Nobody but Us: A History of Cray Research's Software and the Building of the World's Fastest Supercomputer

Edward W. Barnard

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Introduction

The First Invisible Battlefield (Radio Intelligence)

The Human Cost of Staying First
The Pattern Creators
- Territorial Patterns
- Evolving Radio Technology
- Communication Patterns
- Financial Patterns
- Summary
Decoding the Bootleggers
Decoding the Naval Disarmament Conference
Flying Against the Imperial Japanese Navy
Was Location “AF” Midway, or the Aleutian Islands?
Hedy Lamarr, the Mother of WiFi

The Wizard’s Approach to Pattern Recognition

Profile of the “Real Programmer”
Think Like a Computer
The Basics With a Side of Crypto
Design an Algorithm in Your Head
What Can the NSA Teach Us About Debugging?
Problem in a Box
- Once More
- Loud Whiteboards
- Fitting the Problem Into a Box
- Task Main Loop
- Summary
Vacuum Tube Blackjack
Running the Numbers
- Porting Blackjack
- User Guide
- ROAR
- Infinite Loop
- Problem Analysis
Problem in a Box Applied
- Problem in a Box
- Reflecting
- Beyond Blackjack
- Computing History Archives
- Warming Up the LGP-30
- When It Fits
- Summary

Parallel Technology Shows Invariants

Predictive Mental Model
Invariants
- Three-Step Process
- Modern Frame of Reference
Transcendent Patterns
The Kiev Computer
- A Note on Source Material
- Finding the Right Viewpoint
- The Kiev Computer
Comparing to the CDC 6600
- Comparing to CDC 6600 (1964)
Floating-Point and Simulation
Polish Notation
- Polish Notation
- Institute in Physics and Computers
- First Principles
- Additional Reading
- Summary

The Second Invisible Battlefield (Nuclear Deterrence)

Project Whirlwind
Semi-Automatic Ground Environment
Engineering Research Associates
- See Saw
- Index of Coincidence
- Analysis of A Single Text
- Message Comparison
- Near War’s End
- Sole Source Contract
- National Security Agency
- Purpose of Analytical Machines
- Summary
Control Data Corporation
Cray Research
My First CRAY-1
- Nobody but Us
- The Trade Secret
- The Cray Way
- CRAY-1 Arrives
- Bare Metal
- Memory Banks
- Summary
Big Iron

Legacy of the Invisible Battlefield

Software Development
- Vectorizing Software
- Seymour’s Memo
- On-Line Tape Software
- Summary
My NSA Mug Shot
It Was Nothing, They Said
Ducky Day
The Transitive Property of Keeping Your Mouth Shut
The Veil
Oil Across the Water
Desert Shield

The Invisible Battlefield Develops Mastery

Remembering “Scuzzy”
Gate Keeping
Imposter Syndrome
The Road Less Traveled
- Cross-Domain Thinking
- Constraint Transformation
- The Path Taken
- The “Revolutionizer” Patterns
The Wizard’s Mirror

Teaching Rocket Science

The Search for Scientists
Lady of the Lake Discovers Bomb Test
Camelot, the German Rocket Scientists at Peenemünde
Mittelwerk Extermination
Sputnik Satellite Becomes Defense Priority

Road Map

Nobody but Us: A History of Cray Research's Software and the Building of the World's Fastest Supercomputer/Parallel Technology Shows Invariants/Invariants

Invariants

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Three-Step Process

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Modern Frame of Reference

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Research Steps

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Interpretation

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Dig More Deeply

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The Patent Examiner

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Up next

Transcendent Patterns

In this chapter

Invariants
Three-Step Process
Modern Frame of Reference