Chapter 9

Parallel Patterns: Prefix SumAn Introduction to Work Efficiency in Parallel Algorithms

Chapter Outline

9.1 Background

9.2 A Simple Parallel Scan

9.3 Work Efficiency Considerations

9.4 A Work-Efficient Parallel Scan

9.5 Parallel Scan for Arbitrary-Length Inputs

9.6 Summary

9.7 Exercises

References

Our next parallel pattern is prefix sum, which is also commonly known as scan. Parallel scan is frequently used to convert seemingly sequential operations, such as resource allocation, work assignment, and polynomial evaluation, into parallel operations. In general, if a computation is naturally described as a mathematical recursion, it can likely be parallelized as a parallel scan operation. Parallel scan plays a key role in massively parallel ...

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