On Wednesday 27 February 2002 06:26, Steve Harris wrote:

> > For those of you interested in optimizing efficiency of LL testing:
> >
> > We are approaching first time tests of 15.30M exponents, at which point
> > the Prime95 program will start using an 896K FFT. However, the P4-SSE2
> > section of the program will start using that larger FFT size at 15.16M
> > exponents, making it (relatively) inefficient to test exponents between
> > 15.16M and 15.30M on a P4.
> >
> > Since the Primenet server doesn't take this into consideration when
> > assigning exponents, I would suggest you all have enough exponents queued
> > up on your P4s before the server reaches 15.16M to keep them busy until
> > it reaches 15.30M. I know there are other ways around it, but that is the
> > simplest.

And I replied:
>
> Whilst I appreciate Steve's motives in making this suggestion, I have a
> philosophical problem with it. If a few people hog these exponents, other
> people with an equal need to "economise" will be unable to get them.
> Overall I don't see that there is much gain, whilst there is scope for
> resentment against the "hoggers" in a similar (but possibly less extreme)
> way to the resentment felt against "poachers" of first-time LL test
> assignments.

On reflection I can see that there is merit in Steve's idea (provided that 
restraint is used i.e. not grabbing more work than is neccessary to bridge 
the rather small "exponent gap"). 

I wish to publicly apologise to Steve for any implication that he might be 
encouraging users to "hog" exponents.

Regards
Brian Beesley
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