The pace of advances in information technology could slow unless the United States aggressively commits to fundamental research and development in parallel computing, according to a National Research Council report.
Although advances in computer microprocessors have allowed computing performance to dramatically increase, technological limitations and power management have stalled computing improvements, making parallel computing the only known alternative for improving computer performance without increasing costs and energy use, the report says. Parallel computing development relies on the research and development of new algorithms, programming models, operating systems, and computer architectures, the report says.
Research also should be centered on increasing computer systems' energy efficiency, according to the report, which warns that future performance will be limited by energy constraints. In addition, the report says that parallel programming needs an open interface to promote collaboration and innovation in the industry, including designing tools and approaches for transferring modern computing techniques to parallel applications.
From National Academy of Sciences
View Full Article
Abstracts Copyright © 2010 Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA 