Sparse arrays in R: the spray package

TL;DR

The spray package in R offers efficient handling of sparse arrays using C++ STL, demonstrated through applications in random walks and combinatorics, facilitating computations with multivariate polynomials.

Contribution

Introduces the spray package for sparse array management in R, leveraging C++ STL for improved performance in mathematical and combinatorial applications.

Findings

Efficient storage and retrieval of sparse arrays in R.

Application examples in random walks and recreational combinatorics.

Availability of the package on CRAN.

Abstract

In this short article I introduce the spray package, which provides some functionality for handling sparse arrays. The package uses the C++ Standard Template Library's map class to store and retrieve elements. One natural application for sparse arrays is multivariate polynomials and I give two examples of the package in use, one drawn from the fields of random walks on lattices and one from the field of recreational combinatorics. The package is available on CRAN at https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=spray.