Fundamental Concepts of High Performance Computing (P01652)

? Credit Points : 10 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : PHY-P-HPCcncpts

This course covers the ways that High Performance Computing (HPC) techniques can be used to address problems in Computational Science. After introducing the major scientific applications areas and basic concepts of parallel computing, it outlines the hardware design of modern HPC platforms and the parallel programming models that they support. The principal methods of measuring and characterising serial and parallel performance are then covered. The final section of the course gives an introduction to grid technologies together with an overview of the opportunities and challenges associated with the computational grid.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : Only postgraduates or final year MPhys students with suitable computational background, subject to space restrictions and agreement with relevant Programme Coordinator.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Postgraduate (School of Physics), (School of Physics, Schedule Q)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Block 5 and beyond

? Contact Teaching Time : 20 hour(s) per week for 1 weeks

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Tuesday	09:00	17:00	KB

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

On completion of this course students should be able to:

- Classify the most commonly used HPC platforms and parallel programming models.
- Measure, analyse and assess the performance of HPC programs.
- Interpret overall performance characteristics in terms of the basic hardware and software design.
- Evaluate the suitability of different HPC solutions to standard problems in Computational Science.
- Describe the potential benefits and issues of grid computing.