Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!news.redatomik.org!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed2.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!newsgate.cistron.nl!newsgate.news.xs4all.nl!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail
Return-Path: <ckaynor@zindagigames.com>
X-Original-To: python-list@python.org
Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org
X-Spam-Status: OK 0.008
X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.98; '*S*': 0.00; 'broken': 0.04; 'cpython': 0.05; 'widely': 0.05; '(so': 0.07; 'fixes': 0.07; 'made.': 0.07; 'arrays': 0.09; 'indicates': 0.09; 'cc:addr:python-list': 0.11; 'python': 0.11; 'bug': 0.12; '"community".': 0.16; 'far)': 0.16; 'underlying': 0.16; 'elements': 0.16; 'fix': 0.17; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'wed,': 0.18; 'feb': 0.22; 'cc:addr:python.org': 0.22; '(such': 0.24; 'large,': 0.24; 'guys': 0.24; 'java': 0.24; 'cc:2**0': 0.24; 'post': 0.26; 'gets': 0.27; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.27; 'am,': 0.29; 'array': 0.29; 'possibility': 0.29; 'originally': 0.30; 'message-id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.30; 'code': 0.31; 'that.': 0.31; '25,': 0.31; 'piece': 0.31; 'received:74.125.82': 0.34; 'problem': 0.35; 'received:google.com': 0.35; 'should': 0.36; 'implement': 0.38; 'thank': 0.38; 'handle': 0.38; 'rather': 0.38; 'received:74.125': 0.39; 'even': 0.60; 'most': 0.60; 'extended': 0.61; 'length': 0.61; 'today.': 0.61; 'full': 0.61; 'today,': 0.61; 'you.': 0.62; 'developed': 0.63; 'more': 0.64; 'to:addr:gmail.com': 0.65; 'within': 0.65; 'computers': 0.72; 'million': 0.74; '2015': 0.84; 'bow': 0.84; 'otten': 0.84; 'dealt': 0.91
X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20130820; h=x-gm-message-state:mime-version:in-reply-to:references:from:date :message-id:subject:to:cc:content-type; bh=oqeO8Cx/bShI1d6QmDgwoPtk2vjITcUE2+blLg9sGPc=; b=XypT50Ti903H/E4/yezdTJZ22MzXKgrtcukH8Sgs9ADXzpqsm7+POABRsEzd7DQAXY aepZEH0F/k6WZD0lJev12xKPfZLUWSVuQwNJ9ZkxJ1O0QVLQqZeyWj2rl/n37qZQoiwr fKEU7QIedX+grVYMOVcq0vcCQ0jkgz7e4xtYr5eFJqs2cKBIm77FIh9Ei6I1/9DE1Asm yMUS1fT80XdV+yxzT2u3RTpGyzLoF7Rv8yOdywCeM5bndqdoXKIxFSGtdz0CcyUl62xS jgKM9yzzPjt4BHhu/BcnDRzAoDvTpiBI9fIqo+IBdzhzU2/Upjv3do5TkXDwmC6vM4bw hZ4A==
X-Gm-Message-State: ALoCoQl8u8rhUyTXUe8KuazhFIAEb0pTpz0G6a9NizFv2eC4h7JDtItrTmQpJctMVCoikXTC7KLV
X-Received: by 10.194.86.135 with SMTP id p7mr8009092wjz.89.1424883390098; Wed, 25 Feb 2015 08:56:30 -0800 (PST)
MIME-Version: 1.0
In-Reply-To: <mcku4g$tq8$1@ger.gmane.org>
References: <1cf84559-3a63-4799-a879-ae8e513d387e@googlegroups.com> <mckke8$con$1@ger.gmane.org> <mckrpt$j10$1@ger.gmane.org> <mcku4g$tq8$1@ger.gmane.org>
From: Chris Kaynor <ckaynor@zindagigames.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2015 08:56:09 -0800
Subject: Re: Bug in timsort!?
To: Sturla Molden <sturla.molden@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Cc: "python-list@python.org" <python-list@python.org>
X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15
Precedence: list
List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language <python-list.python.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <https://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/>
List-Post: <mailto:python-list@python.org>
List-Help: <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=subscribe>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.python
Message-ID: <mailman.19202.1424883392.18130.python-list@python.org>
Lines: 23
NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6
X-Trace: 1424883392 news.xs4all.nl 2881 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:40738
X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl
Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:86421

On Wed, Feb 25, 2015 at 8:44 AM, Sturla Molden <sturla.molden@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On 25/02/15 17:04, Peter Otten wrote:
>
>> These guys found a bug that is subtler than what most of us have dealt with
>> in a widely used piece of code originally developed by one of the smarter
>> members of the python "community".
>>
>> I bow my head to them and say thank you.
>
>
> I am not joking about that. It is more the hype this gets that indicates TimSort is already broken today, and even on your cell phone.

While the CPython implementation was only broken for arrays of length
larger than 2**49, aka, practically not broken, the Java
implementation (such as used on Android phones) was broken with arrays
of length > 67,108,864 at the time the post was made. While still very
large, an array of 67 million elements is well within the realm of
possibility today. The Java fixes (so far) have only extended the
number out, rather than actually fix the underlying problem - the
CPython fixes that were committed implement the full proven fix, so
CPython should now be able to handle infinite length arrays (once we
can build computers with that much storage...).