Cluster of stars

Ability to calculate

Han notes that what supercomputing is trying to achieve is the highest speed of computational power and adds that it ideally suited to any subject that requires a massive amount of calculating ability.

Take weather forecasts as an example. To calculate future weather patterns, the map is separated into grid boxes and there are various data points within them that are taken into consideration, including temperature, humidity, wind direction and wind power.

There are two ways of making the forecast more accurate－one way is to make the grid boxes smaller and the other is to calculate with greater levels of iteration－that's when supercomputing comes to the fore－when massive amounts of calculation are required in an increasingly limited time.

Han began tutoring Tsinghua University's supercomputing team in 2016. He explains that, each year after the senior students graduate, they recruit new members.

Han says all team members are from the department of computer science and technology, and most of them have taken part in computer competitions during high school.

"There are usually five to six students in a team, and each of them has his or her own responsibilities－one or two members run each application, and in these 'sub-teams', as well as running the tests, one member will compile a presentation and the other will write a report. So it's a multitasking job for each member," he explains.

"It's a competition that tests a comprehensive number of abilities."

After each competition, whether they win or lose, the team members will review their processes and discuss which areas can be improved upon.

"We are aiming to be the champion of each competition we enter, but we are not result-oriented. We hope our students can actually learn something from the competition, and learn what supercomputing is," Han says.

The competition is a good practice for the students, whether for scientific research or solving practical problems in the future, he adds.

"The competition is a microcosm of a modern high-performance computing center, which I hope inspires the students to pursue a career in supercomputing."

Song, a junior student, joined the team last year. He says before the competition he was unclear about how cluster computing actually worked. By preparing for the competition, he was able to gain access to advanced equipment and learn about how certain applications are run.

"It's a field that is doing something practical," he says.

Han says the development of supercomputing has come a long way－it started with the invention of the computer in 1946.

Supercomputing is relatively unpopular among science students, many of whom will choose other fields, such as artificial intelligence which is closer to people's daily lives.

Han is glad to see that through the competition, some students are drawn to pursuing their master's study, and even a career, in cluster computing.

Zhang says to prepare for each competition she needs to embark on additional study of related subjects to the applications she will be running. It allows her an insight into varied array of other fields.

"Each time I compete, I gain a little more knowledge about different applications and techniques, so it's a continuous process of learning," she says.

"The competition also points to the direction I want to take in my future research."

Expecting to finish her major with the highest distinction, and after scooping a 15,000 yuan ($2,300) scholarship prize from Tsinghua for her exemplary performance as a bachelor student, it is perhaps unsurprising that, upon graduating in June, Zhang is set to pursue a master's degree in supercomputing.

It does not take a cluster computing system to calculate that Han will be pleased to hear that.

Contact the writer at liyingxue@chinadaily.com.cn