Think Parallel: Teaching Parallel Programming Today

Parallel computing is rapidly entering mainstream computing, and multicore processors can now be found in the heart of supercomputers, desktop computers, and laptops. Consequently, applications will increasingly need to be parallelized to fully exploit the multicore processor throughput gains that are becoming available. Unfortunately, writing parallel code is more complex than writing serial code. An introductory parallel computing course aims to introduce students to this technology shift and to explain that parallelism calls for a different way of thinking and new programming skills. The course covers theoretical topics and offers practical experience in writing parallel algorithms on state-of-the-art parallel computers, parallel programming environments, and tools.