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It's not even just code. I remember once writing a script to generate a large table, only to discover that GCC took forever to compile it as it appeared to have
by ajb 2y ago
It's not even just code. I remember once writing a script to generate a large table, only to discover that GCC took forever to compile it as it appeared to have an n^2 time in the size of the file. That can't have been the optimiser because there were no functions. I think I ended up compiling that file with TCC.
- WalterBright 2y agoYah, one often doesn't discover the existence of a quadratic algorithm until something like this happens.
- jeffrallen 2y agoThe two scariest words in technical English are "accidentally quadratic".
- ajb 2y agoOh, I don't know about that :-) If we are looking for the two scariest words, "intermittent failure" would be my candidate.
- WalterBright 2y agoMine too. I can find the quadratic source, but intermittent failure can suck up all your time.
- jeffrallen 2y agoOk, it is Halloween. How about we go with "accidentally intermittently quadratic"? Is that scary enough for ya?