Scalable Software Libraries and Problem Solving Environments

Abstract

Software libraries encapsulate problem solving power and problem solving environments (PSEs) give users painless access to problem solving power. Thus libraries and PSEs are inextricably linked. This workshop explored the state-of-the-art in these two areas and their interdependence. A few application areas (e.g., linear algebra) have a rather simple structure for a software library and a very widely known language (mathematics) to use as the basis for a PSE (e.g., MATLAB). This simplicity and standard language are missing for other scientific application areas where libraries and PSEs are embryonic. These complex application areas require high performance computing power and the PSE design and library structure must be scalable in the complexity of the applications.