parallel processing

Parallel processing is the ability of an entity to carry out multiple operations or tasks simultaneously. The term is used in the contexts of both human cognition and machine computation.

Parallel processing is also a term for parallel computing.

Parallel Processing by the Human Brain

Parallel processing is the ability of the brain to simultaneously process incoming stimuli. This becomes most important in vision, as the brain divides what it sees into four components: color, motion, shape, and depth. These are individually analyzed and then compared to stored memories, which helps the brain identify what you are viewing. The brain then combines all of these into one image that you see and comprehend. This is a continual and seamless operation.

Parallel Processing in Computers

The simultaneous use of more than one CPU or processor core to execute a program or multiple computational threads. Ideally, parallel processing makes programs run faster because there are more engines (CPUs or cores) running it. In practice, it is often difficult to divide a program in such a way that separate CPUs or cores can execute different portions without interfering with each other. Most computers have just one CPU, but some models have several, and multi-core processor chips are becoming the norm. There are even computers with thousands of CPUs.

With single-CPU, single-core computers, it is possible to perform parallel processing by connecting the computers in a network. However, this type of parallel processing requires very sophisticated software called distributed processing software.

Note that parallel processing differs from multitasking, in which a CPU provides the illusion of simultaneously executing instructions from multiple different programs by rapidly switching between them, or "interleaving" their instructions.

Parallel processing is also called parallel computing. In the quest of cheaper computing alternatives parallel processing provides a viable option. The idle time of processor cycles across network can be used effectively by sophisticated distributed computing software.

Notable contributors

A professor at the University of Maryland developed the first "personal supercomputer", by establishing a way to create parallel processors on a regular sized machine.

References

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• Myers, David G. Psychology. 6th ed. New York: Worth, 2001.
• Parallel Processing via MPI & OpenMP, M. Firuziaan, O. Nommensen. Linux Enterprise, 10/2002
• www.webopedia.com (HBTB)