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amatrix

amatrix keeps matrix-heavy R code in the Matrix idiom while adding backend-aware dispatch and optional accelerator execution. The main target is repeated linear algebra on the same design matrix, especially many-response regression where factorization reuse matters.

What problem does it solve?

If your workflow already starts with matrices and ends in %*%, crossprod(), qr(), or repeated least-squares fits, amatrix gives you:

  • Matrix-compatible dense and sparse objects
  • predictable CPU fallback when no accelerator backend is available
  • optional fast backends such as MLX on Apple Silicon
  • shared-design workflows such as many_lm()

You do not need to adopt a new tensor framework or rewrite the analysis around a separate object model.

Quick start 

library(amatrix)

set.seed(1)
X <- matrix(rnorm(120 * 6), nrow = 120, ncol = 6)
Y <- matrix(rnorm(120 * 8), nrow = 120, ncol = 8)

# Safe default: strict CPU semantics
X_am <- adgeMatrix(X)
fit <- many_lm(X_am, Y, method = "qr", cache = TRUE,
               include_residuals = TRUE)

dim(coef(fit))
fit$sigma2[1:3]  # residual variances (needs include_residuals = TRUE)

On a machine with an available accelerator backend, the workflow stays the same and only the constructor metadata changes.

X_fast <- adgeMatrix(X, mode = "fast")
fit_fast <- many_lm(X_fast, Y, method = "qr", cache = TRUE)

How does backend selection work?

amatrix separates the matrix object from the execution backend. You can inspect what is available and what will be chosen for a specific operation.

If no accelerator backend is available, the same code still runs on CPU.

For library code, the default per-object path is to wrap at the boundary with mode = "fast" and then keep the rest of the code generic:

X_am <- as_adgeMatrix(X, mode = "fast")
fit <- many_lm(X_am, Y, method = "qr", cache = TRUE)

That asks amatrix to prefer an available fast-capable accelerator automatically and otherwise fall back to CPU. You do not need to hardcode "mlx" or set session-global defaults first.

If a caller wants to flip defaults for one local block instead of one object, use with_amatrix():

with_amatrix(policy = "auto", precision = "fast", {
  X_am <- as_adgeMatrix(X)
  fit <- many_lm(X_am, Y, method = "qr", cache = TRUE)
})

Persistent session setters such as amatrix_set_default_policy() and amatrix_set_default_precision() are still available for power users who genuinely want session-wide behavior, for example from .Rprofile.

For especially hot repeated paths, you can still bind resident storage explicitly with amatrix_bind_resident(), but that should be an optimization step rather than the default package-author workflow.

When is it worth using?

  • one design matrix and many response columns
  • repeated fits where QR or other factors can be reused
  • workflows that need Matrix-compatible objects instead of a separate tensor API
  • Apple Silicon systems where MLX can accelerate the hot path

Modes

  • adgeMatrix(x) uses the conservative default path and is safe on CPU-only machines.
  • adgeMatrix(x, mode = "exact") pins execution to strict CPU semantics.
  • adgeMatrix(x, mode = "fast") requests reduced-precision execution and prefers an available fast-capable accelerator automatically, with CPU fallback when none is available.

Backend tiers

amatrix makes explicit support claims per backend. Tier labels track what the quality gates have actually proven on the current release, not aspiration.

Tier Backend(s) What it means
Authoritative cpu Reference of record for correctness. Always available. CPU failures are stop-ship.
Supported mlx (Apple Silicon) Default Apple Silicon fast path when installed and healthy. Conformance-green on dense/model workloads.
Explicit probe arrayfire, opencl, metal Installed and loadable, but enabled only on explicit request — one call: amatrix_use_gpu(). Supported surface is backend-specific and evidence-backed.
Experimental other registered backends Limited or local-only coverage. Health probe may route away silently. Not a general beta fast-path claim.

