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At least 73 records · Page 4

The factorization of large composite numbers on the MPP

The continued fraction method for factoring large integers (CFRAC) was an ideal algorithm to be implemented on a massively parallel computer such as the Massively Parallel Processor (MPP). After much effort, the first 60 digit number was factored on the MPP using about 6 1/2 hours of array time. Although this result added about 10 digits to the size number that could be factored using CFRAC on a serial machine, it was already badly beaten by the implementation of Davis and Holdridge on the CRAY-1 using the quadratic sieve, an algorithm which is clearly superior to CFRAC for large numbers. An algorithm is illustrated which is ideally suited to the single instruction multiple data (SIMD) massively parallel architecture and some of the modifications which were needed in order to make the parallel implementation effective and efficient are described.

Mckurdy, Kathy J.↗

Parallel processors and nonlinear structural dynamics algorithms and software

The adaptation of a finite element program with explicit time integration to a massively parallel SIMD (single instruction multiple data) computer, the CONNECTION Machine is described. The adaptation required the development of a new algorithm, called the exchange algorithm, in which all nodal variables are allocated to the element with an exchange of nodal forces at each time step. The architectural and C* programming language features of the CONNECTION Machine are also summarized. Various alternate data structures and associated algorithms for nonlinear finite element analysis are discussed and compared. Results are presented which demonstrate that the CONNECTION Machine is capable of outperforming the CRAY XMP/14.

Belytschko, Ted↗

Parallel algorithms for interactive manipulation of digital terrain models

Interactive three-dimensional graphics applications, such as terrain data representation and manipulation, require extensive arithmetic processing. Massively parallel machines are attractive for this application since they offer high computational rates, and grid connected architectures provide a natural mapping for grid based terrain models. Presented here are algorithms for data movement on the massive parallel processor (MPP) in support of pan and zoom functions over large data grids. It is an extension of earlier work that demonstrated real-time performance of graphics functions on grids that were equal in size to the physical dimensions of the MPP. When the dimensions of a data grid exceed the processing array size, data is packed in the array memory. Windows of the total data grid are interactively selected for processing. Movement of packed data is needed to distribute items across the array for efficient parallel processing. Execution time for data movement was found to exceed that for arithmetic aspects of graphics functions. Performance figures are given for routines written in MPP Pascal.

Davis, E. W.↗

Reverse time migration: A seismic processing application on the connection machine

The implementation of a reverse time migration algorithm on the Connection Machine, a massively parallel computer is described. Essential architectural features of this machine as well as programming concepts are presented. The data structures and parallel operations for the implementation of the reverse time migration algorithm are described. The algorithm matches the Connection Machine architecture closely and executes almost at the peak performance of this machine.

Fiebrich, Rolf-Dieter↗

Totally parallel multilevel algorithms for sparse elliptic systems

The fastest known algorithms for the solution of a large elliptic boundary value problem on a massively parallel hypercube all require O(log(n)) floating point operations and O(log(n)) distance-1 communications, if massively parallel is defined to mean a number of processors proportional to the size n of the problem. The Totally Parallel Multilevel Algorithm (TPMA) that has, as special cases, four of these fast algorithms is described. These four algorithms are Parallel Superconvergent Multigrid (PSMG), Robust Multigrid, the Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) based Spectral Algorithm, and Parallel Cyclic Reduction. The algorithm TPMA, when described recursively, has four steps: (1) project to a collection of interlaced, coarser problems at the next lower level; (2) apply TPMA, recursively, to each of these lower level problems, solving directly at the lowest level; (3) interpolate these approximate solutions to the finer grid, and to verage them to form an approximate solution on this grid; and (4) refine this approximate solution with a defect-correction step, using a local approximate inverse. Choice of the projection operator (P), the interpolation operator (Q), and the smoother (S) determines the class of problems on which TPMA is most effective. There are special cases in which the first three steps produce an exact solution, and the smoother is not needed (e.g., constant coefficient operators).

