A Look Back:
44 Years of Scientific Computing

Jerzy Wasniewski
The Danish Computing Center for
Research and Education (UNI$\bullet$C)
DTU, Bldg. 304
DK - 2800 Lyngby, Denmark
e-mail: jerzy.wasniewski@uni-c.dk
http://lawra.uni-c.dk/JerzyWasniewski/

January 16, 2001

1950 - 1955

• Mathematics student at University of Wrocaw and University of Warsaw
  
• High school mathematics teacher

1955 - 1958

Technical University of Warsaw
Assistant professor (mathematics)

• Teaching
  
• Collaboration with engineers

1956

Department of Computing

Institute of Mathematics

Polish Academy of Sciences

Solving $Ax{=}b$ on accounting machines

• Paper cards
  
• Tabulator for additions
  
• Multiplier for multiplications
  
• Sorter for paper cards
  
• Reproducer
  
• Electrical calculator

See: L.J. Comrie et al., The application of Hollerith equipment to an agricultural investigation, J. Roy. Statist. Soc. Suppl. 4(2), 210-224 (1937).

1957

• Digital Electronic Computer XYZ
  
  • 512 words, one word = 36 bits
    
  • 100 operations per second
    
  • binary system
    
  • fixed-point arithmetic
    
  • input / output on paper cards
    
  • machine language programming
  
  
• Asked to organize
  a computing center

1957 - 1959

• Digital Electronic Computer XYZ
  
  • Library of basic (sub)programs
  
  
• Requirement: Make money!
  
  
  • $Ax = b$
    
  • Several important research
    and industrial problems

1959 - 1961

Department of Mathematics
Technical University of Warsaw

• A new computing group
  
• Collaboration with
  
  • technical scientists
    
  • industry
  
  
• Lectures and seminars

1959 - 1961 (cont.)

• Digital Electronic Computer UMC-1
  
  • Negative-base system!
    
  • (Z. Pawlak and A. Wakulicz)
    
  • See: Donald E. Knuth,
    The Art of Computer Programming,
    Vol. 2, p. 171.
  
  
• ``A History of Computing in the Twentieth Century'', edited by N. Metropolis, J. Howlett and Gian-Carlo Rota, Academic Press, 1980

1959 - 1961 (cont.)

• Subroutine library for UMC-1
  
• Hydraulical and meteorological
  simulation by linear modelling
  
• Ship construction ( 96 hours )
  
• Geodesic computations
  
• Other engineering problems

1961 - 1965

Military Technical University

• Promoted to captain
  
• Organized a computing center
  based on Russian Computer URAL-2
  
  • Core, 2048 words
    
  • Two drums, 8192 words each
    
  • Hardware floating point
    
  • Octal system
    
  • Input on film tape,
    practically no output device
    
  • No software!

1961 - 1965 (cont.)

• Russian Computer URAL-2
  
  • Library of basic functions
    
  • Input on the paper tape
    
  • Output on teleprinter
    and paper tape
    
  • Compiler with Polish notation
  
  
• Second Digital Computer UMC-1

1961 - 1965 (cont.)

• Practical problems
  
  • Hydraulical and meteorological
    simulation by linear modelling
    
  • Ordinary differential equations
    
  • Partial differential equations
    
  • Problems in operational research
    
  • Military problems

1965

Deputy Director General
of applied computers in Poland

• Provincial Computing Centers
  
  
  • ZAM 2, ZAM 41, UMC 1, UMC 10
    
  • URAL 2, MINSK
    
  • ELLIOTT, GIER, ICT, IBM
  
  
• Computer Factory, Wrocaw

1966 - 1968

Computing Group
Institute of Mathematics
Technical University of Warsaw

• Taught Algol 60 and
  numerical methods
  
• Danish Digital Computer GIER
  
  • Taught GIER Algol 60
    
  • Computing using GIER
  
  
• Linear programming models
  of transportation problems

1968

Department of Computer Science
University of Waterloo, Canada

• Programming in Fortran,
  WatFor and APL
  
• Computers: IBM, Fast IBM Terminal

1969

Computel Systems Ltd
Ottawa and Toronto

• Worked in Users' Support Group
  
• Sold computing time by telephone
  
• UNIVAC 1108 (Exec 2) and IBM 360
  
• Linear programming
  
• Transportation problems
  
• ILONA & FMPS (UNIVAC)
  & MPS (IBM)
  
