Challenges in matching parallel architectures and matrix algorithms

Direct solution methods based on Gauss elimination and its variants are considered. These are of particular interest because they readily expose memory limitations and communication bottlenecks of parallel architectures, are integral components of other, more highly parallel matrix algorithms, and can solve poorly conditioned problems on which other methods fail. The parallel implementation and performance of a class of direct methods is examined on three architectures; namely, the CRAY X-MP/48, ELXSI 6400, and NCUBE/ten.<>