Frederickson, Paul O.↗

Motion detection in astronomical and ice floe images

Two approaches are presented for establishing correspondence between small areas in pairs of successive images for motion detection. The first one, based on local correlation, is used on a pair of successive Voyager images of the Jupiter which differ mainly in locally variable translations. This algorithm is implemented on a sequential machine (VAX 780) as well as the Massively Parallel Processor (MPP). In the case of the sequential algorithm, the pixel correspondence or match is computed on a sparse grid of points using nonoverlapping windows (typically 11 x 11) by local correlations over a predetermined search area. The displacement of the corresponding pixels in the two images is called the disparities to cubic surfaces. The disparities at points where the error between the computed values and the surface values exceeds a particular threshold are replaced by the surface values. A bilinear interpolation is then used to estimate disparities at all other pixels between the grid points. When this algorithm was applied at the red spot in the Jupiter image, the rotating velocity field of the storm was determined. The second method of motion detection is applicable to pairs of images in which corresponding areas can experience considerable translation as well as rotation.

Manohar, M.↗

Boundary element analysis on vector and parallel computers

Boundary element analysis (BEA) can be characterized as a numerical technique that generally shifts the computational burden in the analysis toward numerical integration and the solution of nonsymmetric and either dense or blocked sparse systems of algebraic equations. Researchers have explored the concept that the fundamental characteristics of BEA can be exploited to generate effective implementations on vector and parallel computers. In this paper, the results of some of these investigations are discussed. The performance of overall algorithms for BEA on vector supercomputers, massively data parallel single instruction multiple data (SIMD), and relatively fine grained distributed memory multiple instruction multiple data (MIMD) computer systems is described. Some general trends and conclusions are discussed, along with indications of future developments that may prove fruitful in this regard.

Kane, J. H.↗

Climate Data Assimilation on a Massively Parallel Supercomputer

We have designed and implemented a set of highly efficient and highly scalable algorithms for an unstructured computational package, the PSAS data assimilation package, as demonstrated by detailed performance analysis of systematic runs on up to 512-nodes of an Intel Paragon. The preconditioned Conjugate Gradient solver achieves a sustained 18 Gflops performance. Consequently, we achieve an unprecedented 100-fold reduction in time to solution on the Intel Paragon over a single head of a Cray C90. This not only exceeds the daily performance requirement of the Data Assimilation Office at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, but also makes it possible to explore much larger and challenging data assimilation problems which are unthinkable on a traditional computer platform such as the Cray C90.

supercomputer↗

Nonlinear structural response using adaptive dynamic relaxation on a massively-parallel-processing system

A parallel adaptive dynamic relaxation (ADR) algorithm has been developed for nonlinear structural analysis. This algorithm has minimal memory requirements, is easily parallelizable and scalable to many processors, and is generally very reliable and efficient for highly nonlinear problems. Performance evaluations on single-processor computers have shown that the ADR algorithm is reliable and highly vectorizable, and that it is competitive with direct solution methods for the highly nonlinear problems considered. The present algorithm is implemented on the 512-processor Intel Touchstone DELTA system at Caltech, and it is designed to minimize the extent and frequency of interprocessor communication. The algorithm has been used to solve for the nonlinear static response of two and three dimensional hyperelastic systems involving contact. Impressive relative speedups have been achieved and demonstrate the high scalability of the ADR algorithm. For the class of problems addressed, the ADR algorithm represents a very promising approach for parallel-vector processing.

Oakley, David R.↗

Linear static structural and vibration analysis on high-performance computers

Parallel computers offer the oppurtunity to significantly reduce the computation time necessary to analyze large-scale aerospace structures. This paper presents algorithms developed for and implemented on massively-parallel computers hereafter referred to as Scalable High-Performance Computers (SHPC), for the most computationally intensive tasks involved in structural analysis, namely, generation and assembly of system matrices, solution of systems of equations and calculation of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Results on SHPC are presented for large-scale structural problems (i.e. models for High-Speed Civil Transport). The goal of this research is to develop a new, efficient technique which extends structural analysis to SHPC and makes large-scale structural analyses tractable.

Baddourah, M. A.↗

Track reconstruction as a service for collider physics

Optimizing charged-particle track reconstruction algorithms is crucial for efficient event reconstruction in Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments due to their significant computational demands. Existing track reconstruction algorithms have been adapted to run on massively parallel coprocessors, such as graphics processing units (GPUs), to reduce processing time. Nevertheless, challenges remain in fully harnessing the computational capacity of coprocessors in a scalable and non-disruptive manner. This paper proposes an inference-as-a-service approach for particle tracking in high energy physics experiments. To evaluate the efficacy of this approach, two distinct tracking algorithms are tested: Patatrack, a rule-based algorithm, and Exa.TrkX, a machine learning-based algorithm. The as-a-service implementations show enhanced GPU utilization and can process requests from multiple CPU cores concurrently without increasing per-request latency. The impact of data transfer is minimal and insignificant compared to running on local coprocessors. This approach greatly improves the computational efficiency of charged particle tracking, providing a solution to the computing challenges anticipated in the High-Luminosity LHC era.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Linear Static Structural and Vibration Analysis on High-Performance Computers

