How Can I Increase the Java Stack Size to Prevent StackOverflowErrors?

Increasing Java Stack Size for Larger Call Stacks

The Java Virtual Machine (JVM) maintains a runtime call stack for each thread. When the stack size is insufficient to handle a deep call stack, a StackOverflowError occurs. To extend this stack size for accommodating larger call stacks, leverage the java -Xss... command-line flag.

For example, in your code snippet:

public class TT {
  public static long fact(int n) {
    return n < 2 ? 1 : n * fact(n - 1);
  }
}

To handle the fact(2^15) calculation, you can use the following:

java -Xss4m TT

Implementation-Specific and Thread-Specific Stack Configuration

Note that the -X... flags are implementation-dependent. In your case, you're using OpenJDK's JVM. Additionally, you can specify a larger stack size only for specific threads, avoiding the waste of memory for threads that don't require it. This is preferable over using java -Xss....

Estimating Required Stack Size

You can determine the precise stack size needed for your program by gradually increasing the -Xss value until it processes the desired calculations without encountering a StackOverflowError.

Nondeterministic Behavior

The stack requirement can sometimes be nondeterministic. Factors like garbage collection or JIT compilation could contribute to this behavior.

Alternative Implementations: Iterative vs. Recursive

Consider alternative, less stack-intensive implementations of your algorithms. For your fact function, an iterative implementation could be less prone to stack overflows:

public class TTIterative {
  public static long fact(int n) {
    if (n < 2) return 1;
    if (n > 65) return 0;
    long f = 2;
    for (int i = 3; i <= n; ++i) {
      f *= i;
    }
    return f;
  }
}

Remember that the fact function cannot compute exact factorials for numbers greater than 65 due to the limitations of the long data type. Consider returning a BigInteger instead to overcome this limitation.

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