Computational steering

<h2 id="examples">Examples</h2>
<p>A simple, but contrived, example of computational steering is:
</p>
<ul><li>In a simulated <a href="/facts/Chess_match/47ykvkHF">chess match</a> with two automated players: manually forcing a certain move at a particular time for one player, to change the evolution of the game.</li></ul>
<p>Some real examples of computational steering are:
</p>
<ul><li>In a <a href="/facts/Population_dynamics/WXbtbncd">population dynamics</a> simulation: changing selection pressures exerted between hosts and parasites, to examine the effect on their coevolution.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a></li></ul>
<ul><li>In a <a href="/facts/Fluid_dynamics/y7uzSCfg">fluid dynamics</a> simulation: resetting the phase state of an immiscible fluid, to speed the search for its critical separation temperature.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a></li></ul>
<h2 id="system-design">System design</h2>
<p>Computational steering systems are a manner of feedback <a href="/facts/Control_system/8CEjIDlS">control system</a>, where some or all of the <a href="/facts/Feedback/XnuWH3zp">feedback</a> is provided interactively by the operator.
</p><p>All computational steering mechanisms have three fundamental components:
</p>
<ul><li>A target system that is being studied</li>
<li>A representation of the target system, typically a graphical visualization, that can be perceived by the investigator</li>
<li>A set of controls that the investigator can use to provide feedback that modifies the state, behavior, or product of the system being studied</li></ul>
<h2 id="disambiguation">Disambiguation</h2>
<p>There appears to be a distinction that the term <i>computational steering</i> is used only when referring to interaction with simulated systems, not operational ones. Further clarification on this point is needed. For example: Vetter (who is apparently well acquainted with the computational steering field<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a>
) refers to the following practice as <i>interactive steering</i>.
</p>
<ul><li>In a <a href="/facts/Grid_computing/2GQhzN5l">grid computing</a> framework: adjusting the cache size of a computational process, to examine the effect on its performance.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a></li></ul>
<h2 id="computational-steering-software">Computational steering software</h2>
<ul><li>SCIRun</li>
<li><a href="http://www.csm.ornl.gov/cs/cumulvs.html">Cumulvs</a></li>
<li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080212124213/http://www.cwi.nl/projects/cse/cse.html">CSE</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.realitygrid.org">RealityGrid</a></li>
<li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120407051108/http://www.cs.bris.ac.uk/home/cszjpc/esta/index.html">EStA</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>Bullock, Seth; John Cartlidge; Martin Thompson (2002). "Prospects for Computational Steering of Evolutionary Computation". Workshop Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Artificial Life. MIT Press. pp. 131–137. <a href="/wiki/MIT_Press" target="_blank">/wiki/MIT_Press</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>Love, Peter; Jeremy Martin (2000). "Steering High Performance Parallel Programs: A Case Study". Communicating Process Architectures 2000. IOS Press. pp. 99–108. <a href="/wiki/IOS_Press" target="_blank">/wiki/IOS_Press</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>Vetter, Jeffrey (1997). "Computational Steering Annotated Bibliography". SIGPLAN Notices. 32 (6): 40–44. doi:10.1145/261353.261359. <a href="/wiki/SIGPLAN_Notices" target="_blank">/wiki/SIGPLAN_Notices</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:4"><p>Vetter, Jeffrey; Reed, Daniel (November 2000). "Real-time Performance Monitoring, Adaptive Control, and Interactive Steering of Computational Grids". International Journal of High Performance Computing Applications. 14: 357–366. doi:10.1177/109434200001400407. <a href="/wiki/International_Journal_of_High_Performance_Computing_Applications" target="_blank">/wiki/International_Journal_of_High_Performance_Computing_Applications</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

Computational steering open-in-new

Computational steering