Parallel computers offer the opportunity to significantly reduce the computation time necessary to analyze large-scale aerospace structures. This paper presents algorithms developed for and implemented on a massively-parallel computers hereafter referred to as Scalable High Performance Computers (SHPC) for the most computationally intensive tasks involved in structural analysis, namely, generation and assembly of system matrices, solution of systems of equations and calculation of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Results on SHPC are presented for large-scale structural problems (i.e. Models of high speed civil transport). The goal of this research is to develop new efficient technique which extend structural analysis to SHPC and make large-scale structural analyses tractable.

Baddourah, Majdi↗

Feasibility of using the Massively Parallel Processor for large eddy simulations and other Computational Fluid Dynamics applications

The results of an investigation into the feasibility of using the MPP for direct and large eddy simulations of the Navier-Stokes equations is presented. A major part of this study was devoted to the implementation of two of the standard numerical algorithms for CFD. These implementations were not run on the Massively Parallel Processor (MPP) since the machine delivered to NASA Goddard does not have sufficient capacity. Instead, a detailed implementation plan was designed and from these were derived estimates of the time and space requirements of the algorithms on a suitably configured MPP. In addition, other issues related to the practical implementation of these algorithms on an MPP-like architecture were considered; namely, adaptive grid generation, zonal boundary conditions, the table lookup problem, and the software interface. Performance estimates show that the architectural components of the MPP, the Staging Memory and the Array Unit, appear to be well suited to the numerical algorithms of CFD. This combined with the prospect of building a faster and larger MMP-like machine holds the promise of achieving sustained gigaflop rates that are required for the numerical simulations in CFD.

Bruno, John↗

Coupled Monte Carlo Probability Density Function/ SPRAY/CFD Code Developed for Modeling Gas-Turbine Combustor Flows

The success of any solution methodology for studying gas-turbine combustor flows depends a great deal on how well it can model various complex, rate-controlling processes associated with turbulent transport, mixing, chemical kinetics, evaporation and spreading rates of the spray, convective and radiative heat transfer, and other phenomena. These phenomena often strongly interact with each other at disparate time and length scales. In particular, turbulence plays an important role in determining the rates of mass and heat transfer, chemical reactions, and evaporation in many practical combustion devices. Turbulence manifests its influence in a diffusion flame in several forms depending on how turbulence interacts with various flame scales. These forms range from the so-called wrinkled, or stretched, flamelets regime, to the distributed combustion regime. Conventional turbulence closure models have difficulty in treating highly nonlinear reaction rates. A solution procedure based on the joint composition probability density function (PDF) approach holds the promise of modeling various important combustion phenomena relevant to practical combustion devices such as extinction, blowoff limits, and emissions predictions because it can handle the nonlinear chemical reaction rates without any approximation. In this approach, mean and turbulence gas-phase velocity fields are determined from a standard turbulence model; the joint composition field of species and enthalpy are determined from the solution of a modeled PDF transport equation; and a Lagrangian-based dilute spray model is used for the liquid-phase representation with appropriate consideration of the exchanges of mass, momentum, and energy between the two phases. The PDF transport equation is solved by a Monte Carlo method, and existing state-of-the-art numerical representations are used to solve the mean gasphase velocity and turbulence fields together with the liquid-phase equations. The joint composition PDF approach was extended in our previous work to the study of compressible reacting flows. The application of this method to several supersonic diffusion flames associated with scramjet combustor flow fields provided favorable comparisons with the available experimental data. A further extension of this approach to spray flames, three-dimensional computations, and parallel computing was reported in a recent paper. The recently developed PDF/SPRAY/computational fluid dynamics (CFD) module combines the novelty of the joint composition PDF approach with the ability to run on parallel architectures. This algorithm was implemented on the NASA Lewis Research Center's Cray T3D, a massively parallel computer with an aggregate of 64 processor elements. The calculation procedure was applied to predict the flow properties of both open and confined swirl-stabilized spray flames.

