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Parallel Random-access Machine
In computer science, a parallel random-access machine (parallel RAM or PRAM) is a shared-memory abstract machine. As its name indicates, the PRAM is intended as the parallel-computing analogy to the random-access machine (RAM) (not to be confused with random-access memory). In the same way that the RAM is used by sequential-algorithm designers to model algorithmic performance (such as time complexity), the PRAM is used by parallel-algorithm designers to model parallel algorithmic performance (such as time complexity, where the number of processors assumed is typically also stated). Similar to the way in which the RAM model neglects practical issues, such as access time to cache memory versus main memory, the PRAM model neglects such issues as synchronization and communication, but provides any (problem-size-dependent) number of processors. Algorithm cost, for instance, is estimated using two parameters O(time) and O(time × processor_number). Read/write conflicts Read/write conflic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Computer Science
Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical disciplines (including the design and implementation of Computer architecture, hardware and Computer programming, software). Computer science is generally considered an area of research, academic research and distinct from computer programming. Algorithms and data structures are central to computer science. The theory of computation concerns abstract models of computation and general classes of computational problem, problems that can be solved using them. The fields of cryptography and computer security involve studying the means for secure communication and for preventing Vulnerability (computing), security vulnerabilities. Computer graphics (computer science), Computer graphics and computational geometry address the generation of images. Progr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Field-programmable Gate Array
A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is an integrated circuit designed to be configured by a customer or a designer after manufacturinghence the term '' field-programmable''. The FPGA configuration is generally specified using a hardware description language (HDL), similar to that used for an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Circuit diagrams were previously used to specify the configuration, but this is increasingly rare due to the advent of electronic design automation tools. FPGAs contain an array of programmable logic blocks, and a hierarchy of reconfigurable interconnects allowing blocks to be wired together. Logic blocks can be configured to perform complex combinational functions, or act as simple logic gates like AND and XOR. In most FPGAs, logic blocks also include memory elements, which may be simple flip-flops or more complete blocks of memory. Many FPGAs can be reprogrammed to implement different logic functions, allowing flexible reconfigur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parallel External Memory (Model)
In computer science, a parallel external memory (PEM) model is a cache-aware, external-memory abstract machine. It is the parallel-computing analogy to the single-processor external memory (EM) model. In a similar way, it is the cache-aware analogy to the parallel random-access machine (PRAM). The PEM model consists of a number of processors, together with their respective private caches and a shared main memory. __TOC__ Model Definition The PEM model is a combination of the EM model and the PRAM model. The PEM model is a computation model which consists of P processors and a two-level memory hierarchy. This memory hierarchy consists of a large external memory (main memory) of size N and P small internal memories (caches). The processors share the main memory. Each cache is exclusive to a single processor. A processor can't access another’s cache. The caches have a size M which is partitioned in blocks of size B. The processors can only perform operations on data which ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
XMTC
XMTC (for explicit multi-threading C) is a shared-memory parallel programming language. It is an extension of the C programming language which strives to enable easy PRAM-like programming based on the explicit multi-threading paradigm. It is developed as part of thXMT PRAM-On-Chip visionby a research team at the University of Maryland, College Park, led by Dr. Uzi Vishkin. The philosophy of XMTC and the whole XMT project is that parallel programming is a hard intellectual task and the approach of building a hardware system first and then figuring out how to program them has not had much success. For that reason a robust algorithmic theory and a reasonably easy hardware abstraction should be the specifications that guide how to build a new parallel architecture and programming language. For parallel algorithms the algorithmic theory that has the largest body of literature is called PRAM (parallel random-access machine In computer science, a parallel random-access machine (p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parallel Programming Model
In computing, a parallel programming model is an abstraction of parallel computer architecture, with which it is convenient to express algorithms and their composition in programs. The value of a programming model can be judged on its ''generality'': how well a range of different problems can be expressed for a variety of different architectures, and its ''performance'': how efficiently the compiled programs can execute. The implementation of a parallel programming model can take the form of a library invoked from a sequential language, as an extension to an existing language, or as an entirely new language. Consensus around a particular programming model is important because it leads to different parallel computers being built with support for the model, thereby facilitating portability of software. In this sense, programming models are referred to as '' bridging'' between hardware and software.Leslie G. Valiant, "A bridging model for parallel computation", Communications of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Random-access Machine
In computer science, random-access machine (RAM) is an abstract machine in the general class of register machines. The RAM is very similar to the counter machine but with the added capability of 'indirect addressing' of its registers. Like the counter machine, The RAM has its instructions in the finite-state portion of the machine (the so-called Harvard architecture). The RAM's equivalent of the universal Turing machinewith its program in the registers as well as its datais called the random-access stored-program machine or RASP. It is an example of the so-called von Neumann architecture and is closest to the common notion of a computer. Together with the Turing machine and counter-machine models, the RAM and RASP models are used for computational complexity analysis. Van Emde Boas (1990) calls these three plus the pointer machine "sequential machine" models, to distinguish them from "parallel random-access machine" models. Introduction to the model The concept of a random-acces ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lock-free And Wait-free Algorithms
