Proceedings -- Parallel Computing.

Proceedings -- Parallel Computing.

This work comprises the proceedings of the Transputer Research and Applications Conference held in Georgia from October 23rd to October 25th, 1994. The conference is sponsored by the North American Transputer Users Group (NATUG).

ZEUS (Centres of European Supercomputing) is a network for information exchange and co-operation between European Supercomputer Centres. During the fall of 1994 the idea was put forward to start an annual workshop to stimulate the exchange of ideas and experience in parallel programming and computing between researchers and users from industry and academia. The first workshop in this series, the ZEUS '95 Workshop on Parallel Programming and Computation, is organized at Linkoping University, where the Swedish ZEUS centre, NSC (National Supercomputer Centre) is located. This is open for all researchers and users in the field of parallel computing.

During the past fifteen years concurrency in programming languages such as Java rose and fell, and again became popular. At this moment developers advise us to avoid concurrency in programming. They are using a host of deprecated methods in the latest releases How are we to understand the love-hate relationship with what should be a widely used approach of tackling real-world problems? The aim of rchitectures, Languages and Techniques is to encourage the safe, efficient and effective use of parallel computing. It is generally agreed that concurrency is found in most real applications and that it should be natural to use concurrency in programming. However, there has grown up a myth that concurrency is "hard" and only for the hardened expert. The papers collected in this book cover the whole spectrum of concurrency, from theoretical underpinnings to applications. The message passing style of concurrency, developed in the Communicating Sequential Processes (CSP) approach, is considered, and extensions are proposed. CSP's realization in the programming language occam is used directly for applications as diverse as modeling of concurrent systems and the description of concurrent hardware. This latter application may be compared to the use of Java for the same purpose. Concurrency and the use of Java is the subject of further papers, as is the provision of CSP-like facilities in Java and C and techniques to use these languages to construct reliable concurrent systems. At a time when concurrency gives headaches, this book brings a welcome breath of fresh air. Concurrency can really be a positive way forward.

Abstract Machine Models have played a profound though frequently unacknowledged role in the development of modern computing systems. They provide a precise definition of vital concepts, allow system complexity to be managed by providing appropriate views of the activity under consideration, enable reasoning about the correctness and quantitative performance of proposed problem solutions, and encourage communication through a common medium of expression. Abstract Models in Parallel and Distributed computing have a particularly important role in the development of contemporary systems, encapsulating and controlling an inherently high degree of complexity. The Parallel and Distributed computing communities have traditionally considered themselves to be separate. However, there is a significant contemporary interest in both of these communities in a common hardware model; a set of workstation-class machines connected by a high-performance network. The traditional Parallel/Distributed distinction therefore appears under threat.

This volume contains papers presented at the 18th meeting of the World Occam and Transputer User Group (Wotug). The papers cover a wide range of transputer and OCCAM-related topics, such as the the porting and development of the OCCAM language (highlighting the need for cross platform implementations of OCCAM compilers), design approaches and applications.

The broadening of interest in parallel computing and transputers is reflected this book. Topics discussed include: concurrent programming; graphics and image processing; parallel applications; robotics; and control and software tools. The book also features a collection of abstracts of poster presentations.

The broadening of interest in parellel computing and transputers is reflected in this text. Topics covered include: concurrent programming; graphics and image processing; and robotics and control. It is based on the proceedings of the 6th Australian Transputer and Occam User Group.

Technical articles on the 19th meeting of the World Occam and Transputer User Group (WoTUG). They cover a wide range of topics from hardware applications to software tools for of parallel processing support; not solely related to transputers. Part of the book focusses on the retargeting of the occam compiler to a range of other processors.