Source record↗

Hierarchical Image Segmentation of Remotely Sensed Data using Massively Parallel GNU-LINUX Software

A hierarchical set of image segmentations is a set of several image segmentations of the same image at different levels of detail in which the segmentations at coarser levels of detail can be produced from simple merges of regions at finer levels of detail. In [1], Tilton, et a1 describes an approach for producing hierarchical segmentations (called HSEG) and gave a progress report on exploiting these hierarchical segmentations for image information mining. The HSEG algorithm is a hybrid of region growing and constrained spectral clustering that produces a hierarchical set of image segmentations based on detected convergence points. In the main, HSEG employs the hierarchical stepwise optimization (HSWO) approach to region growing, which was described as early as 1989 by Beaulieu and Goldberg. The HSWO approach seeks to produce segmentations that are more optimized than those produced by more classic approaches to region growing (e.g. Horowitz and T. Pavlidis, [3]). In addition, HSEG optionally interjects between HSWO region growing iterations, merges between spatially non-adjacent regions (i.e., spectrally based merging or clustering) constrained by a threshold derived from the previous HSWO region growing iteration. While the addition of constrained spectral clustering improves the utility of the segmentation results, especially for larger images, it also significantly increases HSEG s computational requirements. To counteract this, a computationally efficient recursive, divide-and-conquer, implementation of HSEG (RHSEG) was devised, which includes special code to avoid processing artifacts caused by RHSEG s recursive subdivision of the image data. The recursive nature of RHSEG makes for a straightforward parallel implementation. This paper describes the HSEG algorithm, its recursive formulation (referred to as RHSEG), and the implementation of RHSEG using massively parallel GNU-LINUX software. Results with Landsat TM data are included comparing RHSEG with classic region growing.

Tilton, James C.↗

Mapping robust parallel multigrid algorithms to scalable memory architectures

The convergence rate of standard multigrid algorithms degenerates on problems with stretched grids or anisotropic operators. The usual cure for this is the use of line or plane relaxation. However, multigrid algorithms based on line and plane relaxation have limited and awkward parallelism and are quite difficult to map effectively to highly parallel architectures. Newer multigrid algorithms that overcome anisotropy through the use of multiple coarse grids rather than line relaxation are better suited to massively parallel architectures because they require only simple point-relaxation smoothers. The parallel implementation of a V-cycle multiple semi-coarsened grid (MSG) algorithm or distributed-memory architectures such as the Intel iPSC/860 and Paragon computers is addressed. The MSG algorithms provide two levels of parallelism: parallelism within the relaxation or interpolation on each grid and across the grids on each multigrid level. Both levels of parallelism must be exploited to map these algorithms effectively to parallel architectures. A mapping of an MSG algorithm to distributed-memory architectures that demonstrate how both levels of parallelism can be exploited is described. The results is a robust and effective multigrid algorithm for distributed-memory machines.

Overman, Andrea↗

Mapping robust parallel multigrid algorithms to scalable memory architectures

The convergence rate of standard multigrid algorithms degenerates on problems with stretched grids or anisotropic operators. The usual cure for this is the use of line or plane relaxation. However, multigrid algorithms based on line and plane relaxation have limited and awkward parallelism and are quite difficult to map effectively to highly parallel architectures. Newer multigrid algorithms that overcome anisotropy through the use of multiple coarse grids rather than relaxation are better suited to massively parallel architectures because they require only simple point-relaxation smoothers. In this paper, we look at the parallel implementation of a V-cycle multiple semicoarsened grid (MSG) algorithm on distributed-memory architectures such as the Intel iPSC/860 and Paragon computers. The MSG algorithms provide two levels of parallelism: parallelism within the relaxation or interpolation on each grid and across the grids on each multigrid level. Both levels of parallelism must be exploited to map these algorithms effectively to parallel architectures. This paper describes a mapping of an MSG algorithm to distributed-memory architectures that demonstrates how both levels of parallelism can be exploited. The result is a robust and effective multigrid algorithm for distributed-memory machines.

Overman, Andrea↗

Applications and accuracy of the parallel diagonal dominant algorithm

The Parallel Diagonal Dominant (PDD) algorithm is a highly efficient, ideally scalable tridiagonal solver. In this paper, a detailed study of the PDD algorithm is given. First the PDD algorithm is introduced. Then the algorithm is extended to solve periodic tridiagonal systems. A variant, the reduced PDD algorithm, is also proposed. Accuracy analysis is provided for a class of tridiagonal systems, the symmetric, and anti-symmetric Toeplitz tridiagonal systems. Implementation results show that the analysis gives a good bound on the relative error, and the algorithm is a good candidate for the emerging massively parallel machines.

Sun, Xian-He↗