Each tier is backed by the cross-backend conformance suite (devtools::test()) and the benchmark regression gate: a backend earns “Supported” only once it is conformance-green on the dense and model workloads and holds the speed contract against the CPU baseline. At runtime, the tier claim plus the current health state from the first-use canary probe is available via:

Optional backends ship as separate packages: amatrix.mlx, amatrix.arrayfire, amatrix.opencl, amatrix.metal. Install only the ones you need — the core package works on pure CPU with no accelerator dependencies.

Installation

Core amatrix is CPU-only and has no accelerator dependencies. Install it from the bbuchsbaum R-universe:

install.packages(
  "amatrix",
  repos = c("https://bbuchsbaum.r-universe.dev", "https://cloud.r-project.org")
)

GPU execution comes from optional sister packages — install the one that matches your platform from the same repository:

# Apple Silicon GPU via MLX
install.packages(
  "amatrix.mlx",
  repos = c("https://bbuchsbaum.r-universe.dev", "https://cloud.r-project.org")
)
Backend package Platform System prerequisite
amatrix.mlx macOS arm64 (Apple Silicon) Homebrew mlx-c, or MLX_C_PREFIX; builds a mock bridge without it
amatrix.metal macOS Xcode Command Line Tools
amatrix.arrayfire any OS with ArrayFire >= 3.8 ArrayFire runtime (on arm64 macOS it pins to the CPU runtime by default)
amatrix.opencl unix with OpenCL + CLBlast OpenCL driver and CLBlast; enable with amatrix_use_gpu()

Install only the backends you need; the core package works on pure CPU without any of them.

GPU in one line

On Apple Silicon the GPU is zero-config: install amatrix.mlx and MLX probing is on by default in every launch mode. The first operation that needs the GPU probes it in a disposable child process and routes eligible work to MLX automatically — there is nothing to call.

library(amatrix)
#> amatrix GPU backends: mlx ready (activates on first use). See amatrix_gpu_status().

X <- adgeMatrix(matrix(rnorm(4096 * 4096), 4096), mode = "fast")
Z <- X %*% X   # runs on the GPU

Everywhere else (OpenCL, ArrayFire, Metal) the backends are opt-in, so turn one on with a single call that enables, health-checks, and adopts the best installed backend:

amatrix_use_gpu()
#> amatrix: GPU enabled - opencl backend (float32 'fast' precision, ~1e-4 vs
#> float64; 'strict' float64 stays on CPU). amatrix_gpu_status() for details.

To see why you are (or are not) on the GPU, call amatrix_gpu_status(). GPU work runs in float32 (mode = "fast", conformance tolerance ~1e-4); strict float64 always stays on the CPU. See the GPU article for the full story.

CPU-only / quiet startup

The default policy is already CPU-first, and attaching the package does no GPU probing — the one-line note is purely informational, printed only when an optional backend package is installed. If you want it quiet (for example on a shared CPU-only machine, or in scripts and reports), pick the level that suits you:

  • Suppress the note for one call: suppressPackageStartupMessages(library(amatrix)) — always works, no config.
  • Suppress the note session-wide: set options(amatrix.quiet_startup = TRUE) in your .Rprofile, or export the environment variable AMATRIX_QUIET=1.
  • Turn off optional GPU backends entirely (and silence the note as a side effect): options(amatrix.optional_backends = FALSE). The package then behaves as pure-CPU, ignoring any installed accelerator packages.
  • Drop a single backend: options(amatrix.disable_mlx = TRUE) (and likewise amatrix.disable_opencl, amatrix.disable_arrayfire, amatrix.disable_metal) removes just that backend from consideration and from the note.

None of these change correctness — the CPU reference path is always available.

Start here

The full articles live on the pkgdown site: Getting started for the core workflow, GPU acceleration for going from install to a matmul on the GPU, and When is amatrix fast? for where amatrix wins (and where it doesn’t). The same articles ship as vignettes when you install from R-universe (binary) or build them locally with devtools::install(build_vignettes = TRUE); then browseVignettes("amatrix") lists them offline. (Plain devtools::install() / install_github() / R CMD INSTALL skip vignette builds, so use the links above until you have them installed.)

Key help pages: