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n1qn1c vs socialmixr

A side-by-side editorial comparison of n1qn1c and socialmixr — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

n1qn1c vs socialmixr: at a glance

Featuren1qn1csocialmixr
SectorAnalyticsAnalytics
Velocity score0.00.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesnumerical-optimization, quasi-newton, thread-safety, memory-safetycontact matrices, epidemiology, pipeline api, breaking changes
Last editorial update1h ago4h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is n1qn1c?

A Fortran-descended optimizer got thread-safe, then found two flags that never worked.

n1qn1c is a quasi-Newton optimization routine translated from Fortran to C, used as a solver backend by the nlmixr2 modeling stack rather than called directly by most users. Its two 2026 releases are a concentrated safety pass: global state converted to thread_local, static removed from local variables in the translated code, integer overflow guards added, and memory leaks closed in the R callback wrappers — plus the gcc-asan and valgrind fixes CRAN asked for.

Read the full n1qn1c trajectory →

What is socialmixr?

socialmixr breaks its one-shot contact_matrix() call into a composable pipeline.

socialmixr builds age-structured social contact matrices from survey data for infectious-disease modelling. Version 0.6.0 replaces the monolithic contact_matrix() entry point with a chain of composable steps — filter, assign age groups, weigh, compute, then symmetrise, split or convert per capita — behind a new contact_matrix S3 class. Survey downloading is being handed off to a separate contactsurveys package.

Read the full socialmixr trajectory →

n1qn1c vs socialmixr: editorial side-by-side

N
n1qn1c
ANALYTICS
0.0

A Fortran-descended optimizer got thread-safe, then found two flags that never worked.

◆ Current state

n1qn1c is a quasi-Newton optimization routine translated from Fortran to C, used as a solver backend by the nlmixr2 modeling stack rather than called directly by most users. Its two 2026 releases are a concentrated safety pass: global state converted to thread_local, static removed from local variables in the translated code, integer overflow guards added, and memory leaks closed in the R callback wrappers — plus the gcc-asan and valgrind fixes CRAN asked for.

◆ Where it's heading

The package is being hardened for use inside a parallel modeling framework rather than extended. The audit that produced the thread-safety work also surfaced two plain bugs in features users would have assumed worked: restart = TRUE left the mode at 2 instead of 3 because of a typo, and assign = TRUE referenced the wrong field name so the compressed Hessian was never written to the supplied environment. Earlier work points the same direction — the 6.0.1-12 function-pointer interface exists so nlmixr2est does not need resubmission when this package changes.

◆ Prediction

Expect further memory-safety and sanitizer work rather than algorithmic change; a Fortran-translated numerical core under CRAN's checking regime generates that kind of release indefinitely.

S
socialmixr
ANALYTICS
0.0

socialmixr breaks its one-shot contact_matrix() call into a composable pipeline.

◆ Current state

socialmixr builds age-structured social contact matrices from survey data for infectious-disease modelling. Version 0.6.0 replaces the monolithic contact_matrix() entry point with a chain of composable steps — filter, assign age groups, weigh, compute, then symmetrise, split or convert per capita — behind a new contact_matrix S3 class. Survey downloading is being handed off to a separate contactsurveys package.

◆ Where it's heading

The arc from 0.4.0 to 0.6.0 is decomposition: first extracting helpers like assign_age_groups(), then moving downloads out of the package, and now exposing every stage of matrix construction as its own verb. Breaking changes are accepted at each step — preserved empty age groups, arrays instead of xtabs, [N,Inf) labels — with the new class inheriting from list so existing $matrix access keeps working. The label change is explicitly aligned with the contactmatrix package.

◆ Prediction

Expect the deprecated dotted argument names and the remaining in-package download paths to be removed once the contactsurveys handoff completes, leaving contact_matrix() as a thin wrapper over the pipeline.

Alternatives to n1qn1c and socialmixr

Other Analytics products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either n1qn1c or socialmixr.

See all n1qn1c alternatives → · See all socialmixr alternatives →

Recent activity from n1qn1c and socialmixr

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 3mo agosocialmixrContact matrices become a composable pipeline
  2. 4mo agon1qn1crestart and assign flags fixed; sanitizer issues cleared
  3. 4mo agon1qn1cGlobal state converted to thread_local
  4. 6mo agosocialmixrPatch: load_survey() handles files without cont_id
  5. 6mo agosocialmixrAge-group assignment and population lookup split out
  6. 1y agosocialmixrFaster survey loading and cached Zenodo lookups
  7. 1y agon1qn1cFunction-pointer API decouples nlmixr2est releases
  8. 2y agosocialmixrcontact_matrix() now takes survey objects only
  9. 2y agosocialmixrTest fixes for machine-precision failures

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between n1qn1c and socialmixr?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. n1qn1c and socialmixr are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 0.0 vs 0.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is n1qn1c better than socialmixr?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. n1qn1c and socialmixr are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 0.0 vs 0.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Analytics products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to n1qn1c?

Top n1qn1c alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "n1qn1c alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/n1qn1c for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to socialmixr?

Top socialmixr alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "socialmixr alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/socialmixr for the full list with editorial commentary on each.