computer science

Metacomputing

Metacomputing 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 Metacomputing rather than just read about it. In short: Metacomputing is all computing and computing-oriented activity which involves computing knowledge (science and technology) utilized for the research, development and application of different types of computing. It may also deal with numerous types of computing applications, such as: industry, business, management and human-related management.

Key takeaways

Metacomputing 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 Metacomputing to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Metacomputing from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Metacomputing is all computing and computing-oriented activity which involves computing knowledge (science and technology) utilized for the research, development and application of different types of computing. It may also deal with numerous types of computing applications, such as: industry, business, management and human-related management. New emerging fields of metacomputing focus on the methodological and technological aspects of the development of large computer networks/grids, such as the Internet, intranet and other territorially distributed computer networks for special purposes.

Uses

In computer science Metacomputing, as a computing of computing, includes: the organization of large computer networks, choice of the design criteria (for example: peer-to-peer or centralized solution) and metacomputing software (middleware, metaprogramming) development where, in the specific domains, the concept metacomputing is used as a description of software meta-layers which are networked platforms for the development of user-oriented calculations, for example for computational physics and bio-informatics. Here, serious scientific problems of systems/networks complexity emerge, not only related to domain-dependent complexities but focused on systemic meta-complexity of computer network infrastructures. Metacomputing is also a useful descriptor for self-referential programming systems. Often these systems are functional as fifth-generation computer languages which require the use of an underlying metaprocessor software operating system in order to be operative. Typically metacomputing occurs in an interpreted or real-time compiling system since the changing nature of information in processing results may result in an unpredictable compute state throughout the existence of the metacomputer (the information state operated upon by the metacomputing platform).

In socio-cognitive engineering From the human and social perspectives, metacomputing is especially focused on: human-computer software, cognitive interrelations/interfaces, the possibilities of the development of intelligent computer grids for the cooperation of human organizations, and on ubiquitous computing technologies. In particular, it relates to the development of software infrastructures for the computational modeling and simulation of cognitive architectures for various decision support systems.

In systemics and from philosophical perspective Metacomputing refers to the general problems of computationality of human knowledge, to the limits of the transformation of human knowledge and individual thinking to the form of computer programs. These and similar questions are also of interest of mathematical psychology.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Metacomputing

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Metacomputing 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 Metacomputing 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 Metacomputing 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 Metacomputing

In research: Metacomputing 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 Metacomputing 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: Metacomputing is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Classes of computers, Systems theory, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Metacomputing 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.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Metacomputing in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Metacomputing 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 Metacomputing out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Metacomputing in simple terms?

Why does Metacomputing 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 Metacomputing?

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 Metacomputing.