• Collaborated mostly with
  oil companies

1970 - 1971

Computing Center
University of Quebec

• Consulting and research
  
• Collaborations:
  
  • University of Montreal: CDC 6600
    
  • McGill University: IBM 360
    
  • Laval University: IBM 360
  
  
• IBM 1130 Terminal

1970 - 1971 (cont.)

• Montreal, Sherbrooke, Trois Rivieres, Rimouski, Quebec City, Chicoutimi and Hull
  
• CDC 6600 in Quebec City
  
• CDC 1175 and Terminal 200
  at each location
  
• Teletype terminals to IBM (APL)

1970 - 1971 (cont.)

• Taught programming
  
• Assisted other departments
  
• Traveled between branches
  
• Fortran, Algol 60, Assembler

1971 - 1986

Regional Computing Center
at the University of Copenhagen
(RECKU)






Consulting and Research

1971

• IBM 1130 Terminal
  
• UNIVAC 1106
  
• Conversion program

1971 - 1973

• Numerical algorithms:
  
  • Special functions
    
  • Eigenvalue problems
    
  • Linear and nonlinear systems
    
  • Optimization problems
  
  
• RECKU's numerical software:
  
  • UNIVAC MATH-PACK
    
  • UNIVAC STAT-PACK

1971 - 1973 (cont.)

• Installation of new libraries:
  
  • The IBM SSP Library
    
  • CERN Library
    
  • Harwell Library from Lund
    
  • RECKU Library
    
    • Some single users' routines
      
    • Communications of the ACM
      
    • Computer Journal

1971 - 1973 (cont.)

• Special functions:
  
  • Bessel, Gamma, Error
  
  
• Eigenvalues and eigenvector routine
  
• Optimization routines
  ( Axel Hunding )
  
• Interval arithmetic ( Kaj Madsen )

1973

• Dundee 1973
  
  • Important contacts:
    
    • Hans Bruun Nielsen, DTH
      
    • Per Grove Thomsen, DTH
      
    • Harwell Library staff

1973 - 1975

• Seminars at the
  Dept. of Numerical Analysis
  
• Collaboration with Kaj Madsen
  
• Implementation of the UNIVAC 1100
  version of the Harwell Library
  
• Users start to use the RECKU Library

1973 - 1975 (cont.)

• Collaboration with Axel Hunding
  
• Optimization algorithms
  
• Collaboration with Kell Schaumburg
  
  • Spectroscopic problem, ODE's
    
• Collaboration with
  Per Grove Thomsen
  
• Collaboration with Erik Kirsbo
  
• Linear programming
  
  • ILONA, FMPS

1975

• Dundee 1975
  
  • Map-drawing presentation
    
  • Discussion of numerical libraries
  
  
• NAG Library collaboration
  
• Start of NAG Library implementation for the UNIVAC 1100 series

1975 - 1986

• The NAG Library Project:
  
  • NAG Fortran Library
    (three compilers)
    
  • NAG Algol Library (two compilers)
    
  • NAG SIMULA Library
    
  • NAG Graphics
    
  • NAG GENSTAT implementation
    
  • NAG GLIM implementation

1975 - 1986 (cont.)

• RECKU obtains free licenses for
  all implemented NAG Software
  
• RECKU distributes NAG - UNIVAC
  software
  
• About 500 customers worldwide:
  Europe, America, Australia, Japan,
  Korea, Africa

1975 - 1986 (cont.)

• MATLAB for Univac 1100 Series
  
• Multiple precision for Univac 1100
  ( Christian de Polignac )
  
• Zahari Zlatev joins collaboration
  with K. Schaumburg
  
  • Spectroscopic problem, ODE's
    
  • Y12M - General sparse equation
    solver
    
  • Several publications a year

1975 - 1986 (cont.)

