Multi-core CPUs, Clusters, and Grid Computing: A Tutorial

The nature of computing is changing and it poses both challenges and opportunities for economists. Instead of increasing clock speed, future microprocessors will have multi-cores with separate execution units. Threads or other multi-processing techniques that are rarely used today are required to take full advantage of them. Beyond one machine, it has become easy to harness multiple computers to work in clusters. Besides dedicated clusters, they can be made up of unused lab computers or even your colleagues' machines. Finally, grids of computers spanning the Internet are now becoming a reality.