Specialised matrices

Vectorz supports a range of specialised matrix classes that provide more efficient operations on certain constrained matrix types.

The matrix hierarchy

• AMatrix : base class for all matrix types
• Matrix : general purpose matrix
• Specialised matrices

When to use

Specialised matrices have both advantages and disadvantages: whether you use them or not is a judgement call. If in doubt, you should benchmark for your specific use case.

Pros:

• Use much less storage space: e.g. a diagonal n*n matrix requires only n elements of storage
• Provide fast, optimised operations

Cons:

• Elements are constrained, so specialised matrices are usually not fully mutable
• Slower for arbitrary operations not suited to this matrix type