Introduction to Parallel Computing: Master the Fundamentals of Parallel Architectures

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT a parallel computing architecture?

Accepted Answer

Vector processing

Answer

Shared memory

Answer

Distributed memory

Question 2

What is the significance of Flynn's taxonomy?

Accepted Answer

It classifies parallel architectures based on instruction and data parallelism.

Answer

It determines the performance of parallel algorithms.

Answer

It analyzes the scalability of parallel applications.

Answer

It identifies potential bottlenecks in parallel systems.

Question 3

What is the purpose of using a barrier synchronization primitive?

Accepted Answer

To ensure that all threads reach a specific point in the code before continuing.

Answer

To prevent race conditions in multithreaded code.

Answer

To enforce mutual exclusion between threads.

Answer

To optimize memory access patterns in parallel applications.

Question 4

For data-parallel computations, which programming model is appropriate?

Accepted Answer

OpenMP

Answer

MPI

Answer

CUDA

Answer

Hadoop

Question 5

What is the primary distinction between coarse-grained and fine-grained parallelism?

Accepted Answer

The granularity of the tasks being parallelized

Answer

The frequency of communication between threads

Answer

The type of data being processed

Answer

The programming model employed

Question 6

In parallel computing, what is the function of a load balancer?

Accepted Answer

To distribute tasks among processing elements

Answer

To optimize memory usage

Answer

To synchronize threads

Answer

To detect and recover from errors

Question 7

What is the primary purpose of using a barrier synchronization technique in parallel programming?

Accepted Answer

Ensure that all threads have completed a specific task before proceeding

Answer

Allow threads to communicate and share data efficiently

Question 8

What is the primary goal of Amdahl's Law in the context of parallel computing?

Accepted Answer

Estimating the potential speedup of a parallelized algorithm

Answer

Analyzing the overhead associated with parallelization

Question 9

For an application that necessitates sharing a substantial amount of data among multiple parallel processes, which parallel architecture model would be the most suitable choice?

Accepted Answer

Shared Memory

Answer

Distributed Memory

Answer

Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD)

Answer

Multiple Instruction Multiple Data (MIMD)

Question 10

Which characteristic is NOT associated with shared memory architectures?

Accepted Answer

Message passing

Answer

Single address space

Answer

Uniform memory access

Answer

Cache coherence

Question 11

Which of the following is **not** an advantage of parallel computing?

Accepted Answer

Reduced energy efficiency

Answer

Increased computational speed

Answer

Enhanced fault tolerance

Answer

Improved cost-effectiveness

Question 12

Which parallel architecture consists of multiple processors sharing a common memory space?

Accepted Answer

Shared memory multiprocessors (SMPs)

Answer

Distributed memory multiprocessors (DMPs)

Answer

Multi-core processors

Answer

Graphics processing units (GPUs)

Question 13

Which programming model is specifically designed for shared memory parallel computing in C/C++?

Accepted Answer

OpenMP

Answer

MPI

Answer

Pthreads

Answer

CUDA

Question 14

Which of the following is **not** a common application domain for parallel computing?

Accepted Answer

Word processing

Answer

Scientific simulations

Answer

Machine learning

Answer

Data analytics

Question 15

What is the main purpose of a barrier synchronization in parallel computing?

Accepted Answer

To ensure that all processors reach a specific point in the code before proceeding

Answer

To create a critical section for exclusive access to shared resources

Answer

To dynamically adjust the workload distribution

Answer

To monitor the performance of individual processors

Question 16

Which of the following is **not** a common form of memory contention that can significantly impact the performance of parallel programs?

Accepted Answer

Data dependencies

Answer

False sharing

Answer

Write-write conflicts

Answer

Read-write conflicts

Question 17

What is the key advantage of using GPUs for parallel computing?

Accepted Answer

High degree of parallelism

Answer

Large memory capacity

Answer

Low power consumption

Answer

Ease of development

Question 18

When is MPI a more suitable choice for parallelizing an algorithm compared to OpenMP?

Accepted Answer

When the algorithm requires communication between processes on different nodes

Answer

When the algorithm operates on shared data structures

Answer

When the algorithm has a high degree of data locality

Answer

When the algorithm is embarrassingly parallel

Question 19

In shared memory parallel architectures, what factor primarily limits their ability to scale efficiently as the number of parallel threads increases?

