This function can be found in documentation of pool: size_type get_requested_size() const; I searched for it in the header file in the latest 1.31.0 release and in the main CVS and was not able to find it. A google search turned up a post on the Boost mailing list dated March 2003! http://lists.boost.org/MailArchives/boost/msg45833.php A fix was promised in the reply but as far as I can see it is still not fixed (I may be wrong). Does anyone know anything about this? Thanks