Initializing hypercubes

Solutions are presented for both complete and incomplete hypercube initialization problems. Current hypercube computers require that the node number and link numbers be hard-wired into each processor and link. The author introduces algorithms for determining node and link numbers on the fly whenever the system is power up. This makes it possible to exchange or replace nodes without the need of manually setting the node number or attaching interconnect cables to particular hardware ports. One assumption made by the algorithms is that each node has a unique identifier, called the processor identifier, that is used to resolve conflicts introduced by symmetry. It is shown to be efficient for each node to know its own link count to determine a numbering. By communicating among themselves, the nodes can determine the total number of nodes in the cube