Inner product computation for sparse iterative solvers on\ud distributed supercomputer

Recent years have witnessed that iterative Krylov methods without re-designing are not suitable for distribute supercomputers because of intensive global communications. It is well accepted that re-engineering Krylov methods for prescribed computer architecture is necessary and important to achieve higher performance and scalability. The paper focuses on simple and practical ways to re-organize Krylov methods and improve their performance for current heterogeneous distributed supercomputers. In construct with most of current software development of Krylov methods which usually focuses on efficient matrix vector multiplications, the paper focuses on the way to compute inner products on supercomputers and explains why inner product computation on current heterogeneous distributed supercomputers is crucial for scalable Krylov methods. Communication complexity analysis shows that how the inner product computation can be the bottleneck of performance of (inner) product-type iterative solvers on distributed supercomputers due to global communications. Principles of reducing such global communications are discussed. The importance of minimizing communications is demonstrated by experiments using up to 900 processors. The experiments were carried on a Dawning 5000A, one of the fastest and earliest heterogeneous supercomputers in the world. Both the analysis and experiments indicates that inner product computation is very likely to be the most challenging kernel for inner product-based iterative solvers to achieve exascale

Minimizing synchronizations in sparse iterative solvers for distributed supercomputers

Eliminating synchronizations is one of the important techniques related to minimizing communications for modern high performance computing. This paper discusses principles of reducing communications due to global synchronizations in sparse iterative solvers on distributed supercomputers. We demonstrates how to minimizing global synchronizations by rescheduling a typical Krylov subspace method. The benefit of minimizing synchronizations is shown in theoretical analysis and is verified by numerical experiments using up to 900 processors. The experiments also show the communication complexity for some structured sparse matrix vector multiplications and global communications in the underlying supercomputers are in the order P1/2.5 and P4/5 respectively, where P is the number of processors and the experiments were carried on a Dawning 5000A

Global sensitivity analysis for stochastic simulators based on generalized lambda surrogate models

Global sensitivity analysis aims at quantifying the impact of input variability onto the variation of the response of a computational model. It has been widely applied to deterministic simulators, for which a set of input parameters has a unique corresponding output value. Stochastic simulators, however, have intrinsic randomness due to their use of (pseudo)random numbers, so they give different results when run twice with the same input parameters but non-common random numbers. Due to this random nature, conventional Sobol' indices, used in global sensitivity analysis, can be extended to stochastic simulators in different ways. In this paper, we discuss three possible extensions and focus on those that depend only on the statistical dependence between input and output. This choice ignores the detailed data generating process involving the internal randomness, and can thus be applied to a wider class of problems. We propose to use the generalized lambda model to emulate the response distribution of stochastic simulators. Such a surrogate can be constructed without the need for replications. The proposed method is applied to three examples including two case studies in finance and epidemiology. The results confirm the convergence of the approach for estimating the sensitivity indices even with the presence of strong heteroskedasticity and small signal-to-noise ratio

Local models of Shimura varieties and a conjecture of Kottwitz

We give a group theoretic definition of "local models" as sought after in the theory of Shimura varieties. These are projective schemes over the integers of a $p$-adic local field that are expected to model the singularities of integral models of Shimura varieties with parahoric level structure. Our local models are certain mixed characteristic degenerations of Grassmannian varieties; they are obtained by extending constructions of Beilinson, Drinfeld, Gaitsgory and the second-named author to mixed characteristics and to the case of general (tamely ramified) reductive groups. We study the singularities of local models and hence also of the corresponding integral models of Shimura varieties. In particular, we study the monodromy (inertia) action and show a commutativity property for the sheaves of nearby cycles. As a result, we prove a conjecture of Kottwitz which asserts that the semi-simple trace of Frobenius on the nearby cycles gives a function which is central in the parahoric Hecke algebra.Comment: 88 pages, several corrections and change

Techniques of replica symmetry breaking and the storage problem of the McCulloch-Pitts neuron

In this article the framework for Parisi's spontaneous replica symmetry breaking is reviewed, and subsequently applied to the example of the statistical mechanical description of the storage properties of a McCulloch-Pitts neuron. The technical details are reviewed extensively, with regard to the wide range of systems where the method may be applied. Parisi's partial differential equation and related differential equations are discussed, and a Green function technique introduced for the calculation of replica averages, the key to determining the averages of physical quantities. The ensuing graph rules involve only tree graphs, as appropriate for a mean-field-like model. The lowest order Ward-Takahashi identity is recovered analytically and is shown to lead to the Goldstone modes in continuous replica symmetry breaking phases. The need for a replica symmetry breaking theory in the storage problem of the neuron has arisen due to the thermodynamical instability of formerly given solutions. Variational forms for the neuron's free energy are derived in terms of the order parameter function x(q), for different prior distribution of synapses. Analytically in the high temperature limit and numerically in generic cases various phases are identified, among them one similar to the Parisi phase in the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model. Extensive quantities like the error per pattern change slightly with respect to the known unstable solutions, but there is a significant difference in the distribution of non-extensive quantities like the synaptic overlaps and the pattern storage stability parameter. A simulation result is also reviewed and compared to the prediction of the theory.Comment: 103 Latex pages (with REVTeX 3.0), including 15 figures (ps, epsi, eepic), accepted for Physics Report

Interdecadal variability of winter precipitation in Southeast China

Interdecadal variability of observed winter precipitation in Southeast China (1961–2010) is characterized by the first empirical orthogonal function of the three-monthly Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) subjected to a 9-year running mean. For interdecadal time scales the dominating spatial modes represent monopole features involving the Arctic Oscillation (AO) and the sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies. Dynamic composite analysis (based on NCEP/NCAR reanalyzes) reveals the following results: (1) Interdecadal SPI-variations show a trend from a dryer state in the 1970s via an increase during the 1980s towards stabilization on wetter conditions commencing with the 1990s. (2) Increasing wetness in Southeast China is attributed to an abnormal anticyclone over south Japan, with northward transport of warm and humid air from the tropical Pacific to South China. (3) In mid-to-high latitudes the weakened southward flow of polar airmasses induces low-level warming over Eurasia due to stronger AO by warmer zonal temperature advection. This indicates that AO is attributed to the Southeast China precipitation increase influenced by circulation anomalies over the mid-to-high latitudes. (4) The abnormal moisture transport along the southwestern boundary of the abnormal anticyclone over south Japan is related to anomalous south-easterlies modulated by the SST anomalies over Western Pacific Ocean; a positive (negative) SST anomaly will strengthen (weaken) warm and humid air transport, leading to abundant (reduced) precipitation in Southeast China. That is both AO and SST anomalies determine the nonlinear trend observed in winter precipitation over Southeast China