Problem with Big Decimal - Calculation process slows down

Processing Coding Questions
1

Hey guys!
i’m very new to Big Decimal
i attempting to calculate mandelbrot set with high precision for ultra zoom capability, so i’m using Big Decimal to perform calculation.
while calculating, the loop slows down. i suspected the problem is in BigDecimal method. looks like it performs a long decimal calculation, the decimal become bigger and bigger so it slowing down. but how is this happened? i have tried some ways like flooring it, but it couldn’t solve the problem

here the simplified codes:

import java.math.BigDecimal;
import java.math.MathContext;
import java.math.RoundingMode;
MathContext mc = new MathContext(2, RoundingMode.FLOOR);

int maxIter = 100;

void setup() {
  BigDecimal x0 = new BigDecimal("2");
  BigDecimal y0 = new BigDecimal("1");
  BigDecimal x = new BigDecimal("0");
  BigDecimal y = new BigDecimal("0");

  int iteration = 0;   

  // the loop slowing down
  while (iteration < maxIter) {
    BigDecimal xTemp = x.multiply(x).subtract(y.multiply(y)).add(x0);  // = xTemp = x*x - y*y + x0 : am i doing it right?
    y = x.multiply(y).multiply(new BigDecimal("2")).add(y0); // = y =  x*y*2 + y0;
    x = xTemp;    
    //println(xTemp); // the decimal become bigger and bigger, it slows the process
    // the loop slowing down at ~22 loop
    println(iteration);
    iteration++;
  }  
  println("DONE!"); // this line should be executed
}

I have no clue how is this happened. Any help would be appreciated!

2

Just instantiating MathContext will not apply it to any of the operations. It’s quite inconvenient, but you have to pass it every time again and again: e.g.: new BigDecimal("2", mc), x.multiply(x, mc), etc. You can also use setScale method on already instantiated BigDecimal instance.

3

Overall scale and precision for BigDecimals might be confusing:

http://www.piotrnowicki.com/2011/02/precision-and-scale-in-bigdecimal-and-mathcontext/

4

Thanks @morisil, but i have tried setScale and mc before, that MathContext is from the complete code. i passed the mc to every calculation, and tried setScale but it remains the same. it is kinda weird, the xTemp pops out a long decimals.
i tried something like this:

BigDecimal xTemp = x.multiply(x, mc).subtract(y.multiply(y, mc), mc).add(x0, mc).setScale(2, RoundingMode.HALF_DOWN);
y = x.multiply(y, mc).multiply(new BigDecimal("2", mc), mc).add(y0, mc).setScale(2, RoundingMode.HALF_DOWN)

am i doing it right?

5

oh my gosh! i spot the mistake! silly me :sweat_smile:

i forgot some spot on that complex plane can goes toward infinity. i have to test if it getting bigger and bigger.