Carl Banks wrote: > sonjaa wrote: > > I've created a cellular automata program in python with the numpy array > > extensions. After each cycle/iteration the memory used to examine and > > change the array as determined by the transition rules is never freed. > > Are you aware that slicing shares memory? For example, say you defined > a grid to do the automata calculations on, like this: > > grid = numpy.zeros([1000,1000]) > > And then, after running it, you took a tiny slice as a region of > interest, for example: > > roi = grid[10:20,10:20] > > Then deleted grid: > > del grid > > Then stored roi somewhere, for example: > > run_results.append(roi) > > If you do this, the memory for the original grid won't get freed. > Although grid was deleted, roi still contains a reference to the whole > 1000x1000 array, even though it's only a tiny slice of it. Your poorly > worded description--no offense--of what you did suggests that this is a > possibility in your case. I recommend you try to create a new array > out of any slices you make, like this (but ONLY if the slice doesn't > depend on the memory being shared): > > roi = numpy.array(grid[10:20,10:20]) > > This time, when you del grid, there is no object left referencing the > array data, so it'll be freed. > > This might not be your problem. Details are important when asking > questions, and so far you've only given us enough to speculate with. > > Carl Banks
I believe I understand your post. I don't think I was slicing the array, I was only changing the values of the array. I will try your suggestion and let you know how it goes thanks Sonja -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
