Parallel Symbolic Computing
Halstead · Computer · 1986
Programs differ from one another in many dimensions. In one such dimension, programs can be laid out along a spectrum with predominantly symbolic programs at one end and predominantly numerical programs at the other. The differences between numerical and symbolic programs suggest different approaches to parallel processing. This article explores the problems and opportunities of parallel symbolic computing and describes the language Multilisp, used at M.I.T. for experiments in parallel symbolic programming.