Special Purpose Computers

Special Purpose Computers describes special-purpose computers and compares them to general-purpose computers in terms of speed and cost. Examples of computers that were designed for the efficient solution of long established algorithms are given, including Navier-Stokes hydrodynamic solvers, classical molecular dynamic machines, and Ising model computers. Comprised of seven chapters, this volume begins by documenting the progress of the CalTech Concurrent Computation Program and its evolution from computational high-energy physics to a supercomputer initiative, with emphasis on the lessons learned including computer architecture issues and the trade-offs between in-house and commercial development. The reader is then introduced to the QCD Machine, a special-purpose parallel supercomputer that was designed and built to solve the lattice quantum chromodynamics problem. Subsequent chapters focus on the Geometry-Defining Processors and their application to the solution of partial differential equations; the Navier-Stokes computer; parallel processing using the Loosely Coupled Array of Processors (LCAP) system; and the Delft Ising system processor. The design and implementation of the Delft molecular-dynamics processor are also described. This book will be of interest to computer engineers and designers.