Computer-aided programming for multiprocessing systems

As both the number of processors and the complexity of problems to be solved increase, programming multiprocessing systems becomes more difficult and error-prone. This report discusses parallel models of computation and tools for computer-aided programming (CAP). Program development tools are necessary since programmers are not able to develop complex parallel programs efficiently. In particular, a CAP tool, named Hypertool, is described here. It performs scheduling and handles the communication primitive insertion automatically so that many errors are eliminated. It also generates the performance estimates and other program quality measures to help programmers in improving their algorithms and programs. Experiments have shown that up to a 300% performance improvement can be achieved by computer-aided programming

ROOT Status and Future Developments

In this talk we will review the major additions and improvements made to the ROOT system in the last 18 months and present our plans for future developments. The additons and improvements range from modifications to the I/O sub-system to allow users to save and restore objects of classes that have not been instrumented by special ROOT macros, to the addition of a geometry package designed for building, browsing, tracking and visualizing detector geometries. Other improvements include enhancements to the quick analysis sub-system (TTree::Draw()), the addition of classes that allow inter-file object references (TRef, TRefArray), better support for templated and STL classes, amelioration of the Automatic Script Compiler and the incorporation of new fitting and mathematical tools. Efforts have also been made to increase the modularity of the ROOT system with the introduction of more abstract interfaces and the development of a plug-in manager. In the near future, we intend to continue the development of PROOF and its interfacing with GRID environments. We plan on providing an interface between Geant3, Geant4 and Fluka and the new geometry package. The ROOT GUI classes will finally be available on Windows and we plan to release a GUI inspector and builder. In the last year, ROOT has drawn the endorsement of additional experiments and institutions. It is now officially supported by CERN and used as key I/O component by the LCG project.Comment: Talk from the 2003 Computing in High Energy and Nuclear Physics (CHEP03), La Jolla, Ca, USA, March 2003, 5 pages, MSWord, pSN MOJT00

Parallel alogorithms for MIMD parallel computers

This thesis mainly covers the design and analysis of asynchronous parallel algorithms that can be run on MIMD (Multiple Instruction Multiple Data) parallel computers, in particular the NEPTUNE system at Loughborough University. Initially the fundamentals of parallel computer architectures are introduced with different parallel architectures being described and compared. The principles of parallel programming and the design of parallel algorithms are also outlined. Also the main characteristics of the 4 processor MIMD NEPTUNE system are presented, and performance indicators, i.e. the speed-up and the efficiency factors are defined for the measurement of parallelism in a given system. Both numerical and non-numerical algorithms are covered in the thesis. In the numerical solution of partial differential equations, a new parallel 9-point block iterative method is developed. Here, the organization of the blocks is done in such a way that each process contains its own group of 9 points on the network, therefore, they can be run in parallel. The parallel implementation of both 9-point and 4- point block iterative methods were programmed using natural and redblack ordering with synchronous and asynchronous approaches. The results obtained for these different implementations were compared and analysed. Next the parallel version of the A.G.E. (Alternating Group Explicit) method is developed in which the explicit nature of the difference equation is revealed and exploited when applied to derive the solution of both linear and non-linear 2-point boundary value problems. Two strategies have been used in the implementation of the parallel A.G.E. method using the synchronous and asynchronous approaches. The results from these implementations were compared. Also for comparison reasons the results obtained from the parallel A.G.E. were compared with the ~ corresponding results obtained from the parallel versions of the Jacobi, Gauss-Seidel and S.O.R. methods. Finally, a computational complexity analysis of the parallel A.G.E. algorithms is included. In the area of non-numeric algorithms, the problems of sorting and searching were studied. The sorting methods which were investigated was the shell and the digit sort methods. with each method different parallel strategies and approaches were used and compared to find the best results which can be obtained on the parallel machine. In the searching methods, the sequential search algorithm in an unordered table and the binary search algorithms were investigated and implemented in parallel with a presentation of the results. Finally, a complexity analysis of these methods is presented. The thesis concludes with a chapter summarizing the main results

Discrete curvature approximations and segmentation of polyhedral surfaces

The segmentation of digitized data to divide a free form surface into patches is one of the key steps required to perform a reverse engineering process of an object. To this end, discrete curvature approximations are introduced as the basis of a segmentation process that lead to a decomposition of digitized data into areas that will help the construction of parametric surface patches. The approach proposed relies on the use of a polyhedral representation of the object built from the digitized data input. Then, it is shown how noise reduction, edge swapping techniques and adapted remeshing schemes can participate to different preparation phases to provide a geometry that highlights useful characteristics for the segmentation process. The segmentation process is performed with various approximations of discrete curvatures evaluated on the polyhedron produced during the preparation phases. The segmentation process proposed involves two phases: the identification of characteristic polygonal lines and the identification of polyhedral areas useful for a patch construction process. Discrete curvature criteria are adapted to each phase and the concept of invariant evaluation of curvatures is introduced to generate criteria that are constant over equivalent meshes. A description of the segmentation procedure is provided together with examples of results for free form object surfaces