chkpoint_one

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Checkpoint Functions: First Generation

Deprecated 2019-01-14

Using the checkpoint class has been deprecated. Use chkpoint_two instead.

Syntax

checkpoint < Base > atom_fun (
      name , algo , ax , ay , sparsity , optimize
)
sv = atom_fun . size_var ()
atom_fun . option ( option_value )
algo ( ax , ay )
atom_fun ( ax , ay )
checkpoint < Base >:: clear ()

See Also

atomic_two , rev_checkpoint.cpp

Purpose

Reduce Memory

You can reduce the size of the tape and memory required for AD by checkpointing functions of the form \(y = f(x)\) where \(f : \B{R}^n \rightarrow \B{R}^m\).

Faster Recording

It may also reduce the time to make a recording the same function for different values of the independent variable. Note that the operation sequence for a recording that uses \(f(x)\) may depend on its independent variables.

Repeating Forward

Normally, CppAD store Forward mode results until they freed using capacity_order or the corresponding ADFun object is deleted. This is not true for checkpoint functions because a checkpoint function may be used repeatedly with different arguments in the same tape. Thus, forward mode results are recomputed each time a checkpoint function is used during a forward or reverse mode sweep.

Restriction

The operation sequence representing \(f(x)\) cannot depend on the value of \(x\). The approach in the rev_checkpoint.cpp example case be applied when the operation sequence depends on \(x\).

Multiple Level AD

If Base is an AD type, it is possible to record Base operations. Note that atom_fun will treat algo as an atomic operation while recording AD < Base > operations, but not while recording Base operations. See the chkpoint_one_mul_level.cpp example.

Method

The checkpoint class is derived from atomic_base and makes this easy. It implements all the atomic_base Virtual Functions and hence its source code cppad/core/chkpoint_one/chkpoint_one.hpp provides an example implementation of atomic_two . The difference is that chkpoint_one.hpp uses AD instead of user provided derivatives.

constructor

The syntax for the checkpoint constructor is

checkpoint < Base > atom_fun ( name , algo , ax , ay )

  1. This constructor cannot be called in parallel mode.

  2. You cannot currently be recording AD < Base > operations when the constructor is called.

  3. This object atom_fun must not be destructed for as long as any ADFun < Base > object uses its atomic operation.

  4. This class is implemented as a derived class of atomic and hence some of its error message will refer to atomic_base .

Base

The type Base specifies the base type for AD operations.

ADVector

The type ADVector must be a simple vector class with elements of type AD < Base > .

name

This checkpoint constructor argument has prototype

const char * name

It is the name used for error reporting. The suggested value for name is atom_fun ; i.e., the same name as used for the object being constructed.

ax

This argument has prototype

const ADVector & ax

and size must be equal to n . It specifies vector \(x \in \B{R}^n\) at which an AD < Base > version of \(y = f(x)\) is to be evaluated.

ay

This argument has prototype

ADVector & ay

Its input size must be equal to m and does not change. The input values of its elements do not matter. Upon return, it is an AD < Base > version of \(y = f(x)\).

sparsity

This argument has prototype

atomic_base < Base >:: option_enum sparsity

It specifies sparsity in the atomic_base constructor and must be either atomic_base < Base >:: pack_sparsity_enum , atomic_base < Base >:: bool_sparsity_enum , or atomic_base < Base >:: set_sparsity_enum . This argument is optional and its default value is unspecified.

optimize

This argument has prototype

bool optimize

It specifies if the recording corresponding to the atomic function should be optimized . One expects to use a checkpoint function many times, so it should be worth the time to optimize its operation sequence. For debugging purposes, it may be useful to use the original operation sequence (before optimization) because it corresponds more closely to algo . This argument is optional and its default value is true.

size_var

This size_var member function return value has prototype

size_t sv

It is the size_var for the ADFun < Base > object is used to store the operation sequence corresponding to algo .

option

The option syntax can be used to set the type of sparsity pattern used by atom_fun . This is an atomic_base < Base > function and its documentation can be found at atomic_two_option .

algo

The type of algo is arbitrary, except for the fact that the syntax

algo ( ax , ay )

must evaluate the function \(y = f(x)\) using AD < Base > operations. In addition, we assume that the operation sequence does not depend on the value of ax .

atom_fun

Given ax it computes the corresponding value of ay using the operation sequence corresponding to algo . If AD < Base > operations are being recorded, it enters the computation as single operation in the recording see Start Recording . (Currently each use of atom_fun actually corresponds to m + n +2 operations and creates m new variables, but this is not part of the CppAD specifications and my change.)

Memory

Restriction

The clear routine cannot be called while in parallel execution mode.

Parallel Mode

The CppAD checkpoint function delays the caching of certain calculations until they are needed. In parallel model , this may result in thread_alloc::inuse(thread) being non-zero even though the specified thread is no longer active. This memory will be freed when the checkpoint object is deleted.

clear

The atomic_base class holds onto static work space that is not connected to a particular object (in order to increase speed by avoiding system memory allocation calls). This call makes to work space available to for other uses by the same thread. This should be called when you are done using the atomic functions for a specific value of Base .