Abstract

In the realm of sequential computing the random access machine has successufully provided an underlying model of computation that promoted consistency and coordination among algorithm developers, computer architects and language experts. In the realm of parallel computing, however, there has been no similar success. The need for such a unifying parallel model or set of models is heightened by the greater demand for performance and the greater diversity among machines. Yet the modeling of parallel computing still seems to be mired in controversy and chaos. This paper is an excerpt from a study which presents broad range of models of parallel computation and the different roles they serve in algorithm, language and machine design. The objective is to better understand which model characteristics are important to each design community in order to elucidate the requirements of a unifying paradigm. As an impetus for discussion, we conclude by suggesting a model of parallel computation which...

Citations