Selected 500-Level Courses

GS511 High Performance Computing and Visualization

Credits -- 3 (2-1-0)
Term Offered -- Spring
Description --
The term Computational Scientist has been coined to describe scientists, engineers and mathematicians who apply high-performance computational technology in an innovative and essential way to advance the state of knowledge in their discipline. In the areas of high performance computing and numerical modeling, the effective computational scientist needs to have command of an applied discipline and must be familiar with leading edge computer architectures and algorithms. Also, visualization techniques for the pre and post processing of model data are becoming an essential tool in the area of computational science.
Goal --
The goal of the course GS-511 is to enable students to develop skills required of an effective computational scientist. Since the solution of systems of linear equations is central to much of computational science, the GS-511 course spends a good deal of time discussing efficient data structures and solution methods for this important class of problems. Special attention is given to sparse, banded systems of equations, such as those arising in connection with the finite difference and finite element methods. The course highlights the interplay between storage considerations, algorithm convergence rate and CPU performance. The matching of an algorithm and an architecture are given considerable attention. The course focuses on the CRAY YMP architecture, but students also compute on a Connection and a variety of workstations. Introductory material on visualization and image processing is presented. GS-511 is a 3 (2-1) credit course meeting twice per week with a credit of computer laboratory.
Topics --
Systems of Linear Equations Arising in Computational Science
Iterative vs Direct Methods
Jacobi, Gauss-Seidel and SOR: Convergence and Vectorization
Conjugate Gradient Method
Implementation of CG Method to Sparse, Banded Systems of Equations
Preconditioners for CG Method
Performance comparisons of Jacobi, GS, SOR, Red-Black ADI and CG
Library Routines and Software Packages
Monte Carlo Methods
Visualization and Image Processing
Instructor -- D. Zachmann

Selected 500-Level Courses