A Multiobjective Approach for Addressing Dynamism and Heterogeneity in Parallel Scientific Simulations

OF THE DISSERTATION A Multiobjective Approach for Addressing Dynamism and Heterogeneity in Parallel Scientific Simulations by SUMIR CHANDRA Dissertation Director: Professor Manish Parashar Scientific simulations offer the potential for accurate solutions of realistic models of complex physical phenomena. These simulations are based on systems of partial differential equations and are playing an increasingly important role in science and engineering. However, the phenomena underlying scientific simulations are inherently multi-phased, have heterogeneous state, and span multiple time and space scales. The resulting dynamism coupled with the spatiotemporal and computational heterogeneity make parallel implementations of these scientific simulations extremely challenging. Key issues that need to be addressed include algorithmic efficiency, load balancing, coordination and performance management, which lead to conflicting objectives and trade-offs at runtime. In cases when analytical approaches are not feasible, this requires an understanding of application and system characteristics, and the impact of dynamism and heterogeneity on simulation performance.