R devel - Feb 2011 - R limits documented?

Is there documentation on R limits?
That is, max matrix size, etc.?

Diagnostics when limits are exceeded are not always
meaningful. For example:
> x <- rep(0,50000*50000)
Error in rep(0, 50000 * 50000) : invalid 'times' argument
In addition: Warning message:
In as.vector(data) : NAs introduced by coercion

Here's another example:
> library(orthopolynom)
> hermite <- hermite.h.polynomials(1001)
> hermite[[1001]] # should display 1000-th degree polynomial
Error in if (signs[1] == "- ") "-" else "" :
  missing value where TRUE/FALSE needed

Thanks,
Dominick

On Feb 11, 2011, at 7:09 PM, Dominick Samperi wrote:
> Is there documentation on R limits?
> That is, max matrix size, etc.?
>
> Diagnostics when limits are exceeded are not always
> meaningful. For example:
>> x <- rep(0,50000*50000)
> Error in rep(0, 50000 * 50000) : invalid 'times' argument
> In addition: Warning message:
> In as.vector(data) : NAs introduced by coercion
 > x <- rep(0,40000*50000)
 > gc()
              used    (Mb) gc trigger    (Mb)   max used    (Mb)
Ncells    4673306   249.6    6945861   371.0    5315868   283.9
Vcells 2165579376 16522.1 4374103452 33371.8 4165580443 31780.9
 > object.size(x)
16000000040 bytes

So that is about 2/3 of my installed memory. This seems to be a  
limitation due to the maximum positive integer being ~ 2*10^9
 > 2*10^9 < 50000*50000
[1] TRUE
 > 2*10^9 < 40000*50000
[1] FALSE
>
> Here's another example:
>> library(orthopolynom)
>> hermite <- hermite.h.polynomials(1001)
>> hermite[[1001]] # should display 1000-th degree polynomial
> Error in if (signs[1] == "- ") "-" else "" :
>  missing value where TRUE/FALSE needed
Sounds as though the maximum length of an element of type character  
has been exceeded.
>
> Thanks,
> Dominick
>
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David Winsemius, MD
West Hartford, CT