# SVD solver for Sparse Matrices
**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/svd-solver-for-sparse-matrices/88246
**Category:** General Usage
**Tags:** question
**Created:** [October 4, 2022, 5:53pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/svd-solver-for-sparse-matrices/88246 "2022-10-04T17:53:30Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@nosewitz](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/nosewitz)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2022, 5:53pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/svd-solver-for-sparse-matrices/88246/1 "2022-10-04T17:53:31Z")
I want to use singular value decomposition on large sparse matrices (18,000 x 8,000) and while the built-in LinearAlgebra function does the trick, it does not operate on the SparseMatrix type. My current solution is just converting it into a dense matrix and then calling the function, but as expected, it takes a long time.
Is there an existing package or option to use SVD with a sparse matrix or maybe only get the Kth largest Uk Sk V’k from an input?
Thanks in advance!
---
### Author:  [@amontoison](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/amontoison)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2022, 6:04pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/svd-solver-for-sparse-matrices/88246/2 "2022-10-04T18:04:06Z")
You could use [PROPACK.jl](https://github.com/JuliaSmoothOptimizers/PROPACK.jl), it works if `A` is a SparseMatrixCSC or a linear operator.
---
### Author:  [@Arrigo\_Benedetti](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Arrigo_Benedetti)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2022, 6:12pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/svd-solver-for-sparse-matrices/88246/3 "2022-10-04T18:12:30Z")
I’m not sure it provides a function to compute the SVD, however you may want to check [SuiteSparse](https://github.com/DrTimothyAldenDavis/SuiteSparse).
---
### Author:  [@nosewitz](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/nosewitz)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2022, 6:14pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/svd-solver-for-sparse-matrices/88246/4 "2022-10-04T18:14:13Z")
I downloaded the package and did the setup but I’m getting this strange error below. Not really sure why since I’m following the documentation steps.
```julia
(TextHW2) julia> train_mat.dtm |> typeof
SparseArrays.SparseMatrixCSC{Int64, Int64}
(TextHW2) julia> train_mat.dtm |> size
(18000, 7666)
(TextHW2) julia> tsvd(train_mat.dtm; k = 1)
ERROR: MethodError: no method matching eps(::Int64)
Closest candidates are:
eps() at float.jl:831
eps(::AbstractFloat) at float.jl:827
eps(::T) where T<:Dates.TimeType at C:\Users\aledo\.julia\juliaup\julia-1.8.1+0.x64\share\julia\stdlib\v1.8\Dates\src\types.jl:444
...
Stacktrace:
[1] tsvd(A::SparseArrays.SparseMatrixCSC{Int64, Int64}; kwargs::Base.Pairs{Symbol, Int64, Tuple{Symbol}, NamedTuple{(:k,), Tuple{Int64}}})
@ PROPACK C:\Users\aledo\.julia\packages\PROPACK\0cIiC\src\PROPACK.jl:216
[2] top-level scope
@ REPL[102]:1
(TextHW2) julia>
```
---
### Author:  [@PetrKryslUCSD](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/PetrKryslUCSD)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2022, 6:17pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/svd-solver-for-sparse-matrices/88246/5 "2022-10-04T18:17:03Z")
Your matrix has an integer data type. I don’t think SuiteSparse is capable of handling that.
---
### Author:  [@nosewitz](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/nosewitz)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2022, 6:19pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/svd-solver-for-sparse-matrices/88246/6 "2022-10-04T18:19:44Z")
Should I convert its contents to floats (eg 1 → 1.0) then?
---
### Author:  [@PetrKryslUCSD](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/PetrKryslUCSD)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2022, 6:20pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/svd-solver-for-sparse-matrices/88246/7 "2022-10-04T18:20:00Z")
I would.
---
### Author:  [@nosewitz](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/nosewitz)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2022, 6:23pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/svd-solver-for-sparse-matrices/88246/8 "2022-10-04T18:23:18Z")
That did the trick, thank you!