Accepted Answer

Contention for shared resources

Answer

Low latency

Answer

Limited number of processing cores

Answer

Lack of synchronization primitives

Question 20

Which of the following accurately reflects the current trends and potential future directions in parallel computing?

Accepted Answer

Increasing parallelism and adoption of diverse computing architectures

Answer

Diminishing significance of shared memory architectures compared to distributed memory architectures

Answer

Reduced emphasis on performance optimization and energy efficiency

Answer

Limited applicability of parallel computing, with growth restricted to a few specific domains

Question 21

In parallel computing, what is a key advantage of distributed memory architecture?

Accepted Answer

Increased scalability

Answer

Lower communication overhead

Answer

Reduced memory contention

Answer

Simpler programming model

Question 22

In parallel computing, what are the key principles guiding data decomposition?

Accepted Answer

Minimize inter-process communication overhead

Accepted Answer

Maximize data locality

Accepted Answer

Balance workload across processing units

Answer

Increase data redundancy

Question 23

Among the key advantages of parallel computing, which one holds true?

Accepted Answer

It expedites computationally demanding tasks.

Answer

It inherently reduces energy consumption.

Answer

It enhances reliability by design.

Question 24

When discussing challenges associated with parallel computing, which one stands out?

Accepted Answer

Managing and synchronizing communication effectively across processors.

Answer

Crafting efficient algorithms is the primary challenge.

Answer

Overcoming the limitations of available hardware is paramount.

Question 25

In a parallel architecture characterized by a shared bus, what is the architecture's designation?

Accepted Answer

Shared memory

Answer

Hybrid

Answer

Distributed memory

Answer

Vector

Question 26

What is the fundamental purpose of utilizing a parallel programming model?

Accepted Answer

Establishing a framework for organizing and coordinating parallel tasks seamlessly.

Answer

Boosting the speed of individual processors.

Answer

Simplifying the development of sequential programs.

Question 27

Which of the following options does not represent a commonly used performance metric for parallel programs?

Accepted Answer

Energy efficiency

Answer

Speedup

Answer

Efficiency

Question 28

Incorporating a lock-free algorithm primarily offers what key benefit?

Accepted Answer

Enhanced performance resulting from reduced contention.

Answer

Increased reliability.

Answer

Reduced memory consumption.

Answer

Simplified development process.

Question 29

When it comes to preventing race conditions, which synchronization technique is commonly employed?

Accepted Answer

Mutual exclusion

Answer

Deadlock avoidance

Answer

Livelock avoidance

Answer

Starvation avoidance

Question 30

What is the primary objective of a data parallel algorithm?

Accepted Answer

Dividing a large dataset into smaller segments and processing them concurrently.

Answer

Managing communication and synchronization between processors.

Answer

Coordinating the execution of multiple tasks.

Question 31

Which of the following applications commonly utilizes parallel computing?

Accepted Answer

Scientific simulations

Answer

Email management

Answer

Word processing

Answer

Web browsing

Question 32

Identify the architectural type that is NOT a parallel architecture.

Accepted Answer

Linear

Answer

Vector

Answer

SIMD

Answer

MIMD

Question 33

What is the primary advantage of utilizing parallel computing?

Accepted Answer

Reduced execution time by distributing tasks across multiple processors.

Answer

Improved security through encryption and authentication mechanisms.

Answer

Enhanced graphics performance through dedicated graphics processing units.

Answer

Increased memory capacity through the addition of more memory modules.

Question 34

What is the fundamental purpose of a parallel programming model?

Accepted Answer

To provide an abstraction layer that simplifies the expression of parallelism and hides the underlying hardware details.

Answer

To improve debugging capabilities by facilitating the identification and resolution of errors.

Answer

To optimize memory usage by effectively managing and allocating memory resources.

Answer

To enhance code readability by organizing and structuring the program logically.

Question 35

Select the correct example of a shared memory programming model.

Accepted Answer

OpenMP

Answer

CUDA

Answer

MPI

Answer

SPMD

Question 36

Explain the key distinction between SIMD and MIMD architectures.

Accepted Answer

SIMD executes a single instruction across multiple data elements, while MIMD allows multiple instructions to be executed on multiple data elements.

Answer

SIMD utilizes shared memory, whereas MIMD employs distributed memory.

Question 37

What is the primary function of a thread in parallel programming?

