SAN FRANCISCO — In the rankings of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, a Japanese machine has earned the top spot with a performance that essentially laps the competition.
The computer, known as “K Computer,” is three times faster than a Chinese rival that previously held the top position, said Jack Dongarra, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville who keeps the official rankings of computer performance.
Where is 'k' computer built?
A: K, built by Fujitsu and located at the Riken Advanced Institute for Computational Science in Kobe, Japan, represents a giant leap forward in speed. It will also undoubtedly be a source of national pride for Japan, at least among computer scientists, who take the race for fastest computer quite seriously.
It’s a very impressive machine,” Mr. Dongarra said. “It’s a lot more powerful than the other computers.”
The latest ranking of the top 500 computers, to be released Monday, is determined by running a standard mathematical equation. The winning computer was able to make 8.2 quadrillion calculations per second, or in more technical terms, 8.2 petaflops.
The performance of K is equivalent to linking around one million desktop computers.
Usage of supercomputers:-
Supercomputers are used for earthquake simulations, climate modeling, nuclear research and weapons development and testing, among other things. Businesses also use the machines for oil exploration and rapid stock trading.
Rank:
2nd Rank:
China’s Tianhe-1A supercomputer, at the National Supercomputing Center in Tianjin, China, to second place.
3rd Rank:
The fastest computer in the United States, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
Next Powerful supercomputer:
Mr. Dongarra said a computer called Blue Waters, being developed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, may rival K in speed.
The computer, known as “K Computer,” is three times faster than a Chinese rival that previously held the top position, said Jack Dongarra, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville who keeps the official rankings of computer performance.
Where is 'k' computer built?
A: K, built by Fujitsu and located at the Riken Advanced Institute for Computational Science in Kobe, Japan, represents a giant leap forward in speed. It will also undoubtedly be a source of national pride for Japan, at least among computer scientists, who take the race for fastest computer quite seriously.
It’s a very impressive machine,” Mr. Dongarra said. “It’s a lot more powerful than the other computers.”
The latest ranking of the top 500 computers, to be released Monday, is determined by running a standard mathematical equation. The winning computer was able to make 8.2 quadrillion calculations per second, or in more technical terms, 8.2 petaflops.
The performance of K is equivalent to linking around one million desktop computers.
Usage of supercomputers:-
Supercomputers are used for earthquake simulations, climate modeling, nuclear research and weapons development and testing, among other things. Businesses also use the machines for oil exploration and rapid stock trading.
Rank:
2nd Rank:
China’s Tianhe-1A supercomputer, at the National Supercomputing Center in Tianjin, China, to second place.
3rd Rank:
The fastest computer in the United States, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in Oak Ridge, Tenn.
Next Powerful supercomputer:
Mr. Dongarra said a computer called Blue Waters, being developed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, may rival K in speed.
