While the subject of numerical linear algebra dates back to before the first computations were performed by computers, it continues to be a vibrant topic of research. It is central to practical fields like optimization, data mining, signal and image processing, and control, to name a small subset. Recent advances in computer architecture, including the emergence of hardware accellerators like GPGPUs and the Cell Broadband Accellerator, have forced a fresh look at perturbation (e.g., because such processors often do not support IEEE standard arithmetic and/or mix precisions), performance (how to unleash the promised performance), and portability (programmability) issues. This conference will bring together leading experts in the field to examine recent and possible future advances related to these issues.
A two day event will be held in the Advanced Computing Engineering and Sciences (ACES) building on the UT-Austin campus, July 19-20, 2010. The meeting will examine past and present contributions as well as future opportunities in the field of computational linear algebra, a key subject within mathematics and computer science that supports computational science. The conference includes invited talks by established authorities as well as rising stars in the field. An opportunity for more junior researchers (graduate and postdoctoral students) to showcase their research is included in form of a poster session. A panel discussion will examine the state of the field and future opportunities. The participation by individuals who do not have other federal support, and by students, postdocs, women, minorities, and persons with disabilities will be encouraged.
, was held in the Avaya Auditorium of the ACES building at UT-Austin on July 19 and 20, 2010. This event focused on the state of numerical linear algebra by examining past and present accomplishments as well as opportunities for future research. The conferences was organized by Ake Bjorck (Linkoping Univ.), Jack Dongarra (Univ. of Tennessee), Howard Elman (Univ. of Maryland), Misha Kilmer (Co-Chair, Tufts Univ.), Dianne O'Leary (Univ. of Maryland), Danny Sorensen (Rice Univ.), Xiaobai Sun (Duke Univ.), and Robert van de Geijn (Co-Chair, UT-Austin). Numerical linear algebra is fundamental to all fields of science and engineering. Quoting from a popular text, Numerical Linear Algebra by Trefethen and Bau: "It is here [referring to Numerical Linear Algebra] that one finds the essential ideas that every mathematical scientist needs to work effectively with vectors and matrices. In fact, our subject is more than just vectors and matrices, for virtually everything we do carries over to functions and operators. Numerical linear algebra is really functional analysis, but with the emphasis always on practical algorithmic ideas rather than mathematical technicalities... if any other mathematical topic is as fundamental to the mathematical sciences as calculus and differential equations, it is numerical linear algebra." While the subject dates back to before computations were performed by the first computers, it continues to be a vibrant topic of research. It is central to practical fields like optimization, data mining, signal and image processing, and control, to name a small subset. Recent advances in computer architecture, including the emergence of hardware accellerators like GPGPUs and the Cell Broadband Accellerator have forced a fresh look at perturbation, performance, and portability (programmability) issues. There were around 100 attendees from the US and other countries. The intellectual merit of the conference is the interaction between participants at all levels of careers, the presentations of the latest research in the field, and the panel discussion on the future of the field. The broader impact came from the fact that many of the participants were from a broad range of science disciplines that use, directly or indirectly, results from numerical linear algebra. This exposed them to the latest research while exposing the speakers and poster presenters to current practical questions in the field.