Accepted Answer

To execute a specific task or portion of the program independently and concurrently with other threads.

Answer

To manage memory allocation and deallocation, optimizing memory usage.

Answer

To synchronize data access and ensure data integrity among multiple threads.

Answer

To handle input/output operations and manage data transfer between the program and external devices.

Question 38

Describe the fundamental concept behind data locality in parallel computing.

Accepted Answer

To minimize the cost and latency of accessing data by storing it in close proximity to the processing units that need it.

Answer

To improve the efficiency of data transfer between different components of the parallel computing system.

Answer

To maximize the amount of data that can be stored in the system's memory.

Question 39

Which parallel architecture features multiple processors accessing a shared memory space?

Accepted Answer

Shared memory model

Answer

Hybrid memory model

Answer

Distributed memory model

Question 40

Identify a significant challenge in parallel computing.

Accepted Answer

Data communication overhead

Answer

Compatibility issues

Answer

Limited hardware options

Answer

High implementation costs

Question 41

What is the fundamental objective of parallel programming?

Accepted Answer

Distributing computational tasks across multiple processors

Answer

Reducing code complexity

Answer

Improving memory management

Question 42

Which of the following is a widely used programming model for parallel computing?

Accepted Answer

Message Passing Interface (MPI)

Answer

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

Answer

Structured Query Language (SQL)

Answer

Java Virtual Machine (JVM)

Question 43

When designing parallel algorithms, which factor is crucial to consider?

Accepted Answer

Data dependency

Answer

Memory availability

Answer

Processor speed

Answer

Network bandwidth

Question 44

Identify a specialized tool for debugging parallel programs.

Accepted Answer

Parallel debugger

Answer

Syntax checker

Answer

Code analyzer

Answer

Memory profiler

Question 45

Explain the fundamental distinction between data parallelism and task parallelism.

Accepted Answer

Data parallelism processes independent data elements, while task parallelism divides a task into subtasks

Answer

Task parallelism is more efficient than data parallelism

Answer

Data parallelism is used in shared memory systems, and task parallelism is used in distributed memory systems

Question 46

Which of the following is a disadvantage of parallel computing?

Accepted Answer

Increased software complexity

Answer

Reduced latency

Answer

Faster computations

Answer

Improved efficiency

Question 47

What is the primary function of a parallel debugger?

Accepted Answer

Identifying and resolving concurrency-related issues

Answer

Optimizing code performance

Answer

Detecting syntax errors

Answer

Generating test cases

Question 48

Which of the following is NOT a common domain where parallel computing is applied?

Accepted Answer

Video editing

Answer

Image processing

Answer

Data mining

Answer

Scientific modeling

Question 49

Which of the following is NOT a type of parallel architecture?

Accepted Answer

Sequential

Answer

Shared memory

Answer

Hybrid

Answer

Distributed memory

Question 50

Which of the following programming models is NOT used in parallel computing?

Accepted Answer

Structured

Answer

Shared memory

Answer

Message passing

Answer

Data parallelism

Question 51

What is the primary advantage of parallel computing?

Accepted Answer

Enhanced performance and speed

Answer

Reduced complexity of code

Answer

Lower hardware costs

Question 52

What is the primary function of a load balancer in a parallel system?

Accepted Answer

Distribute workload evenly across processing units

Answer

Manage memory allocation and deallocation

Answer

Detect and resolve deadlocks

Answer

Synchronize threads and processes

Question 53

Which of the following is NOT a technique for optimizing data locality?

Accepted Answer

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks)

Answer

Caching

Answer

Blocking

Answer

Prefetching

Question 54

Describe the fundamental difference between shared memory and distributed memory programming models.

Accepted Answer

In shared memory programming, processes can directly access shared memory, while in distributed memory programming, message passing is required for communication and data exchange between processes.

Answer

Distributed memory is inherently faster than shared memory.

Answer

Shared memory is more scalable than distributed memory.

Question 55

Which of the following algorithms is particularly suitable for parallelization?

Accepted Answer

Matrix multiplication

Answer

Binary search

Answer

Quick sort

Answer

Insertion sort

Question 56

What is the primary purpose of OpenMP?

Accepted Answer

To provide a set of directives for parallelizing code in a shared memory environment

Answer

To enhance the performance of distributed memory systems

Answer

To establish standards for parallel programming languages