Not repeatable in maria-5.3. Happens regardless of in_to_exists or materialization switch.

backtrace:

#5 0x08338787 in select_describe (join=0xae63add0, need_tmp_table=true, need_order=false, distinct=false, message=0x0) at sql_select.cc:19432
#6 0x0830f836 in JOIN::exec (this=0xae63add0) at sql_select.cc:2049
#7 0x08311b44 in mysql_select (thd=0x9c59da0, rref_pointer_array=0xae613c84, tables=0xae614098, wild_num=0, fields=..., conds=0x0, og_num=0, order=0x0,
group=0x0, having=0x0, proc_param=0x0, select_options=2147764741, result=0xae614618, unit=0xae613d20, select_lex=0xae613b80) at sql_select.cc:2749
#8 0x0833a64f in mysql_explain_union (thd=0x9c59da0, unit=0xae613d20, result=0xae614618) at sql_select.cc:19926
#9 0x0833a352 in select_describe (join=0xae635b48, need_tmp_table=false, need_order=false, distinct=false, message=0x0) at sql_select.cc:19886
#10 0x0830f836 in JOIN::exec (this=0xae635b48) at sql_select.cc:2049
#11 0x08311b44 in mysql_select (thd=0x9c59da0, rref_pointer_array=0xae613474, tables=0xae613970, wild_num=0, fields=..., conds=0xae6142a8, og_num=0,
order=0x0, group=0x0, having=0x0, proc_param=0x0, select_options=2147764740, result=0xae614618, unit=0xae613510, select_lex=0xae613370)
at sql_select.cc:2749
#12 0x0833a64f in mysql_explain_union (thd=0x9c59da0, unit=0xae613510, result=0xae614618) at sql_select.cc:19926
#13 0x0833a352 in select_describe (join=0xae62d888, need_tmp_table=false, need_order=false, distinct=false,
message=0x88c3560 "Impossible WHERE noticed after reading const tables") at sql_select.cc:19886
#14 0x083214a7 in return_zero_rows (join=0xae62d888, result=0xae614618, tables=0xae6130b0, fields=..., send_row=false, select_options=2147764740,
info=0x88c3560 "Impossible WHERE noticed after reading const tables", having=0x0) at sql_select.cc:9130
#15 0x0830f45a in JOIN::exec (this=0xae62d888) at sql_select.cc:1990
#16 0x08311b44 in mysql_select (thd=0x9c59da0, rref_pointer_array=0x9c5b840, tables=0xae6130b0, wild_num=1, fields=..., conds=0xae614498, og_num=0,
order=0x0, group=0x0, having=0x0, proc_param=0x0, select_options=2147764740, result=0xae614618, unit=0x9c5b4a0, select_lex=0x9c5b73c)
at sql_select.cc:2749
#17 0x0833a64f in mysql_explain_union (thd=0x9c59da0, unit=0x9c5b4a0, result=0xae614618) at sql_select.cc:19926
#18 0x082a70f6 in execute_sqlcom_select (thd=0x9c59da0, all_tables=0xae6130b0) at sql_parse.cc:5073
#19 0x0829e0be in mysql_execute_command (thd=0x9c59da0) at sql_parse.cc:2239
#20 0x082a9817 in mysql_parse (thd=0x9c59da0,
rawbuf=0xae612eb0 "EXPLAIN SELECT * FROM t2\nWHERE t2.f1 = (\nSELECT MAX( f3 ) FROM t3\nWHERE EXISTS (\nSELECT DISTINCT f11\nFROM t1\n)\n)", length=112,
found_semicolon=0xae9e1228) at sql_parse.cc:6094
#21 0x0829bd47 in dispatch_command (command=COM_QUERY, thd=0x9c59da0, packet=0x9cb49b1 "", packet_length=112) at sql_parse.cc:1215
#22 0x0829b1a5 in do_command (thd=0x9c59da0) at sql_parse.cc:904
#23 0x08298258 in handle_one_connection (arg=0x9c59da0) at sql_connect.cc:1154
#24 0x00821919 in start_thread () from /lib/libpthread.so.0
#25 0x0076acce in clone () from /lib/libc.so.6

test case:

CREATE TABLE t1 ( f11 int) ;
INSERT INTO t1 VALUES (1),(1);

CREATE TABLE t2 ( f1 int NOT NULL) ;
INSERT INTO t2 VALUES (20);

CREATE TABLE t3 (f3 int) ;
INSERT INTO t3 VALUES (2),(2);

EXPLAIN SELECT * FROM t2
WHERE t2.f1 = (
SELECT MAX( f3 ) FROM t3
WHERE EXISTS (
SELECT DISTINCT f11
FROM t1
)
);

bzr version-info:

revision-id: <email address hidden>
date: 2011-05-05 15:24:28 +0300
build-date: 2011-05-06 13:14:23 +0300
revno: 2982
branch-nick: maria-5.3-mwl89