Establishment of an Undergraduate Computer Science Course Entitled 'Parallel Computers and Algorithms'

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The University of New Hampshire believes that the advent of parallel computing introduces an important new dimension to computer science and that the study of parallel computers, algorithms, data structures, and programming languages enhances and extends many topics learned else- where in the curriculum. Consequently, they are introducing a new undergraduate computer science elective entitled "Parallel Computers and Algorithms." The aim of the course is to introduce upper-division computer science majors to fundamental theoretical results and give them experience implementing parallel algorithms on an actual parallel computer. They are purchasing for hypercube workstations, to be used for program development and debugging. Designated time periods will be made available on the department's 64-processor research hypercube, enabling students to benchmark their parallel programs on a larger machine. Their department is in a particularly good position to integrate parallel computing into the undergraduate curriculum. Students entering this course will have a background in computer architecture, operating systems, and analysis of algorithms; the curriculum is well developed, having grown out of graduate course taught at this university for the past five years; and suitable textbooks are now available.