Parallel binary search

Two arrays of numbers sorted in nondecreasing order are given: an array A of size n and an array B of size m, where n<m. It is required to determine, for every element of A, the smallest element of B (if one exists) that is larger than or equal to it. It is shown how to solve this problem on the EREW PRAM (exclusive-read exclusive-write parallel random-access machine) in O(logm logn/log log m) time using n processors. The solution is then extended to the case in which fewer than n processors are available. This yields an EREW PRAM algorithm for the problem whose cost is O(n log m, which is O(m)) for n⩽m/log m. It is shown how the solution obtained leads to an improved parallel merging algorithm     

Linear systems with state and control constraints: the theory andapplication of maximal output admissible sets

The initial state of an unforced linear system is output admissible with respect to a constraint set Y if the resulting output function satisfies the pointwise-in-time condition y(t)∈Y, t⩾0. The set of all possible such initial conditions is the maximal output admissible set O_∞. The properties of O_∞ and its characterization are investigated. In the discrete-time case, it is generally possible to represent O_∞ or a close approximation of it, by a finite number of functional inequalities. Practical algorithms for generating the functions are described. In the continuous-time case simple representations of the maximal output admissible set are not available, however, it is shown that the discrete-time results may be used to obtain approximate representations     

Optimal distributed t-resilient election in completenetworks

The problem of distributed leader election in an asynchronous complete network, in the presence of faults that occurred prior to the execution of the election algorithm, is discussed. Failures of this type are encountered, for example, during a recovery from a crash in the network. For a network with n processors, k of which start the algorithm that uses at most O(n log k +n+kt) messages is presented and shown to be optimal. An optimal algorithm for the case where the identities of the neighbors are known is also presented. It is noted that the order of the message complexity of a t-resilient algorithm is not always higher than that of a nonresilient one. The t-resilient algorithm is a systematic modification of an existing algorithm for a fault-free network     

Serial and parallel algorithms for the medial axis transform

An O(n²) time serial algorithm is developed for obtaining the medial axis transform (MAT) of an n×n image. An O(log n) time CREW PRAM algorithm and an O(log² n) time SIMD hypercube parallel algorithm for the MAT are also developed. Both of these use O(n²) processors. Two problems associated with the MAT, the area and perimeter reporting problem, are studied. An O(log n) time hypercube algorithm is developed for both of them, where n is the number of squares in the MAT, and the algorithms use O(n²) processors     

Two-dimensional convolution on a pyramid computer

An algorithm for convolving a k×k window of weighting coefficients with an n×n image matrix on a pyramid computer of O(n²) processors in time O(logn+k²), excluding the time to load the image matrix, is presented. If k=Ω (√log n), which is typical in practice, the algorithm has a processor-time product O(n ² k²) which is optimal with respect to the usual sequential algorithm. A feature of the algorithm is that the mechanism for controlling the transmission and distribution of data in each processor is finite state, independent of the values of n and k. Thus, for convolving two {0, 1}-valued matrices using Boolean operations rather than the typical sum and product operations, the processors of the pyramid computer are finite-state     

Damping ratio of polynomials with perturbed coefficients

Let a family of polynomials be P(s)=t ₀Sⁿ+t₁s ^n-1 . . .+t_n where O<α _j⩽t_j⩽β. Recently, C.B. Soh and C.S. Berger have shown that a necessary and sufficient condition for this equation to have a damping ratio of φ is that the 2ⁿ⁺¹ polynomials in it which have t_k=α_k or t_k=β_k have a damping ratio of φ. The authors derive a more powerful result requiring only eight polynomials to be Hurwitz for the equation to have a damping ratio of φ using Kharitonov's theorem for complex polynomials     

Constant time algorithms for the transitive closure and somerelated graph problems on processor arrays with reconfigurable bussystems

