Efficiently exploring compiler optimization sequences with pairwise pruning

Most compilers apply optimizations in a fixed order regardless of input programs. However, it is well known that optimizations can have enabling, and disabling interactions or equivalent effects. The effects of interference are program specific and hence no single sequence is universally appropriate for all input programs. In this paper we explore the problem of searching for optimal sequences of compiler optimizations to apply for a given program and describe novel strategies that bring us a step closer to searching this problem space efficiently. We also construct models for accurately predicting the runtime performance of a program when a sequence of optimizations is applied to it. The early results of the models on a small set of input programs are encouraging and suggest that the approaches we describe are worthy of further consideration.