Is multiplication and division using shift operators in C actually faster?

user_669366 0
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Multiplication and division can be achieved using bit operators, for example

i*2 = i<<1
i*3 = (i<<1) + i;
i*10 = (i<<3) + (i<<1)

and so on.

Is it actually faster to use say (i<<3)+(i<<1) to multiply with 10 than using i*10 directly? Is there any sort of input that can't be multiplied or divided in this way?

multiplication bit-shift division c c++
19 Answers

Whether it is actually faster depends on the hardware and compiler actually used.

user_13749750

If you compare output for x+x , x*2 and x<<1 syntax on a gcc compiler, then you would get the same result in x86 assembly : https://godbolt.org/z/JLpp0j

        push    rbp
        mov     rbp, rsp
        mov     DWORD PTR [rbp-4], edi
        mov     eax, DWORD PTR [rbp-4]
        add     eax, eax
        pop     rbp
        ret

So you can consider gcc as smart enought to determine his own best solution independently from what you typed.

user_51324490

I too wanted to see if I could Beat the House. this is a more general bitwise for any-number by any number multiplication. the macros I made are about 25% more to twice as slower than normal * multiplication. as said by others if it's close to a multiple of 2 or made up of few multiples of 2 you might win. like X*23 made up of (X<<4)+(X<<2)+(X<<1)+X is going to be slower then X*65 made up of (X<<6)+X. 

#include <stdio.h>
#include <time.h>

#define MULTIPLYINTBYMINUS(X,Y) (-((X >> 30) & 1)&(Y<<30))+(-((X >> 29) & 1)&(Y<<29))+(-((X >> 28) & 1)&(Y<<28))+(-((X >> 27) & 1)&(Y<<27))+(-((X >> 26) & 1)&(Y<<26))+(-((X >> 25) & 1)&(Y<<25))+(-((X >> 24) & 1)&(Y<<24))+(-((X >> 23) & 1)&(Y<<23))+(-((X >> 22) & 1)&(Y<<22))+(-((X >> 21) & 1)&(Y<<21))+(-((X >> 20) & 1)&(Y<<20))+(-((X >> 19) & 1)&(Y<<19))+(-((X >> 18) & 1)&(Y<<18))+(-((X >> 17) & 1)&(Y<<17))+(-((X >> 16) & 1)&(Y<<16))+(-((X >> 15) & 1)&(Y<<15))+(-((X >> 14) & 1)&(Y<<14))+(-((X >> 13) & 1)&(Y<<13))+(-((X >> 12) & 1)&(Y<<12))+(-((X >> 11) & 1)&(Y<<11))+(-((X >> 10) & 1)&(Y<<10))+(-((X >> 9) & 1)&(Y<<9))+(-((X >> 8) & 1)&(Y<<8))+(-((X >> 7) & 1)&(Y<<7))+(-((X >> 6) & 1)&(Y<<6))+(-((X >> 5) & 1)&(Y<<5))+(-((X >> 4) & 1)&(Y<<4))+(-((X >> 3) & 1)&(Y<<3))+(-((X >> 2) & 1)&(Y<<2))+(-((X >> 1) & 1)&(Y<<1))+(-((X >> 0) & 1)&(Y<<0))
#define MULTIPLYINTBYSHIFT(X,Y) (((((X >> 30) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<30))+(((((X >> 29) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<29))+(((((X >> 28) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<28))+(((((X >> 27) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<27))+(((((X >> 26) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<26))+(((((X >> 25) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<25))+(((((X >> 24) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<24))+(((((X >> 23) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<23))+(((((X >> 22) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<22))+(((((X >> 21) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<21))+(((((X >> 20) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<20))+(((((X >> 19) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<19))+(((((X >> 18) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<18))+(((((X >> 17) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<17))+(((((X >> 16) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<16))+(((((X >> 15) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<15))+(((((X >> 14) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<14))+(((((X >> 13) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<13))+(((((X >> 12) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<12))+(((((X >> 11) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<11))+(((((X >> 10) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<10))+(((((X >> 9) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<9))+(((((X >> 8) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<8))+(((((X >> 7) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<7))+(((((X >> 6) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<6))+(((((X >> 5) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<5))+(((((X >> 4) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<4))+(((((X >> 3) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<3))+(((((X >> 2) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<2))+(((((X >> 1) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<1))+(((((X >> 0) & 1)<<31)>>31)&(Y<<0))
int main()
{
    int randomnumber=23;
    int randomnumber2=23;
    int checknum=23;
    clock_t start, diff;
    srand(time(0));
    start = clock();
    for(int i=0;i<1000000;i++)
    {
        randomnumber = rand() % 10000;
        randomnumber2 = rand() % 10000;
        checknum=MULTIPLYINTBYMINUS(randomnumber,randomnumber2);
        if (checknum!=randomnumber*randomnumber2)
        {
            printf("s %i and %i and %i",checknum,randomnumber,randomnumber2);
        }
    }
    diff = clock() - start;
    int msec = diff * 1000 / CLOCKS_PER_SEC;
    printf("MULTIPLYINTBYMINUS Time %d milliseconds", msec);
    start = clock();
    for(int i=0;i<1000000;i++)
    {
        randomnumber = rand() % 10000;
        randomnumber2 = rand() % 10000;
        checknum=MULTIPLYINTBYSHIFT(randomnumber,randomnumber2);
        if (checknum!=randomnumber*randomnumber2)
        {
            printf("s %i and %i and %i",checknum,randomnumber,randomnumber2);
        }
    }
    diff = clock() - start;
    msec = diff * 1000 / CLOCKS_PER_SEC;
    printf("MULTIPLYINTBYSHIFT Time %d milliseconds", msec);
    start = clock();
    for(int i=0;i<1000000;i++)
    {
        randomnumber = rand() % 10000;
        randomnumber2 = rand() % 10000;
        checknum= randomnumber*randomnumber2;
        if (checknum!=randomnumber*randomnumber2)
        {
            printf("s %i and %i and %i",checknum,randomnumber,randomnumber2);
        }
    }
    diff = clock() - start;
    msec = diff * 1000 / CLOCKS_PER_SEC;
    printf("normal * Time %d milliseconds", msec);
    return 0;
}
user_25890010
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