Understanding Supercomputing

By Scientific American

In this book you'll discover what constitutes a 'supercomputer', how the supercomputers of today function, how you can make your own computer into a super machine - through networking - and what tomorrow holds in store for computer usage in terms of hardware, software and everyday applications.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446679577
• ISBN13: 9780446679572
• Release Date: December 2002
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.33 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Improvements and what to use them for

A recent grouping of 15 articles published in Scientific American, from 1995-2001. Though computing is still chugging along at Moore's Law's rate, these articles are still quite germane. Written at a level for a broad, educated audience, they give you a good understanding of the various key points in supercomputing.Issues include how to cluster computers into a functional unit, that can run these all efficiently (load balance). Or, how to make novel arrangements of computers into a supercomputer. Plus, of course, the steady progress of vector supercomputers, which has been the traditional route since Cray pioneered these in the 1970s.The articles are not just about how to make better supercomputers. They also discuss why you'd want to do so. The problems you can now tackle with better hardware. Meteorology being the classic (unclassified) application.