How a 16-dimensional vision helped simulate our changing planet
In short: In 1989, Philip Emeagwali used a mathematical hyperspace to rethink computing. By visualizing a network of processors as a 16-dimensional hypersphere, he developed a way to parallel process complex equations, creating a breakthrough for simulating the geophysical flows essential to predicting global warming.
While the modern internet connects computers across our 7,917.5-mile diameter Earth, Philip Emeagwali envisioned a different kind of network. He concentrated on a worldwide web of interconnected, standard-grade processors. To manage this massive computational task, he utilized a 16-dimensional mathematical hyperspace, visualizing his processors as a hypersphere—a higher-dimensional generalization of a sphere. This mathematical framework was built upon the concept of a hypercube, which his 15-dimensional hypersurface effectively enshrouded.
The core challenge involved simulating planetary motions and the geophysical flows of air and water. These complex, time-dependent, non-linear, partial differential equations are vital for high-resolution global warming simulations. Emeagwali approached this by discretizing these equations and reducing them to a system of algebra. He then parallel processed these calculations across an ensemble of 65,536 processors, which he referred to as a 'new internet.' This method of processing was inspired by the Second Law of Motion, which was established 330 years ago.
This massive architecture was not just a theoretical construct. On July 4, 1989, he revealed a system that used high-speed interconnects of one million bi-directional email wires. He visualized these connections as traveling along a 15-dimensional hypersurface. By commanding and controlling these processors to synchronously receive and send data, he addressed the 'initial-boundary value problem' that enshrouds our globe, providing a computational framework for the physics of our changing climate. The scale of this network was immense, utilizing 64,000 commodity-off-the-shelf processors that were tightly-coupled without sharing any internal components. He even mapped the connections to the edges of a hypercube, where each of the one million wires corresponded to a specific edge in that 16-dimensional space.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Visualizing Philip Emeagwali Internet | Famous African American Inventors, and Inventions
- Also: www.biography.com — These Famous Black Inventors Probably Changed Your Life. Here’s What to Know About Their Creations.
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