Supercomputers

In Japan the $ 200-million supercomputer project plans to produce a computer that is 1,000 times faster than any currently available. Such a computer would be capable of executing 10 billion floating-point operations per second. These research points in this project are divided into two major areas. One is concerned with very high-speed devices, and the project staff is studying three candidate technologies—galium arsenide, high-electron-mobility transistor, and Josephson junction. The other area concerns ultra-parallel processing. Here, they are directing major research efforts not only toward computer architectures but also toward algorithms for parallel processing, operating systems, and programming languages.

This project has stimulated activity in several branches of the United States. Considering Japan's rapid advances in hardware technology and the relatively small technological edge that the United States maintains in supercomputer software, such reactions seem natural.

Notes:

currently available – зд. выпускаемый серийно

the project staff – сотрудники, работающие над проектом

gallium arsenide – арсенид галлия

the technological edge – технический перевес

The fifth-generation project

Until May 1982, when the Institute for New-Generation Computer Technology was established, the Fifth-Generation Computer System Project was guided by the Japan Information Processing Development Centre. The project will last for 10 years. It became clear that Japanese computer scientists participate in this project with great pride, viewing it as a way of bringing Japan to the forefront in all aspects of computer technology. But the main thrust will be toward finding solutions to current difficulties in software. Some of the researchers emphasized that Japan had not invented a single programming language and that the time had come for creativity in computer science research.

The project staff has declared that 5G (the fifth-generation) will be a knowledge information processing system based on innovative theories and technologies offering the advanced functions that will be required in the future. As they envision it, 5G will have the following characteristics: high-level user interfaces based on artificial intelligence approaches for interaction via natural languages, including speech input; knowledge bases, containing both general knowledge to support man—machine interactions and specific knowledge of the problem area; flexibility and high reliability and performance.

Clearly, a great deal of attention will be given to artificial intelligence techniques applicable to problem solving and inference and to the man—machine interface. The other key technologies to be dealt with are software engineering, VLSI, and non-von Neumann architecture.

Notes:

the main thrust – главный стимул (толчок)

a knowledge information processing system – система обработки информации на основе знаний (сведений)

inference – вывод, заключение

non-von Neumann architecture – не-Неймановская архитектура (структура), нетрадиционная архитектура