An irreversible shift towards multicore processors is underway. Building multicore processors delivers on the promise of Moore's Law, but it creates an enormous problem for both software developers and microprocessor vendors. Multicore processors are parallel computers, and parallel computers are notoriously difficult to program. To exploit all available performance in these new processors, the industry must deliver "parallel" or "multi-threaded" applications that can leverage parallel machines.
This multicore software problem represents a sea change in software development that mandates:
- Redesign of serial programs built to run on single-core processors; and
- Retraining of vast numbers of programmers - unless a new solution becomes available.
Cilk Arts has been formed to deliver that solution - to provide the easiest, quickest, and most reliable way to maximize application performance on multicore processors.
We are developing the Cilk++ platform, which enables C++ developers to easily exploit multicore processors. Cilk++ is inspired by 15 years of research at MIT.
In the following video, Duncan McCallum, CEO of Cilk Arts, discusses the multicore programming challenge facing the industry, the mission and core values of Cilk Arts.