ASC Student Supercomputer Challenge 2016 (ASC16) announced details of the Preliminary Contest last week. College students from around the world are being asked to design a high performance computer (HPC) system that optimizes with both HPCG and MASNUM_WAM applications under 3000W as well as to conduct a DNN performance optimization on a standalone hybrid CPU+MIC platform. All system design along with the result and the code of the optimization application must be submitted by March 2.
DNN (Deep Neural Network) is one of the most important deep learning algorithms in artificial intelligence. Deep learning, as an emerging HPC application that requires high computational efficiency, has recently attained broad interests. In many cases, DNN is set up on either CPU or GPU. However for the ASC16 Preliminary Contest, students will have to develop DNN on a MIC (Many-Integrated-Core) platform. No doubt this will bring the already difficult task to a different level.
MASNUM-WAM is a surface wave numerical model that is newly developed in oceanography research for applications ranging from sea transportation to ocean exploration, marine weather forecasting, etc. The scientists anticipated that the ASC competition will spark more creative ideas and better performance optimizations.
HPCG (High Performance Conjugate Gradients) is known as the latest international benchmark standard for supercomputing. It demands key balance among CPU computing performance, memory capacity, memory bandwidth, and interconnection capability. Although more complicated than the previously used HPL test, HPCG is considered more suited for supercomputer system performance evaluation trends, in that it can better demonstrate real application performance such as finite element computation and fluids analysis.
First launched in 2012, ASC has quickly become the world’s largest supercomputing contest, with more than 160 teams from all over the world for the latest competition. Closely following the most front-end technologies, ASC has attracted more and more talent to supercomputing and has greatly promoted communications in the HPC community throughout the world.
Detailed information about the Preliminary Contest can be found at: http://asc-events.org/ASC16/Preliminary.php
Source: ASC16