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I-Structures: Data structures for parallel computing

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Book cover Graph Reduction (GR 1986)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 279))

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Abstract

It is difficult simultaneously to achieve elegance, efficiency and parallelism in functional programs that manipulate large data structures. We demonstrate this through careful analysis of program examples using three common functional data-structuring approaches—lists using Cons and arrays using Update (both fine-grained operators), and arrays using make-array (a “bulk” operator). We then present I-structures as an alternative, defining precisely the parallel operational semantics of Id, a language with I-structures. We show elegant, efficient and parallel solutions for the program examples in Id. I-structures make the language non-functional, but do not raise determinacy issues. Finally, we show that even in the context of purely functional languages, I-structures are invaluable for implementing functional data abstractions.

This research was done at the MIT Laboratory for Computer Science. Funding for this project is provided in part by the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the Department of Defense under the Office of Naval Research contract N00014-84-K-0099.

Keshav Pingali was also supported by an IBM Faculty Development Award.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. MIT Lab. for Computer Science, 545 Technology Square, 02139, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Arvind & Rishiyur S. Nikhil

  2. Dept. of Computer Science, 303A Upson Hall, Cornell University, 14850, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Keshav K. Pingali

Authors
  1. Arvind
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  2. Rishiyur S. Nikhil
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  3. Keshav K. Pingali
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Editor information

Joseph H. Fasel Robert M. Keller

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© 1987 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Arvind, Nikhil, R.S., Pingali, K.K. (1987). I-Structures: Data structures for parallel computing. In: Fasel, J.H., Keller, R.M. (eds) Graph Reduction. GR 1986. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 279. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-18420-1_65

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-18420-1_65

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-18420-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-47963-5

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