How to build programmable multi-core chips

The arrival of multi-core chips has heightened interest in the discipline of parallel programming, a topic that has received much attention for many years. Computer architects have much to learn from sound principles for structuring software and expressing parallel computation. This talk will cover principles for the design of computer systems to support composable parallel software - the idea that any parallel program is usable, without change, as a component of larger parallel programs. By following these principles, a revolution in the ease of building robust and high-performance parallel software can be achieved. The principles suggest interesting directions for computer architecture; the tools to experiment with new architecture concepts are ready and waiting for the savvy and ambitious researcher.