Article

Experiences of parallelising finite-element problems in a functional style

  1. P. W. Grant,
  2. J. A. Sharp,
  3. M. F. Webster,
  4. X. Zhang

Article first published online: 30 OCT 2006

DOI: 10.1002/spe.4380250902

Issue

Software: Practice and Experience

Software: Practice and Experience

Volume 25, Issue 9, pages 947–974, September 1995

Additional Information

How to Cite

Grant, P. W., Sharp, J. A., Webster, M. F. and Zhang, X. (1995), Experiences of parallelising finite-element problems in a functional style. Software: Practice and Experience, 25: 947–974. doi: 10.1002/spe.4380250902

Author Information

  1. Department of Computer Science, University of Wales, Swansea, Swansea SA2 8PP, U.K.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 30 OCT 2006
  2. Article first published online: 30 OCT 2006
  3. Manuscript Revised: 2 FEB 1995
  4. Manuscript Received: 10 APR 1994

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Keywords:

  • functional programming;
  • parallel programming;
  • simulation of parallelism;
  • finite-element method

Abstract

Experiences are described of parallelizing a functional finite-element program (written in Haskell) for the solution of computational fluid-dynamics problems. A transformation prototyping approach using a system developed at the University of York, which simulates idealised parallel machines on a conventional sequential workstation, is presented. In this paper we demonstrate: (a) the relative simplicity of the functional approach for parallelizing a complex program compared with the conventional procedural approach; (b) the suitability of functional languages for prototyping parallel algorithms to improve an implementation; and (c) the considerable assistance provided by the simulator.

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