This thesis describes a model for distributed graph reduction implemented on a network of transputers. The model allows variable size communications between processors, by exchanging subgraphs instead of single nodes. Functional languages with lazy semantics have graph nodes representing unevaluated arguments. These nodes require special treatment by the run time system because they must not be copied. By checking the structure of the transmitted subgraphs, it is possible to determine which unevaluated expressions have no external references to them and so may safely be included in the subgraph with no overhead. This allows large subgraphs to be exchanged while reducing the demands on the communications system. This technique raises the possibility of implementations on a wide variety of distributed computers such as networks of workstations, which hitherto has been considered impractical.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.56681 |
| Date | January 1992 |
| Creators | Howson, Christopher |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (School of Computer Science.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001318244, proquestno: AAIMM80467, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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