# After some calculations, Mathematica forgets previous results

After I do some calculations, the next calculation often just returns the previous declared result as a name and I have to start all over.

My "parallel kernel configuration" is set to "manual" with only 1 kernel, "Default Kernel" and "Notebook's Kernel" are both set to "Local", the "Notebook's Default Context" is set to "Global" without either of the two boxes below, "Unique to this notebook" & "Unique to each cell group", checked.

There is nothing special about the calculations so I'm not sure a MWE is relevant - I calculate two series, normalize them, and then divide them. The latter part, referencing the two normal series, is what relies on the previous results. Instead of a quotient I just get the names of the two series.

Is there anything else I can provide to help with an answer?

PS. Possibly related.... Is there a way to check my installation? Something like a "make check" or a "run_testsuite()"?

• Is the kernel crashing? Do the outputs go back to numbering from 1? – mikado Feb 3 '17 at 20:44
• Oh, yes they do! Sorry I know almost nothing about Mathematica.... – nate Feb 3 '17 at 20:45
• You may be running out of memory. Mathematica may be interpreting your input in some way you don't expect and trying to create a huge object. – mikado Feb 3 '17 at 20:48
• Hhhmmmm... I understand what you are saying. Are there logs written somewhere? I have 16GB, a 80 GB swapfile and nothing running except small Midori browser with one window and two tabs... On a year old MacBook Pro. These kid of 'crashes' do not show up in /var/log.... – nate Feb 3 '17 at 20:51
• If you provide the code, I expect someone will offer help – mikado Feb 3 '17 at 20:59

• Open the menu Mathematica > About Mathematica...
• click on System Information
• at the bottom of the panel that appears, click Benchmark with WolframMark...