• Close collaboration with NAG
  
• Collaborations with
  Jeremy Du Croz, Steve Hague,
  Sven Hammarling and others
  
• Invited to many places
  in Europe and USA
  
• Presented papers at NPL,
  oil companies and other places

1982

Invited to visit

• Argonne National Laboratory
  ( Jack Dongarra )
  
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory
  
• IBM Research Center,
  Yorktown Heights ( Fred Gustavson )
  
• US National Bureau of Standards
  

1982 - 1986

• Much involved with the UNIVAC 1100
  series computers
  
• Invited to collaborate on
  the new UNIVAC virtual system
  
• Tested with Jeremy Du Croz
  the UNIVAC Vector Processor,
  ISP System

1986 - 2001

Danish Computing Center for
Research and Education
(UNI$\bullet$C)

Consulting and Research

1986

• The computing centers
  NEUCC, RECAU and RECKU
  form UNI$\bullet$C
  
• UNI$\bullet$C acquires the AMDAL 1100
  ( Fujitsu 100 ) and Alliant
  vector computers
  
• My office is moved to Lyngby
  
• NAG implementation for AMDAL
  
• NAG UNIVAC implementation

1988

• Invited to AMDAL headquarters
  to improve the level 2 BLAS
  
• Collaboration with Jeremy Du Croz
  
• AMDAL BLAS improved by
  a factor of at least 2 or 3
  
• The improved BLAS were
  incorporated into the compilers

1989 - 1990

USA
Multiflow Computer Corporation
Senior Numerical Analyst

• Multiflow built supercomputers
  
• Worked on the BLAS
  for Multiflow computers
  
• Sparse Matrix Code ( Y12M )
  
• The NAG Library
  
• Consulting

1990 - 1994

Danish Computing Center for
Research and Education
(UNI$\bullet$C)

• Connection Machines, MasPar
  and KSR
  
• Air pollution problem with
  Zahari Zlatev
  
• Several visits to
  
  • Thinking Machines Corporation
    
  • KSR Computer Corporation
  
  
• Several papers published

1994 - 1996

• Collaboration with Jack Dongarra:
  
  • Applied Parallel Computing
    Workshops: PARA'94,
    PARA'95 and PARA'96
    
  • LAPACK95
    
  • NetSolve
  
  
• Collaboration with V. Allan Barker

1997 - 2000

• PARA becomes ``Nordic Workshop''
  
  • PARA'98 - Umeå, Sweden
    
  • PARA2000 - Bergen, Norway
    
  • PARA2002 - Espoo, Finland
    
  • PARA2004 - Reykjavik, Iceland
    
  • PARA2006 - Lyngby, Denmark

1997 - 2000 (cont.)

• LAWRA project started
  ( Linear Algebra with Recursive
  Algorithms )
  
  • Collaboration with
    Fred Gustavson and
    Umeå University
  
  
• Workshop on
  Scientific Computing ( 1997 )

1997 - 2000 (cont.)

LAWRA team:

• Bjarne Stig Andersen
  
• Fred Gustavson
  
• Alexander Karaivanov
  
• Ivan Lirkov
  
• Minka Marinova
  
• Jerzy Wasniewski, coordinator
  
• Plamen Yalamov

1997 - 2000 (cont.)

• LAWRA project:
  
  • Symmetric matrices
    
    • Full storage, $n^2$; fast
      
    • Packed storage,
      $n(n+1)/2$; slow
      
    • New packed storage,
      $n(n+1)/2$; fast
      
    • Perturbation algorithms
    
    
  • Gauss LU Factorization
  
  
• Publications
  
• LAWRA Workshop ( 1999 )

1997 - 2000 (cont.)

• LAPACK95 project
  
  • Updated to LAPACK version 3
    
  • LAPACK test included
    
  • LAPACK95 Users' Guide

2001 - ?

• LAWRA project (cont.)
  
• NetSolve
  
• NAG Library
  
• LAPACK95 supporting
  
• ?