DataFrame.groupby.sum() is extremely slow when dtype is timedelta64[ns] compared to int64.

[wezzman]

Steps to demonstrate

import numpy as np
import pandas as pd

td = pd.DataFrame(np.random.randint(1000000, 100000000, (10000,100)), index=np.random.randint(200, size=(10000,))).astype('timedelta64[ns]')
i = td.copy(deep=True).astype('int64')

%time temp1 = td.groupby(lambda x: x).sum() # 2.33 s
%time temp2 = i.groupby(lambda x: x).sum() # 15.6 ms

temp2 = temp2.astype('timedelta64[ns]')
assert((temp1 == temp2).values.all())

Problem description

When performing a summation on grouped 'timedelta64[ns]' data, there is a significant performance decrease compared to the same data interpreted as 'int64'.

Possibly related to #18053

Expected Behavior

It is my understanding that internally 'timedelta64[ns]' are just 'int64' and are interpreted as a count of 'ns'. Shouldn't the summation performance be equal in that case?

Output of pd.show_versions()

[paste the output of pd.show_versions() here below this line]
INSTALLED VERSIONS

commit: None
python: 3.6.5.final.0
python-bits: 64
OS: Windows
OS-release: 10
machine: AMD64
processor: Intel64 Family 6 Model 78 Stepping 3, GenuineIntel
byteorder: little
LC_ALL: None
LANG: en
LOCALE: None.None

pandas: 0.22.0
pytest: 3.5.0
pip: 9.0.1
setuptools: 39.0.1
Cython: 0.28.1
numpy: 1.14.2
scipy: 1.0.0
pyarrow: None
xarray: None
IPython: 6.2.1
sphinx: 1.7.2
patsy: 0.5.0
dateutil: 2.7.2
pytz: 2018.3
blosc: None
bottleneck: 1.2.1
tables: 3.4.2
numexpr: 2.6.4
feather: None
matplotlib: 2.2.2
openpyxl: 2.5.1
xlrd: 1.1.0
xlwt: 1.3.0
xlsxwriter: 1.0.2
lxml: 4.2.1
bs4: 4.6.0
html5lib: 1.0.1
sqlalchemy: 1.2.5
pymysql: None
psycopg2: None
jinja2: 2.10
s3fs: None
fastparquet: None
pandas_gbq: None
pandas_datareader: None

[TomAugspurger]

Thanks for the report.

cc @WillAyd if you have any pointers on where someone could get started here?

[WillAyd]

Hmm well after a quick profile it appears that the timedelta data does not leverage the Cython function. The problem starts on the below line:

pandas/pandas/core/groupby/groupby.py

Line 3938 in fa231e8

data = data.get_numeric_data(copy=False)

For timedelta that internal method returns an empty tuple, so block aggregation fails and the execution falls back to a much slower group-by-group summation.

Perhaps the easiest fix is to add numeric_only=False to the sum method below:

pandas/pandas/core/groupby/groupby.py

Line 1431 in fa231e8

cls.sum = groupby_function('sum', 'add', np.sum, min_count=0)

Running this locally gets the examples back in line with one another:

In [12]: %timeit td.groupby(lambda x: x).sum()
8.53 ms ± 30.8 µs per loop (mean ± std. dev. of 7 runs, 100 loops each)

In [13]: %timeit i.groupby(lambda x: x).sum()
9.66 ms ± 30.8 µs per loop (mean ± std. dev. of 7 runs, 100 loops each)

It's not entirely clear to me what the overall purpose of numeric_only is so long term maybe we don't even need it, but for the time being the above should work (cc @jreback)

FWIW we don't have any ASVs for timedelta so this would be a good opportunity to add.

@wezzman are you interested in trying a PR for this?

[jreback]

timedelta is not a numeric type (e.g. float, int); so this is correct.

certainly could add more benchmarks though.

[jreback]

#18053 is different, its about Period which are currently aggregated using object dtype, not the underlying integer represenation (@TomAugspurger working on making this an EA which would be much faster).

[WillAyd]

Understood on the numeric type check, but you don't have any objection to relaxing the numeric_only requirement for sum do you? I don't think it would change the outcome of the operation but just get you there faster

[wezzman]

@WillAyd, I am unsure what you mean by a PR.

[TomAugspurger]

PR="Pull Request" http://pandas-docs.github.io/pandas-docs-travis/contributing.html

…

On Mon, Apr 16, 2018 at 8:33 AM, wezzman ***@***.***> wrote: @WillAyd <https://github.com/WillAyd>, I am unsure what you mean by a PR. — You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#20660 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ABQHIhd_cp-KvsEdtudO-VQliiyRuZo8ks5tpJ3FgaJpZM4TQxJA> .

[kaijfox]

I know this is a fairly old thread, but I thought I'd mention that this is a problem for dtype bool too.

[WillAyd]

@kaijfox if you are up for it PRs are always welcome. I believe the resolution was highlighted in some comments above so if you can piece together with benchmarks would certainly take a look!

[mroeschke]

The performance looks comparable now. Could use some ASVs

In [2]: import numpy as np
   ...: import pandas as pd
   ...:
   ...: td = pd.DataFrame(np.random.randint(1000000, 100000000, (10000,100)), index=np.random.randint(200, size=(1
   ...: 0000,))).astype('timedelta64[ns]')
   ...: i = td.copy(deep=True).astype('int64')
   ...:
   ...: %time temp1 = td.groupby(lambda x: x).sum() # 2.33 s
   ...: %time temp2 = i.groupby(lambda x: x).sum() # 15.6 ms
CPU times: user 3.01 ms, sys: 9 µs, total: 3.02 ms
Wall time: 3.02 ms
CPU times: user 7.68 ms, sys: 81 µs, total: 7.76 ms
Wall time: 7.77 ms