The United States is back with having the world’s fastest supercomputer after having fallen behind for more than 5 years. China held the first spot since 2013 and even took on the second spot later in 2016. Last year, Switzerland came up with the third fastest Supercomputer. But the USA is back in the game with its new fastest Supercomputer. The latest supercomputer is named Summit and can perform 200 quadrillion calculations per second. This Supercomputer resides in Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This system is a million times faster than a standard household computer and has two times more work speed than the current record holder. It comprises more than 37,000 processors and takes up space equivalent to two tennis courts.
Contrasting to the current record holder, Sunway TaihuLight, Summit is designed specifically for artificial intelligence. And that’s what makes Summit unique. The Supercomputer has 28,000 machine-learning algorithm optimized graphics processors. Machine learning is a breakthrough in science and technology. And with artificial intelligence being applied almost everywhere, from recognizing an image to playing video games, a machine-learning supercomputer will prove to be an invaluable asset.
Researchers can use the powerful capabilities of Summit in astronomy, chemistry and biology to solve problems. Like figuring out complex DNA structures, or to figure the structure of the protein and even analyze and find points of interest in a telescopic image of space. The ultimate goal of USA, China and several other countries is to build a Supercomputer capable of one quintillion calculations, five times of what Summit can do. The USA hopes to achieve its target in 2021 with Summit’s successor, Aurora.
