January 2011

Hello Analytica users!

Here is the January 2011 edition of the Analytica Newsletter, the place to stay primed on Analytica tips and hints, new features and releases, training opportunities and modeling resources.

Thanks for your support,
Paul Sanford
Editor

Prime Rib Special

Columnist Dave Barry points out that 2010 was worse than the mass extinction that ended the Cretaceous Period because: "At least those species weren't exposed to Jersey Shore."  There are no 2011 predictions yet from Dave Barry so I asked Lumina CTO Lonnie Chrisman to offer his insights instead:

"Not only is 2011 a prime year, there are also a prime number of different ways (2) that it can be written as the sum of a prime number of consecutive primes (157+163+167+173+179+181+191+193+197+199+211 and 661+673+677).  This hasn't happened since 1901 and won't happen again until 2179."

OK, so maybe it’s not as pithy as Dave Barry, but I checked it out and it’s true! At first I thought our CTO would be the perfect subject for Rain Man II: What Comes On After Wapner but it turns out Lonnie was just testing out some cool new features in 4.3.  So far, this is the most robust beta version we have ever had.  Customers with current support can still download and participate in our beta testing.  To all participants, thanks for your help and have a prime 2011!

Visit us at EUEC 2011

We are looking forward to the Energy, Utility & Environment conference in Phoenix, Monday Jan 31st through Wednesday Feb 2^nd. Presentations will include:

• How will US legislation affect biofuels consumption?
  by Surya Swamy, Consulting Decision Analyst
  Will the biofuels industry be able to meet the production targets mandated in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 and the Renewable Fuel Standards Act of 2010?  Will  vehicle fleet be compatible with the plan?  Mr. Swamy will use the Analytica Transportation Energy Assessment Model (ATEAM) to explore a variety of realistic scenarios.
   
• Clarifying “green decisions” for energy technology and policy
  by Dr. Max Henrion, CEO
  What effects will new energy technologies have on industry and markets?  This is a key question for biofuels producers, electrical utilities, battery producers, car makers, and public policy groups just to name a few.  The Analytica software tool offers a more complete and transparent analysis than would be possible using spreadsheets.  Dr. Henrion will give a visual demonstration of how Analytica generates valuable insights that can help you navigate a route to success through the rapidly evolving technology and market landscape.

Visit us at our booth (#723). For more details check the Lumina or EUEC websites.

Discover the Analytica Modelers Guide on the Wiki

Once you have mastered a few key skills needed for your particular Analytica application, you will probably find it easy to expand the capability of your Analytica models using just your existing knowledge.  But sometimes you may discover an easier method you wish you’d been aware of earlier.  We encourage new and experienced users alike to spend some time looking through the Analytica Modelers Guide on the Wiki.  This dense consolidation of topics covers everything from basic array abstraction to advanced scripting and function building.  Even if you don’t need to master every subject right now, it is sometimes helpful just to know that some of these topics exist.  There is more detail on advanced topics in the Wiki than you will find in the User Guide. There are handy hints to improve your modeling form and even challenge problems to test your prowess.  Enjoy!

Handy Hint: Saving Memory by selecting a Caching Method

Analytica’s array-based architecture keeps models scalable and visually comprehensible.  This is a key advantage over spreadsheet or code-based models.  Another advantage is that it allows faster computation because the array data are held in memory concurrently.  But holding more data in memory can become a hindrance if the model approaches the memory limitations of the system.  At this point, there is a trade-off between speed and memory demands.  You will find several strategies for reducing memory demands in the Analytica Modelers Guide (see above).  The simplest of these strategies is to change the Caching Method for individual nodes.  Every node possesses the Caching Method attribute, but it is hidden by default.  Pull down the Object menu and select Attributes, then toggle a checkbox next to Caching Method.  The attribute will appear in both Object windows and Attribute panes.  Unless you have a reason to keep intermediate results in memory, you can set this caching method for intermediate nodes to Never Store Array Results or Release When Children Computed. This will keep more memory available for the input and final result data.  You will find more details on the Wiki