Parallel computing

Parallel computing is the simultaneous execution of the same task (split up and specially adapted) on multiple processors in order to obtain faster results.

Topics in parallel computing

Generic:

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• Automatic parallelization
• Parallel programming
• Parallel algorithm
• Finding parallelism in problems and algorithms
• Cellular automaton

Computer science topics:

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• Lazy evaluation vs strict evaluation
• Complexity class NC
• Communicating sequential processes
• Dataflow architecture
• Parallel graph reduction

Practical problems:

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• Parallel computer interconnects
• Parallel computer I/O
• Reliability problems in large systems

Programming languages:

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• OpenMP
• MPI
• Occam
• Linda
• Cilk

Specific:

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• Atari Transputer Workstation
• BBN Butterfly computers
• Beowulf cluster
• Blue Gene
• Deep Blue
• Fifth generation computer systems project
• ILLIAC III
• ILLIAC IV
• Meiko Computing Surface
• NCUBE
• Transputer

Parallel computing to increase fault tolerance:

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• Master-checker

Companies (largely historical):

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• Thinking Machines
• Convex Computer Corporation
• Meiko