Glypnir—a programming language for Illiac IV

ABSTRACT

GLYPNIR is one of the earliest existing languages designed for programming the Illiac IV computer. The syntax of the language is based on ALGOL 60, but has been extended to allow the programmer explicitly to specify the parallelism of his algorithm in terms of 64-word vectors. This paper describes the characteristics, goals, and philosophy of the language, and discusses some of the problems associated with parallel computer architectures.

REFERENCES

• 1: Abel, N., et al. TRANQUIL, a languages for an array processing computer. Proc. AFIPS 1969 SJCC, Vol. 34, AFIPS Press, Montvale, N.J., pp. 57-73.
• 2: Abel, N., et al. Language specifications for a FORTRAN-like higher level language for ILLIAC IV. ILLIAC IV Doc. No. 233,* ILLIAC IV Proj., U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, 111., 1970.
• 3: Barnes, G. H., et al. The Illiac IV Computer. IEEE TC C-17, 8(Aug. 1968), 746-757.
• 4: Bouknight, W.J., et al. The Illiac IV System. Proc. IEEE, 60, 4(Apr. 1972), 369-388.
• 5: CFD, a FORTRAN-based language for ILL1AC IV. Computational Fluid Dynamics Branch, Ames Res. Cent., NASA, Moffett Field, Calif.
• 6: Henriksen, J.C., and Merwin, R.E. Programming language efficiency in real time software systems. Proc. AFIPS 1972, Vol. 40, AFIPS Press, Montvale, N.J., pp. 155-161.
• 7: Hoffman, R.E. User's manual for Glyplit: a program to translate llliac IV Glypnir to IBM 360 PL/1. Rand Rep. No. R-857-ARPA (Apr. 1972), Rand Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif., 74 pp.
• 8: Kraska, P. Array storage allocation. M.S. Th., U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Dept. of Computer Sci. Rep. No. 344, 1969.
• 9: Kuck, D., Muraoka, Y., and Chen, S.C. On the number of operations 'simultaneously executable in FORTRAN-like programs and their resulting speed-up. IEEE TC C-21 (Dec. 1972), 1293-1310.
• 10: Kuck, D., and Sameh, A. Parallel computation of eigenvalues of real matrices. In bTJbrmation Processhlg 71, Vol. I I, pp. 1266- 1272, North-Holland Pub. Co., Amsterdam-London, 1972.
• 11: Lamport, L. The coordinate method for the parallel execution of DO loops. Proc. 1973 Sagamore Computer Conf. on Parallel Processing, pp. 1-12.
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• 18: Mclntyre, D.E, llliac IV software development. 1972 WESCON Tech. Papers, Session 1, 1972.
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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.3 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES

Additional Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.5 COMPUTER SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION
      C.5.1 Large and Medium ("Mainframe") Computers

          Nouns: ILLIAC IV

  F. Theory of Computation
  F.1 COMPUTATION BY ABSTRACT DEVICES
      F.1.2 Modes of Computation
          Subjects: Parallelism and concurrency

General Terms:
Algorithms, Design, Languages, Theory

Keywords:
GLYPNIR, Illiac IV, parallel architecture, parallel computation, programming language