torch.ipynb

{
 "cells": [
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": 1,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [],
   "source": [
    "import torch"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": 29,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [
    {
     "name": "stdout",
     "output_type": "stream",
     "text": [
      "tensor(7.5000, grad_fn=<MeanBackward1>)\n"
     ]
    },
    {
     "data": {
      "text/plain": [
       "tensor([[0.5000, 1.0000],\n",
       "        [1.5000, 2.0000]])"
      ]
     },
     "execution_count": 29,
     "metadata": {},
     "output_type": "execute_result"
    }
   ],
   "source": [
    "x = torch.tensor([[1., 2.], [3., 4.]], requires_grad=True)\n",
    "y = torch.mean(x ** 2)\n",
    "print(y)\n",
    "y.backward()\n",
    "x.grad"
   ]
  },
  {
   "cell_type": "code",
   "execution_count": 31,
   "metadata": {},
   "outputs": [
    {
     "name": "stdout",
     "output_type": "stream",
     "text": [
      "tensor(7.5000, grad_fn=<MeanBackward1>)\n"
     ]
    },
    {
     "ename": "RuntimeError",
     "evalue": "one of the variables needed for gradient computation has been modified by an inplace operation",
     "output_type": "error",
     "traceback": [
      "\u001b[0;31m---------------------------------------------------------------------------\u001b[0m",
      "\u001b[0;31mRuntimeError\u001b[0m                              Traceback (most recent call last)",
      "\u001b[0;32m<ipython-input-31-99f5636bb6fe>\u001b[0m in \u001b[0;36m<module>\u001b[0;34m()\u001b[0m\n\u001b[1;32m      5\u001b[0m \u001b[0my\u001b[0m \u001b[0;34m=\u001b[0m \u001b[0mtorch\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m.\u001b[0m\u001b[0mmean\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m(\u001b[0m\u001b[0mx\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m)\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m\u001b[0m\u001b[0m\n\u001b[1;32m      6\u001b[0m \u001b[0mprint\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m(\u001b[0m\u001b[0my\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m)\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m\u001b[0m\u001b[0m\n\u001b[0;32m----> 7\u001b[0;31m \u001b[0my\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m.\u001b[0m\u001b[0mbackward\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m(\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m)\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m\u001b[0m\u001b[0m\n\u001b[0m\u001b[1;32m      8\u001b[0m \u001b[0mx\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m.\u001b[0m\u001b[0mgrad\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m\u001b[0m\u001b[0m\n",
      "\u001b[0;32m/anaconda3/lib/python3.6/site-packages/torch/tensor.py\u001b[0m in \u001b[0;36mbackward\u001b[0;34m(self, gradient, retain_graph, create_graph)\u001b[0m\n\u001b[1;32m     91\u001b[0m                 \u001b[0mproducts\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m.\u001b[0m \u001b[0mDefaults\u001b[0m \u001b[0mto\u001b[0m\u001b[0;31m \u001b[0m\u001b[0;31m`\u001b[0m\u001b[0;31m`\u001b[0m\u001b[0;32mFalse\u001b[0m\u001b[0;31m`\u001b[0m\u001b[0;31m`\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m.\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m\u001b[0m\u001b[0m\n\u001b[1;32m     92\u001b[0m         \"\"\"\n\u001b[0;32m---> 93\u001b[0;31m         \u001b[0mtorch\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m.\u001b[0m\u001b[0mautograd\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m.\u001b[0m\u001b[0mbackward\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m(\u001b[0m\u001b[0mself\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m,\u001b[0m \u001b[0mgradient\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m,\u001b[0m \u001b[0mretain_graph\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m,\u001b[0m \u001b[0mcreate_graph\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m)\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m\u001b[0m\u001b[0m\n\u001b[0m\u001b[1;32m     94\u001b[0m \u001b[0;34m\u001b[0m\u001b[0m\n\u001b[1;32m     95\u001b[0m     \u001b[0;32mdef\u001b[0m \u001b[0mregister_hook\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m(\u001b[0m\u001b[0mself\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m,\u001b[0m \u001b[0mhook\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m)\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m:\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m\u001b[0m\u001b[0m\n",
      "\u001b[0;32m/anaconda3/lib/python3.6/site-packages/torch/autograd/__init__.py\u001b[0m in \u001b[0;36mbackward\u001b[0;34m(tensors, grad_tensors, retain_graph, create_graph, grad_variables)\u001b[0m\n\u001b[1;32m     88\u001b[0m     Variable._execution_engine.run_backward(\n\u001b[1;32m     89\u001b[0m         \u001b[0mtensors\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m,\u001b[0m \u001b[0mgrad_tensors\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m,\u001b[0m \u001b[0mretain_graph\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m,\u001b[0m \u001b[0mcreate_graph\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m,\u001b[0m\u001b[0;34m\u001b[0m\u001b[0m\n\u001b[0;32m---> 90\u001b[0;31m         allow_unreachable=True)  # allow_unreachable flag\n\u001b[0m\u001b[1;32m     91\u001b[0m \u001b[0;34m\u001b[0m\u001b[0m\n\u001b[1;32m     92\u001b[0m \u001b[0;34m\u001b[0m\u001b[0m\n",
      "\u001b[0;31mRuntimeError\u001b[0m: one of the variables needed for gradient computation has been modified by an inplace operation"
     ]
    }
   ],
   "source": [
    "x = torch.tensor([[1., 2.], [3., 4.]], requires_grad=True)\n",
    "\n",
    "# manually do it!\n",
    "for i in range(2):\n",
    "    for j in range(2):\n",
    "        x[i, j] = x[i, j] ** 2\n",
    "        \n",
    "y = torch.mean(x)\n",
    "print(y)\n",
    "y.backward()\n",
    "x.grad"
   ]
  }
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1 - the error comes from the fact that you modify in place a tensor for which the gradient is required.
2 - You can just by using another tensor do the same thing, as demonstrated below:

import torch
x = torch.tensor([[1., 2.], [3., 4.]], requires_grad=True)
z = torch.zeros_like(x)
for i in range(2):
    for j in range(2):
        z[i, j] = x[i, j] ** 2
y = torch.mean(x)
print(y)
y.backward()
x.grad

tensor(2.5000)
Out[6]:
tensor([[ 0.2500, 0.2500],
[ 0.2500, 0.2500]])