The transitive closure problem in O(1) time is solved by a new method that is far different from the conventional solution method. On processor arrays with reconfigurable bus systems, two O (1) time algorithms are proposed for computing the transitive closure of an undirected graph. One is designed on a three-dimensional n×n×n processor array with a reconfigurable bus system, and the other is designed on a two-dimensional n²×n² processor array with a reconfigurable bus system, where n is the number of vertices in the graph. Using the O(1) time transitive closure algorithms, many other graph problems are solved in O(1) time. These problems include recognizing bipartite graphs and finding connected components, articulation points, biconnected components, bridges, and minimum spanning trees in undirected graphs     

A generalized simultaneous access dictionary machine

A simultaneous access design of a dictionary machine which supports insert, delete, and search operations is presented. The design is able to handle p accesses simultaneously and allows redundant accesses to occur. In the design, processors performing insert or delete operations are free to perform other tasks after submitting their accesses to the design; processors that perform search operations get their response in O(log N) time. Compared to all sequential access designs of a dictionary which require O(p ) time to process p accesses, the presented design provides much higher throughput; specifically, O(p/log p) times better. It also provides a fast mechanism to avoid the sequential access bottleneck in any large multiprocessor system     

A VLSI constant geometry architecture for the fast Hartley andFourier transforms

An application-specific architecture for the parallel calculation of the decimation in time and radix 2 fast Hartley (FHT) and Fourier (FFT) transforms is presented. A real sequence with N=2ⁿ data items is considered as input. The system calculates the FHT and the FFT in n and n+1 stages. respectively. The modular and regular parallel architecture is based on a constant geometry algorithm using butterflies of four data items and the perfect unshuffle permutation. With this permutation, the mapping of the algorithm in VLSI technology is simplified and the communications among processors are minimized. Organization of the processor memory based on first-in, first-out (FIFO) queues facilitates a systolic data flow and permits the implementation in a direct way of the complex data movements and address sequences of the transforms. This is accomplished by means of simple multiplexing operations, using hardwired control. The total calculation time is (Nlog₂N)/4Q cycles for the FHT and N(1+log₂N)/4Q cycles for the FFT, where Q is the number of processors ( Q= 2^q, Q⩽N/4)     

Optimal algorithms on the pipelined hypercube and related networks

Parallel algorithms for several important combinatorial problems such as the all nearest smaller values problem, triangulating a monotone polygon, and line packing are presented. These algorithms achieve linear speedups on the pipelined hypercube, and provably optimal speedups on the shuffle-exchange and the cube-connected-cycles for any number p of processors satisfying 1⩽p⩽n/((log³n)(loglog n)²), where n is the input size. The lower bound results are established under no restriction on how the input is mapped into the local memories of the different processors     

Clustering on a hypercube multicomputer

Squared error clustering algorithms for single-instruction multiple-data (SIMD) hypercubes are presented. The algorithms are shown to be asymptotically faster than previously known algorithms and require less memory per processing element (PE). For a clustering problem with N patterns, M features per pattern, and K clusters, the algorithms complete in O(k+log NM ) steps on NM processor hypercubes. This is optimal up to a constant factor. These results are extended to the case in which NMK processors are available. Experimental results from a multiple-instruction, multiple-data (MIMD) medium-grain hypercube are also presented     

Generalized measures of fault tolerance in n-cube networks

It is shown that for a given p (1<p⩽n ), the n-cube network can tolerate up to p2^(n-p)-1 processor failures and remains connected provided that at most p neighbors of any nonfaulty processor are allowed to fail. This generalizes the result for p=n-1, obtained by A.-M Esfahanian (1989). It is also shown that the n-cube network with n⩾5 remains connected provided that at most two neighbors of any processor are allowed to fail     

Decoupling of square singular systems via proportional statefeedback

Necessary and sufficient conditions for the decoupling of a solvable square singular system Ex˙(t)=Ax(t)+Bu(t ) with output y(t)=Dx(t), through an admissible control law of the form u(t)=Kx(t)+Hr(t) where H is a square nonsingular matrix. It has been shown that for a given singular system that satisfies these conditions, a propagational state feedback exists for which the system's transfer function is a diagonal, nonsingular, and proper rational matrix. The proofs of the main results are constructive and provide a procedure for computing an appropriate proportional state feedback     

