A Parallel Matrix Class Library in C++ for Computational Mechanics Applications

Abstract

The object–oriented design and implementation of a matrix class library in C++ for parallel computing is described. The main goal of this library is to support the management of matrix data in a distributed environment and the parallel solution of linear systems of algebraic equations typical of computational mechanics applications. By using the object–oriented paradigm, a clean and consistent interface to the library is provided, and the implementation details are hidden from the user. These features improve the clarity and expressiveness of the client code and consequently ease the task of parallel programming. The library was developed and tested originally using a network of Sun Sparc 10 workstations. Test examples subsequently were run on the Intel Paragon XP/S. In these examples, the portability of the library among different distributed environments was demonstrated, and some preliminary performance studies of the library were carried out. Finally, the utilization of the class library in parallel finite–element computations is discussed. It is shown that the present library greatly simplifies the implementation of matrix operations intrinsic to parallel finite–element applications.