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Information processing at work: On a theory for experimental algorithm complexity

Cisternino, Antonio and Ferragina, Paolo and Morelli, Davide and Coppola, Massimo (2010) Information processing at work: On a theory for experimental algorithm complexity. Technical Report del Dipartimento di Informatica . Università di Pisa, Pisa, IT.

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    Abstract

    <p>It is common experience to upgrade firmware of mobile devices and obtain longer battery life, living proof of how software affects power consumption of a device. Despite this empirical observation, there is a lack for models and methodologies correlating computations with power consumption [3-5]. In this paper we propose an experimental approach to computational complexity and a methodology for conducting measures which result independent of the underlying system running the algorithm/software to be tested. Early experimental results are presented and discussed, showing that our methodology is robust and can be used in many settings. We also introduce the foundations of a theory for experimental algorithm complexity, which mimics what is predicted by the classic theory of computational complexity (big-O or Theta notations), except for some notable exceptions that we highlight and comment. This theory is validated in many scenarios, by considering several architectures and algorithms. Because of the relation between time complexity and energy consumption, we may suggest that our work measures the “information work”: namely, the energy required for performing information processing.</p><p />

    Item Type: Book
    Uncontrolled Keywords: energy-profiling of algorithms, power consumption models, RAM model, Energon, experimental algorithm complexity, green computing
    Subjects: Area01 - Scienze matematiche e informatiche > INF/01 - Informatica
    Divisions: Dipartimenti (until 2012) > DIPARTIMENTO DI INFORMATICA
    Depositing User: dott.ssa Sandra Faita
    Date Deposited: 04 Dec 2014 09:49
    Last Modified: 04 Dec 2014 09:49
    URI: http://eprints.adm.unipi.it/id/eprint/2257

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