computer science

Jungle computing

Jungle computing is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Jungle computing rather than just read about it. In short: Jungle computing is a form of high performance computing that distributes computational work across cluster, grid and cloud computing. The increasing complexity of the high performance computing environment has provided a range of choices beside traditional supercomputers and clusters.

Key takeaways

Jungle computing belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Jungle computing to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Jungle computing from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Jungle computing is a form of high performance computing that distributes computational work across cluster, grid and cloud computing. The increasing complexity of the high performance computing environment has provided a range of choices beside traditional supercomputers and clusters. Scientists can now use grid and cloud infrastructures, in a variety of combinations along with traditional supercomputers - all connected via fast networks. And the emergence of many-core technologies such as GPUs, as well as supercomputers on chip within these environments has added to the complexity. Thus, high-performance computing can now use multiple diverse platforms and systems simultaneously, giving rise to the term "computing jungle".

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Jungle computing

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Jungle computing claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Jungle computing before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Jungle computing ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Jungle computing

In research: Jungle computing appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Jungle computing in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Jungle computing is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computing stubs, Supercomputing, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Jungle computing outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Jungle computing in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Jungle computing means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Jungle computing out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Jungle computing in simple terms?

Why does Jungle computing matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Jungle computing?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Jungle computing.