Name for programming pattern used by Mathematica

Question

Since Mathematica 7.0, there is ParallelTry function [1] that evaluates multiple functions in parallel, returning the first result received. This is similar to parallelizing a search on a disjoint data structure. Another common use-case is running multiple algorithms for a given problem and waiting for the first result to be returned.

The question is whether there is a good name for this style of computation. I can only think of calling this Eureka style where one of the functions (tasks) finding the result exclaims a eureka!

[1] http://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ParallelTry.html

Ira Baxter · Accepted Answer · 2014-08-27 02:55:35Z

1

This is called "speculative parallelism". The processor/system runs some parallel thread, speculating it will produce a useful answer; if it does not (for ParallelTry), it is aborted with no effect on the machine state and the non-speculative part (for ParallelTry, the computation that succeeded first) produces the answer.

answered Aug 27, 2014 at 2:55

Ira Baxter

95.9k24 gold badges188 silver badges357 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

3 Comments

shams Over a year ago

While the need to abort a computation is common, I feel speculative parallelism also has the following associated notion. It requires the undoing effects of a speculated computation if it is discovered that the prediction was wrong and such an execution was unnecessary. There is no such undo notion involved in ParallelTry. Do you agree?

Ira Baxter Over a year ago

I agree that speculated and failed thread has its side effects undone; otherwise it wouldn't be "speculative". I'm under the (mistaken?) impression the ParallelTry aborted threads have their state undone. (I'm not an expert on this construct.)

Ira Baxter Over a year ago

If ParallelTry doesn't abort/undo state changes of the losers, then this scheme is just a signalled event.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Name for programming pattern used by Mathematica

1 Answer 1

3 Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

3 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related