Math.Pow vs multiply operator (performance)

Question

Anyone knows if multiply operator is faster than using the Math.Pow method? Like:

n * n * n

vs

Math.Pow ( n, 3 )

Answer 1

I just reinstalled windows so visual studio is not installed and the code is ugly

using System;
using System.Diagnostics;

public static class test{

public static void Main(string[] args){
    MyTest();
    PowTest();
}

static void PowTest(){
    var sw = Stopwatch.StartNew();
    double res = 0;
    for (int i = 0; i < 333333333; i++){
        res = Math.Pow(i,30); //pow(i,30)
    }
    Console.WriteLine("Math.Pow: " + sw.ElapsedMilliseconds + " ms:  " + res);
}

static void MyTest(){
    var sw = Stopwatch.StartNew();
    double res = 0;
    for (int i = 0; i < 333333333; i++){
        res = MyPow(i,30);
    }
    Console.WriteLine("MyPow: " + sw.ElapsedMilliseconds + " ms:  " + res);
}



static double MyPow(double num, int exp)
{
    double result = 1.0;
    while (exp > 0)
    {
        if (exp % 2 == 1)
            result *= num;
        exp >>= 1;
        num *= num;
    }

    return result;
}
}

The results:
csc /o test.cs

test.exe

MyPow: 6224 ms:  4.8569351667866E+255  
Math.Pow: 43350 ms:  4.8569351667866E+255 

Exponentiation by squaring (see https://stackoverflow.com/questions/101439/the-most-efficient-way-to-implement-an-integer-based-power-function-powint-int) is much faster than Math.Pow in my test (my CPU is a Pentium T3200 at 2 Ghz)

EDIT: .NET version is 3.5 SP1, OS is Vista SP1 and power plan is high performance.

Answer 2

Math.Pow(x, y) is typically calculated internally as Math.Exp(Math.Log(x) * y). Evey power equation requires finding a natural log, a multiplication, and raising e to a power.

As I mentioned in my previous answer, only at a power of 10 does Math.Pow() become faster, but accuracy will be compromised if using a series of multiplications.

Answer 3

I checked, and Math.Pow() is defined to take two doubles. This means that it can't do repeated multiplications, but has to use a more general approach. If there were a Math.Pow(double, int), it could probably be more efficient.

That being said, the performance difference is almost certainly absolutely trivial, and so you should use whichever is clearer. Micro-optimizations like this are almost always pointless, can be introduced at virtually any time, and should be left for the end of the development process. At that point, you can check if the software is too slow, where the hot spots are, and spend your micro-optimization effort where it will actually make a difference.