What it means for China's fastest supercomputer in the world
The list of the world's top 500 supercomputers was announced in the United States on November 14. China's "Tianhe-1" supercomputer has become the world's fastest supercomputer with a measured calculation speed of 2,570 trillion operations per second.
"Tianhe-1" means far more than the computer itself
"This is an interesting change." Professor Arthur True, director of the Parallel Computing Center at the University of Edinburgh, said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency. "For many years, the United States has been proud of having the world's fastest supercomputer, but now China has become the owner of this honor."
Trudeau believes that, compared with the change itself, what is more important is the effort behind the change – China's huge investment in the computer industry over the years. He also noticed that China now has not only many supercomputers, but also a large number of software talents who use these computers.
Trudeau, who has visited Shanghai, said that the growth of software engineers in China dwarfs that in the West, and he was surprised by the number of hundreds of software engineers working together in a research center in Shanghai he visited. Because as one of the largest research centers in Europe, the University of Edinburgh's Parallel Computing Center has only a hundred software engineers.
Jean Gonnor, director of the digital and analog information project of the French Atomic Energy Commission, also believes that the calculation speed of "Tianhe-1" has reached the world's leading level, and its significance is far beyond the computer itself. The expert who has been engaged in supercomputer research and development for 10 years said that this means that China's scientific research level has taken a big step forward, and it also shows that China's economic competitiveness has been enhanced.
China's technological giant has a "sense of reality"
A question that many people are concerned about is whether the key technology of "Tianhe-1" is made in China?
Jack Tangara, a professor of computer science at the University of Tennessee, accepted an interview with a reporter from Xinhua News Agency. Tangara is one of the main editors of the list of the world's top 500 supercomputers, and verified the calculation speed of "Tianhe-1" on the spot.
Tangara said that although the processors of "Tianhe-1" still mainly use American products, its interconnection chips have all been replaced by products independently developed by Chinese researchers. "The interconnection chip mainly involves the flow of information between processors and plays a key role in the overall performance of the supercomputer. The interconnection chip of 'Tianhe-1' was developed in China and has the most advanced level in the world," he said.
"In terms of processor technology, there is still a gap between China and the United States. But China is developing research and development in this field, so I would not be surprised if it reaches the same level as the United States in processor technology within a year or two. It may not be too long for China to get rid of Western technology." Tangara pointed out.
Miyoshi Hiratsuka, associate professor of intellectual property strategy at Tokyo University of Science in Japan, regards "Tianhe-1" as a symbol. He believes that China has developed the world's fastest supercomputer, which means that China can develop the most cutting-edge key technologies in the field of electronics.
"It can be said that relying on the world's top supercomputers and development capabilities, China will reach the world's top level in scientific research, industrial technology, and national defense capabilities. This has begun to have a sense of reality." Miyoshi Hiratsuka said.
The German "Der Spiegel" commented that China is often labeled as a "copy" by the West in terms of technology research and development, but China is already an innovative country.
"Science will win in the end"
It is true that in the field of supercomputers, China is not long on the road. "Owning a supercomputer is only part of the mission, it's about using it and using it for meaningful results," Tru said.
Dr. Norbert Attig, head of the Application Support Department of the Jülich Supercomputer Center in Germany, suggested that China should strengthen cooperation with supercomputer powers such as Europe and the United States. "At present, China has solved the manufacturing problem, and the next step is how to apply supercomputers. To be precise, how to apply them efficiently. I think China can cooperate more with Europe and the United States in this regard according to its own interests and interests."
Atish also revealed that the US "Blue Water" supercomputer is expected to be successfully developed in October next year. Judging from the data released so far, its performance is better than that of "Tianhe-1", which is very likely to help the US regain its top position.
Tangara also believes that although China's hardware has caught up in the field of high-performance computing, there is still a gap in the level of software, which is a challenge for China's supercomputer research and development.
Among the top ten in the global top 500 list, "Tianhe-1" ranks first, and "Xingyun" developed by China Shuguang Company ranks third, but this does not change the overall situation that supercomputers are basically controlled by developed countries in Europe, America and Japan.
Experts also pointed out that the United States may step up supercomputer research after losing the title of "owner of the world's fastest computer", as it did after losing the title for the first time in 2002. Spokesman of the US State Department, Crowley, commented that the United States is very powerful in the field of supercomputers today, and it is believed that the United States has the ability to regain its leading position.
In any case, competition is a good thing for science. As Trudeau puts it: "The result will only be the advancement of science, and science will win in the end."
(Xinhua News Agency reporter Lin Xiaochun Mao Lei Huang Kun Li Xuemei Zheng Qihang Lan Jianzhong)
