The Parallel, Pipeline, and Conventional Computer.

William R. Graham

Expert InsightsPublished 1969

Analysis of parallel and pipeline computers, giving two quantitative bases for computer selection and program construction: (1) the single stage and program execution times required by the two types of machines, and (2) the single stage and complete program efficiencies. Comparison shows that in execution time the results are mixed and it is possible for the advantage to shift between the two machines as the number of steps in a stage increases. Program efficiency is expressed as the ratio of the time required to execute a program if the computer is operating at unit efficiency to the actual execution time. Conceptually new, the parallel computer is based on the idea that two conventional machines can work at twice the rate of one. The pipeline processor gains its edge on the conventional machine by starting retrieval of a second operand before the first result has been returned to the memory. 8 pp.

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Graham, William R., The Parallel, Pipeline, and Conventional Computer. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1969. https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P4221.html.
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