment Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.

Also see:

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Last modified on July 16, 2008.

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