Optimal parallel algorithms for problems modeled by a family ofintervals

A family of intervals on the real line provides a natural model for a vast number of scheduling and VLSI problems. Recently, a number of parallel algorithms to solve a variety of practical problems on such a family of intervals have been proposed in the literature. The authors develop computational tools and show how they can be used for the purpose of devising cost-optimal parallel algorithms for a number of interval-related problems, including finding a largest subset of pairwise nonoverlapping intervals, a minimum dominating subset of intervals, along with algorithms to compute the shortest path between a pair of intervals and, based on the shortest path, a parallel algorithm to find the center of the family of intervals. More precisely, with an arbitrary family of n intervals as input, all the algorithms run in O(log n) time using O(n) processors in the EREW-PRAM model of computation     

A novel discrete relaxation architecture

The discrete relaxation algorithm (DRA) is a computational technique that enforces arc consistency (AC) in a constraint satisfaction problem (CSP). The original sequential AC-1 algorithm suffers from O(n³m³) time complexity, and even the optimal sequential AC-4 algorithm is O (n²m²) for an n-object and m-label DRA problem. Sample problem runs show that these algorithms are all too slow to meet the need for any useful, real-time CSP applications. A parallel DRA5 algorithm that reaches a lower bound of O(nm) (where the number of processors is polynomial in the problem size) is given. A fine-grained, massively parallel hardware computer architecture has been designed for the DRA5 algorithm. For practical problems, many orders of magnitude of efficiency improvement can be reached on such a hardware architecture     

Optimal resilient distributed algorithms for ring election

The problem of electing a leader in a dynamic ring in which processors are permitted to fail and recover during election is discussed. It is shown that &thetas;(n log n+k_r) messages, counting only messages sent by functional processors, are necessary and sufficient for dynamic ring election, where k_r is the number of processor recoveries experienced     

A note on the survival time of a dynamic system in an interval

The one-dimensional system dx(t=bu(t)dt+(ct ²)^1/2dW(t), where b (≠0) and c (⩾0) are real constants and W(t ) is a standard Brownian motion, is considered. The aim is to obtain the control u* that minimizes the expected value of a cost function with terminal cost equal to 0 or +∞ depending on whether the survival time in a given region is at least equal to or less than a fixed time     

An efficient distributed knot detection algorithm

A distributed knot detection algorithm for general graphs is presented. The knot detection algorithm uses at most O(n log n+m) messages and O(m+n log n) bits of memory to detect all knots' nodes in the network (where n is the number of nodes and m is the number of links). This is compared to O(n²) messages needed in the best algorithm previously published. The knot detection algorithm makes use of efficient cycle detection and clustering techniques. Various applications for the knot detection algorithms are presented. In particular, its importance to deadlock detection in store and forward communication networks and in transaction systems is demonstrated     

Strict aperiodic property of polynomials with perturbedcoefficients

Let a family of polynomials be P(s)=t ₀sⁿ+t₁s ⁿ±¹ + . . . + t_n where 0<a_j⩽t_j⩽b _j. V.L. Kharitonov (1978) derived a necessary and sufficient condition for the above equation to have only zeros in the open left-half plane. The present authors derive some similar results for the equation to be strictly aperiodic (distinct real roots)     

A unified task-based dependability model for hypercube computers

A unified analytical model for computing the task-based dependability (TDB) of hypercube architectures is presented. A hypercube is deemed operational as long as a task can be executed on the system. The technique can compute both reliability and availability for two types of task requirements-I-connected model and subcube model. The I-connected TBD assumes that a connected group of at least I working nodes is required for task execution. The subcube TBD needs at least an m-cube in an n-cube, m⩽ n, for task execution. The dependability is computed by multiplying the probability that x nodes (x⩾I or x⩾2^m) are working in an n-cube at time t by the conditional probability that the hypercube can satisfy any one of the two task requirements from x working nodes. Recursive models are proposed for the two types of task requirements to find the connection probability. The subcube requirement is extended to find multiple subcubes for analyzing multitask dependability. The analytical results are validated through extensive simulation