Parallel Algorithm Derivation and Program Transformation

This book contains selected papers from the ONR Workshop on Parallel Algorithm Design and Program Transformation that took place at New York University, Courant Institute, from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1, 1991. The aim of the workshop was to bring together computer scientists in transformational programming and parallel algorithm design in order to encourage a sharing of ideas that might benefit both communities. It was hoped that exposurt: to algorithm design methods developed within the algorithm community would stimulate progress in software development for parallel architectures within the transformational community. It was also hoped that exposure to syntax directed methods and pragmatic programming concerns developed within the transformational community would encourage more realistic theoretical models of parallel architectures and more systematic and algebraic approaches to parallel algorithm design within the algorithm community. The workshop Organizers were Robert Paige, John Reif, and Ralph Wachter. The workshop was sponsored by the Office of Naval Research under grant number N00014-90-J-1421. There were 44 attendees, 28 presentations, and 5 system demonstrations. All attendees were invited to submit a paper for publication in the book. Each submitted paper was refereed by participants from the Workshop. The final decision on publication was made by the editors. There were several motivations for holding the workshop and for publishing papers contributed by its participants. Transformational programming and parallel computation are two emerging fields that may ultimately depend on each other for success.