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Good theoretical model
If by "theory" you mean "modern mainstream programming languages" then I agree that there is no "theoretical" model for parallel computing. Except for SQL, which can be automatically parallelized.

However, anything designed around a nondeterministic finite automata would be inherently parallel for most problems, and if I remember right they are a heck of a lot easier to conceive and much briefer in their definition than their deterministic counterparts.

Any proper divide-and-conquer algorithm is readily parallelizeable as well. So are all (I think all, at least most) stochastic algorithms.

So I would say a near complete abondonment of theoretical models in software engineering is more at fault. People are taught to program by thinking "how would I do this?" and then coding it in a imperative fashion.

I would say this is an engineering problem, not a theoretical one, but I'd say it's more one of inertia. Every generation of programmers has been taught (or learned) to think in a serial imperative fashion by using serial imperative programming languages. That's a lot of people's skills to antiquate. There will be a ton on resistance.

And you think kicking Windows out of the enterprise is hard...
Posted by: Erik Engbrecht   Posted on: 11/30/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Good theoretical model  Erik Engbrecht | 11/30/06
Parallel humans?  Roger Ramjet | 11/30/06
It's even harder than that...  jtmodel | 11/30/06
If you build it, they will come?  Roger Ramjet | 11/30/06
This is actually scary...  jplatt39 | 11/30/06
parallellism was achieved  pesky_z | 11/30/06
I think you're close...  Anton Philidor | 11/30/06
Not at all close  jtmodel | 11/30/06
That's the kind of intricacy...  Anton Philidor | 11/30/06
redirect  pesky_z | 11/30/06
Example of parralelism  pkstephens | 11/30/06
Parallellism  Pantalaimon | 11/30/06
Agreed - it's just a metaphor/illustration  murph_z ZDNet Moderator | 11/30/06
the conductor and parallelism  pesky_z | 11/30/06
The trick  jtmodel | 11/30/06
Identifying exceptions  Anton Philidor | 11/30/06
Seems like it...  pkstephens | 12/01/06
There must be something  Ross44 | 12/01/06
Of course- but those are examples of  murph_z ZDNet Moderator | 12/01/06
Very interesting, but Cell in PS3 will be simulating game physics  stevey_d | 12/04/06

What do you think?

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