Parallel Processing in Engineering Applications

The recent rapid changes in computer technology has delivered to engineers a new technology to enhance the performance and capabilities of engineering computational software. Parallel processing promises to privide a quantum leap in the capabilities of engineering systems and make new appplications possible. However, many current computational mechanics techniques may have to be radically revised in order to take advantage of this new technology. Parallel computing also provides an opportunity to develop new more powerful techniques. The exciting aspect of parallel processing is that it is a technology which is available to all engineers and not restricted to a few. The transputer has provided the PC and the workstation with very high performance parallel systems. Minicomputers, mainframes and supercomputers offer multiprocessor systems. Completely new massivley parallel systems are also now available to engineers.