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Solution of large, sparse, irregular systems on a massively parallel computer

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Book cover Parallel Algorithms for Irregularly Structured Problems (IRREGULAR 1996)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 1117))

Abstract

A set of tools is introduced which allow engineers and scientists to obtain solutions to large finite-element problems by utilizing multiple-instruction, multiple-data (MIMD) parallel computers. The finite-element mesh is decomposed so that each resulting sub-domain is connected to at most two other subdomains. The node-numbering of the decomposed mesh is such that the resulting set of finite element equations will have a border-block diagonal structure. A parallel algorithm is used to assemble, factor and solve the set of simultaneous algebraic equations that result from the finite-element method (FEM). In this paper, we demonstrate the method on a message passing parallel computer for two- and three-dimensional electrostatic problems, governed by Laplace's equation. Results and performance data for the algorithm as applied to electrostatics problems are given. The current work is an extension of the algorithm described and implemented in Reference [1].

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References

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Alfonso Ferreira José Rolim Yousef Saad Tao Yang

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© 1996 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Dearholt, W., Castillo, S., Hennigan, G. (1996). Solution of large, sparse, irregular systems on a massively parallel computer. In: Ferreira, A., Rolim, J., Saad, Y., Yang, T. (eds) Parallel Algorithms for Irregularly Structured Problems. IRREGULAR 1996. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1117. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0030096

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0030096

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-61549-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-68808-2

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