In computer science, an algorithm is called non-blocking if failure or suspension of any thread cannot cause failure or suspension of another thread; for some operations, these algorithms provide a useful alternative to traditional blocking implementations. A non-blocking algorithm is lock-free if there is guaranteed system-wide progress, and wait-free if there is also guaranteed per-thread progress. "Non-blocking" was used as a synonym for "lock-free" in the literature until the introduction of obstruction-freedom in 2003. The word "non-blocking" was traditionally used to describe telecommunications networks that could route a connection through a set of relays "without having to re-arrange existing calls" (see Clos network). Also, if the telephone exchange "is not defective, it can always make the connection" (see nonblocking minimal spanning switch). Motivation The traditional approach to multi-threaded programming is to use locks to synchronize access to shared resourc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flynn's Taxonomy
Flynn's taxonomy is a classification of computer architectures, proposed by Michael J. Flynn in 1966 and extended in 1972. The classification system has stuck, and it has been used as a tool in design of modern processors and their functionalities. Since the rise of multiprocessing central processing units (CPUs), a multiprogramming context has evolved as an extension of the classification system. Vector processing, covered by Duncan's taxonomy, is missing from Flynn's work because the Cray-1 was released in 1977: Flynn's second paper was published in 1972. Classifications The four initial classifications defined by Flynn are based upon the number of concurrent instruction (or control) streams and data streams available in the architecture. Flynn later defined three additional sub-categories of SIMD in 1972. Single instruction stream, single data stream (SISD) A sequential computer which exploits no parallelism in either the instruction or data streams. Single control unit (C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Analysis Of PRAM Algorithms
In computer science, the analysis of parallel algorithms is the process of finding the computational complexity of algorithms executed in parallel – the amount of time, storage, or other resources needed to execute them. In many respects, analysis of parallel algorithms is similar to the analysis of sequential algorithms, but is generally more involved because one must reason about the behavior of multiple cooperating threads of execution. One of the primary goals of parallel analysis is to understand how a parallel algorithm's use of resources (speed, space, etc.) changes as the number of processors is changed. Background A so-called work-time (WT) (sometimes called work-depth, or work-span) framework was originally introduced by Shiloach and Vishkin for conceptualizing and describing parallel algorithms. In the WT framework, a parallel algorithm is first described in terms of parallel rounds. For each round, the operations to be performed are characterized, but several issue ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Field-programmable Gate Array
A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is an integrated circuit designed to be configured by a customer or a designer after manufacturinghence the term '' field-programmable''. The FPGA configuration is generally specified using a hardware description language (HDL), similar to that used for an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Circuit diagrams were previously used to specify the configuration, but this is increasingly rare due to the advent of electronic design automation tools. FPGAs contain an array of programmable logic blocks, and a hierarchy of reconfigurable interconnects allowing blocks to be wired together. Logic blocks can be configured to perform complex combinational functions, or act as simple logic gates like AND and XOR. In most FPGAs, logic blocks also include memory elements, which may be simple flip-flops or more complete blocks of memory. Many FPGAs can be reprogrammed to implement different logic functions, allowing flexible reconfigur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
SystemVerilog
SystemVerilog, standardized as IEEE 1800, is a hardware description and hardware verification language used to model, design, simulate, test and implement electronic systems. SystemVerilog is based on Verilog and some extensions, and since 2008 Verilog is now part of the same IEEE standard. It is commonly used in the semiconductor and electronic design industry as an evolution of Verilog. History SystemVerilog started with the donation of the Superlog language to Accellera in 2002 by the startup company Co-Design Automation. The bulk of the verification functionality is based on the OpenVera language donated by Synopsys. In 2005, SystemVerilog was adopted as IEEE Standard 1800-2005. In 2009, the standard was merged with the base Verilog (IEEE 1364-2005) standard, creating IEEE Standard 1800-2009. The current version is IEEE standard 1800-2017. The feature-set of SystemVerilog can be divided into two distinct roles: # SystemVerilog for register-transfer level (RTL) design is a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maximum Flow Problem
In optimization theory, maximum flow problems involve finding a feasible flow through a flow network that obtains the maximum possible flow rate. The maximum flow problem can be seen as a special case of more complex network flow problems, such as the circulation problem. The maximum value of an s-t flow (i.e., flow from source s to sink t) is equal to the minimum capacity of an s-t cut (i.e., cut severing s from t) in the network, as stated in the max-flow min-cut theorem. History The maximum flow problem was first formulated in 1954 by T. E. Harris and F. S. Ross as a simplified model of Soviet railway traffic flow. In 1955, Lester R. Ford, Jr. and Delbert R. Fulkerson created the first known algorithm, the Ford–Fulkerson algorithm.Ford, L.R., Jr.; Fulkerson, D.R., ''Flows in Networks'', Princeton University Press (1962). In their 1955 paper, Ford and Fulkerson wrote that the problem of Harris and Ross is formulated as follows (see p. 5):Consider a rail network conn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
