Parallel computing in information retrieval - An updated review

The progress of parallel computing in Information Retrieval (IR) is reviewed. In particular we stress the importance of the motivation in using parallel computing for Text Retrieval. We analyse parallel IR systems using a classification due to Rasmussen [1] and describe some parallel IR systems. We give a description of the retrieval models used in parallel Information Processing.. We describe areas of research which we believe are needed

BSP Functional Programming: Examples of a Cost Based Methodology

Abstract. Bulk-Synchronous Parallel ML (BSML) is a functional data-parallel language for the implementation of Bulk-Synchronous Parallel (BSP) algorithms. It makes an estimation of the execution time (cost) possible. This paper presents some general examples of BSML programs and a comparison of their predicted costs with the measured execution time on a parallel machine

Identifying A Unifying Mechanism for the Implementation of Concurrency Abstractions on Multi-Language Virtual Machines

Supporting all known abstractions for concurrent and parallel programming in a virtual machines (VM) is a futile undertaking, but it is required to give programmers appropriate tools and performance. Instead of supporting all abstractions directly, VMs need a unifying mechanism similar to \textttINVOKEDYNAMIC for JVMs. Our survey of parallel and concurrent programming concepts identifies concurrency abstractions as the ones benefiting most from support in a VM. Currently, their semantics is often weakened, reducing their engineering benefits. They require a mechanism to define flexible language guarantees. Based on this survey, we define an ownership-based meta-object protocol as candidate for VM support. We demonstrate its expressiveness by implementing actor semantics, software transactional memory, agents, CSP, and active objects. While the performance of our prototype confirms the need for VM support, it also shows that the chosen mechanism is appropriate to express a wide range of concurrency abstractions in a unified way

More generalized packing numbers

AbstractThe packing number P(r,k,v) is defined to be the minimum number of non-empty subsets of cardinality ⩽k needed to contain each element of a set of cardinality v exactly r times, with no pair of distinct elements occuring more than once. The packing numbers P(3,4,v), P(5,3,v) and P(6,3,v) are completely determined and some other packing numbers determined. Tables of known packing numbers are given

Deriving parallel programs from specifications using cost information

AbstractA major step towards practical use of parallel computers is the integration of cost into transformational or derivational software development methods. The difficulties with doing this come from the wide variety of parallel architectures possible and the effects of memory access and congestion phenomena. This paper presents a model of costs for uniform architectures that is compatible with refinement-based methods of development, that is much simpler than those previously suggested, but which accurately assesses the costs of an implemented computation. Decisions about architecture type and machine size can be made at any stage in the development, even at the end