Vectorization (parallel Computing)

Vectorization (parallel Computing)

Vectorization, in parallel computing, is a special case of parallelization, in which software programs that by default perform one operation at a time on a single thread are modified to perform multiple operations simultaneously.

Vectorization is the more limited process of converting a computer program from a scalar implementation, which processes a single pair of operands at a time, to a vector implementation which processes one operation on multiple pairs of operands at once. The term comes from the convention of putting operands into vectors or arrays.

Vector processing is a major feature of both conventional computers and modern supercomputers.

Automatic vectorization is major research topic in computer science; seeking methods that would allow a compiler to convert scalar programs into vectorized programs without human assistance.