[Colloquium] Reminder: [defense] Barati/Dissertation Defense/Jan 31, 2020

[Margaret Jaffey]

This is a reminder about Saeid Barati's dissertation defense tomorrow.

       Department of Computer Science/The University of Chicago

                     *** Dissertation Defense ***


Candidate:  Saeid Barati

Date:  Friday, January 31, 2020

Time:  2:00 PM

Place:  John Crerar Library (JCL) 298

Title: Cross-layer Approximate Computing: From Circuits to Algorithms

Abstract:
Approximate computing frameworks configure applications so they can
operate at a range of points in an accuracy-performance tradeoff
space. Approximations at layers of system stack provides computation
and energy efficiency via lower resource usage by allowing tolerable
errors.

Instead of overprovisioning the resources at each layer, higher
efficiency is achivable if we consider the system stack holistically.
This thesis evaluates cross-layer approximate computing. We explore
three problems: 1) How to compare approximate computing frameworks in
terms of accuracy-efficiency tradeoffs? 2) How to combine them without
negating each other’s optimizations? 3) How to achieve significant
end-to-end optimizations when the entire system stack is considered?

We address the first problem by providing an improved visualization
algorithm to repre- sent tradeoff spaces. We treat the second problem
by introducing a family of combination algorithms without
complexifying design spaces. For the third problem, we bridge the gap
of hardware and software layers by implementing an automated tool that
helps users explore different levels of approximations at software
level and then exploit its output to build a reduced-precision FPU at
hardware level. An approximate memory framework is introduced to
reduce memory energy via voltage overscaling over an on-chip cache.

We wrap up this thesis by forming the first holistic cross-layer
approximate framework which intergrates approximations at various
layers and provides performance and energy improvements in return for
minimal accuracy loss.

Saeid's advisor is Prof. Henry Hoffmann

Login to the Computer Science Department website for details,
including a draft copy of the dissertation:

 https://newtraell.cs.uchicago.edu/phd/phd_announcements#saeid

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Margaret P. Jaffey            margaret at cs.uchicago.edu
Department of Computer Science
Student Support Rep (JCL 350)              (773) 702-6011
The University of Chicago      http://www.cs.uchicago.edu
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