Vector processing tutorial
L. C. Higbie · OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) · 1983
A vector processor is a computer that has an essentially complete set of instructions that operate on vectors. The historic reasons for the development of processors and the theory of vector operation are presented. A successful vector/scalar computer requires a compiler that can automatically compile existing codes to use the vector hardware. Once compilers and other software aids are developed, vectorization will always pay. Vector hardware will always be cheaper per computation than comparable scalar hardware because the control can be distributed over more computations and because many fewer instructions need to be fetched.