Foundations of High-Performance Computing

Foundations of High Performance Computing: A Comprehensive Guide to Systems, Concepts, and Programming offers a comprehensive reference on high-performance computing (HPC). Laying the groundwork for the companion text, High-Performance Computing: Applications and Frontiers, this book serves as a comprehensive introduction to the fundamental concepts, systems, and introductory programming techniques. It focuses on infrastructure, programming basics, and practical access to HPC systems, covering the evolution of HPC and offering an architectural overview of HPC systems. In addition, it explores resource management and performance metrics in parallel systems, discussing practical access to HPC and considering the concepts behind distributed and shared memory.

Other sections focuses on OpenMP for multithreading, MPI programming, GPU computing, OpenACC, and CUDA, and parallel I/O, data management, filesystems, cloud based HPC, and virtualization. The book concludes with a reference and glossary, equipping the reader with a thorough grounding in the basics of HPC and providing a comprehensive, multidisciplinary guide on the principles and concepts that underpin high performance computing. It is designed for graduate students, early-career professionals, and researchers seeking to build a solid foundation in HPC.

"Foundations of High-Performance Computing arrives at an opportune time.... The progression is logical and effective, allowing readers to build knowledge incrementally rather than being overwhelmed by advanced concepts too early.... The author's background as both an educator and practitioner is evident throughout the text.... Particularly valuable are the chapters devoted to parallel programming models. Readers are introduced to OpenMP, MPI, GPU computing, OpenACC, and CUDA.... Hands-on examples, exercises, and supporting code repositories reinforce the material and make the concepts more accessible.... Diez manages to present these topics in a manner that is approachable without being overly simplistic.... [The book] provides a timely and valuable introduction.... Oscar Diez has produced a well-organized, comprehensive, and highly readable guide to the fundamentals of high-performance computing.... It is a strong addition to the growing body of HPC literature and an excellent starting point for readers seeking to enter the field." Review by Craig Mullins, Data and Technology Today, June 2026