[comp.sys.transputer] parallel Lisp

K312240@AEARN.BITNET (Klaus Kusche) (05/31/88)

This is the second (third, fourth, ...) try to send this message.
I received no response or acknowledge up to now.
I heard that there may be serious problems with the European BITNET
backbone interconnections and BITNET routing tables.
Please don't be angry if you receive this message for the n-th time!

Dear Mailing List!

This question is not very transputer-related, but I don't know a better
mailing list to post it (if you know, please tell me):

I'm looking for any kind of information about concepts
and implementations of parallel Lisp (again, not only
transputer-based!).

Especially, I would be interested in some good papers on Multilisp.

Moreover, I heard that there is a Common Lisp on the intel Hypercube --
sounds also very interesting, any informations welcome!!!

Klaus Kusche (K312240@AEARN.BITNET).

ran@mit-vax.LCS.MIT.EDU (Randy Osborne) (05/31/88)

In article <8805301428.AA17144@tcgould.TN.CORNELL.EDU> K312240@AEARN.BITNET (Klaus Kusche) writes:
>I'm looking for any kind of information about concepts
>and implementations of parallel Lisp (again, not only
>transputer-based!).
>
>Especially, I would be interested in some good papers on Multilisp.

Papers on Multilisp:

The original paper. Gives detailed description of Multilisp and its
implementation.

Halstead, R., "Multilisp: A Language for Concurrent Symbolic Computation",
ACM Trans. on Prog. Languages and Systems, October 1985, p. 501-538


The following two papers are more tutorial in nature.

Halstead, R., "Parallel Symbolic Computing," IEEE Computer 19:8,
August 1986, p. 35-43

Halstead, R., "Parallel Computing Using Multilisp," J. Kowalik, ed.,
Parallel Computation and Computers for Artifical Intelligence, Kluwer
Academic Publishers, 1987


Describes exception handling implementation: exception values, catch/throw,
unwind-protect.

Halstead, R., J. Loaiza, "Exception Handling in Multilisp",
1985 Int'l. Conf. on Parallel Processing, St. Charles, Ill.,
August 1985, p. 822-830


Discusses the three major ways to use futures and describes other "lessons from
experience".

Halstead, R., "An Assessment of Multilisp: Lessons From Experience",
International Journal of Parallel Programming 15:6, Dec. 1986, Plenum
Press, New York


Multilisp is available from the Parallel Processing Group at
M.I.T. The present implementation is a byte-code interpreter
which runs on uniprocessor machines supporting UNIX (BSD 4.2)
and the multiprocessor Encore Multimax (and our Concert
Multiprocessor). Little work should be necessary to port the
implementation to other shared memory multiprocessors, which
like the Multimax, support UNIX.

I'll post details on how to obtain this implementation of
Multilisp if people express interest.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Randy Osborne		ran@vx.lcs.mit.edu

UHAC010@vaxa.rhbnc.ac.UK (05/31/88)

 The connection machine Lisp is described (briefly) in pp 412-418 of the second edition of Parallel 
Computers by Hockney and Jesshope (Adam Hilger 1988). I've 
just received an inspection copy and haven't seen it in the shops yet.

Adrian Johnstone, Computer Science, RHBNC, University of London

A.JOHNSTONE@UK.AC.RHBNC.VAXA

0784-39025

ran@mit-vax.LCS.MIT.EDU (Randy Osborne) (06/02/88)

In article <4285@mit-vax.LCS.MIT.EDU> I wrote:

>Multilisp is available from the Parallel Processing Group at
>M.I.T. The present implementation is a byte-code interpreter
>which runs on uniprocessor machines supporting UNIX (BSD 4.2)
>and the multiprocessor Encore Multimax (and our Concert
>Multiprocessor). Little work should be necessary to port the
>implementation to other shared memory multiprocessors, which
>like the Multimax, support UNIX.
>
>I'll post details on how to obtain this implementation of
>Multilisp if people express interest.

Here's the details:

To obtain the Multilisp implementation described above, obtain
a licence agreement from the following address:

	Multilisp Request
	Room 205
	M.I.T. Laboratory for Computer Science
	545 Technology Square
	Cambridge, MA. 02139

Complete and return the agreement (no fee required) and we'll
mail you a tape (UNIX tar format, 1600bpi). (We may have to
charge for the tape if we receive too many requests.)

You can also send me your postal address via e-mail. (No need
to do this again for those who have already done so ...)

-------------------------------------------------------------
Randy Osborne				ran@vx.lcs.mit.edu