Multiprocessor supercomputers presently available on the market are oriented towards high-speed numerical computation. However, there is more tendency to use computers for computations that are symbolic in nature. Nonnumerical algorithms for multiprocessors are more difficult to design and evaluate than numerical algorithms. This research is aimed at developing a new and integrated methodology for the design and performance prediction of nonnumerical parallel and distributed algorithms for multiprocessors. Because of the unpredictable behavior of such algorithms, and the dependency of algorithm performance on data values, simulation is a fundamental ingredient of the methodology. The facility developed for simulating the execution of multiprocessor algorithms on uniprocessors will be expanded, improved and tuned to the purpose of this research. The simulator is trace-driven. Simulation results will be used to validate existing or new analytical or hybrid modeling techniques.
