Table::itform: Argument 1 at position 2 does not have the correct form for an iterator. >>

At least Mathematica 9 requires an iterator there:

Table[1, 3]
Table::itform: Argument 1 at position 2 does not have the correct form for an iterator.

Table[1, {3}]
{1, 1, 1}

Well, yes, this effect is somewhat typical - you find it e.g. whenever you use Module (with or without local variables):

Module does not eat memory so agressively. So I like to use a `hybrid' variant of the procedure:

myFindMinimum2[func_, p0_List] := Module[{svars, vars, sol},
  svars = "{";
  Do[svars = svars <> "p" <> ToString[i] <> ",", {i, Length[p0]}];
  vars = ToExpression[StringDrop[svars, -1] <> "}"];
  sol = FindMinimum[func[vars], Transpose[{vars, p0}]];
  {sol[[1]], vars /. sol[[2]]}
  ]

MemoryInUse[]
Do[myFindMinimum2[func, {1, 1, 1, 1}], {1000}]
MemoryInUse[]
% - %%%

35267376
35269064
1688

But I still look for more elegant solutions.

Hi Vladimir,

I guess e.g. Table[..., 4] and Table[..., {4}] does not make a difference.

But I see a problem with memory leak here. Every time you use the function you create a new set of variables ...

Well, yes, this effect is somewhat typical - you find it e.g. whenever you use Module (with or without local variables):

test0 := Module[{}, {}]
test1 := Module[{tmp}, tmp]

m0 = MemoryInUse[]
test0;
m1 = MemoryInUse[]
test1;
m2 = MemoryInUse[]

Differences[{m0, m1, m2}]