A Laboratory for Parallel Computing, with Particular Appliation to Computer Graphics

并行处理现在是大型计算的一个重要组成部分，而且在未来它将变得越来越重要。这个项目的目的是给学生一个动手的环境，在这个环境中，他们可以通过使用Transputer硬件来掌握几个并行计算模型所涉及的问题。这些问题将通过OCCAM语言和使用并行C编译器来研究。计划引入一门致力于并行本身的新课程，第二门致力于并行算法的开发和分析的新课程，以及第三门充分利用并行计算设施的计算机图形学新课程。后一门课程将提供并行性的力量的应用。同样重要的是，它将解决学生在尝试应用三维图形和图像处理技术时有时遇到的计算近乎僵局。预计这一设施的影响将不仅限于这些新课程，还将不同程度地影响现有的九门高年级课程。

Parallel processing is now a significant component of large computation, and it will become increasingly so in the future. This project is directed at giving students a hands-on environment in which they can grasp the issues involved with the several models for parallel computation, via the use of transputer hardware. These issues will be studied both via the language OCCAM and through use of a parallel-C compiler.The plan is to introduce one new course devoted to parallelism per se, a second new course devoted to development and analysis of parallel algorithms, and a third new course--in computer graphics, but taking full advantage of the parallel computing facilities. This latter course will provide applications of the power of parallelism. Equally as important, it will resolve the computational near-impasse that students sometimes encounter when trying to apply techniques of three-dimensional graphics and image processing.It is expected that the impact of this facility will not be restricted to these new courses, but will also influence in varying degrees nine existing upper- division courses.