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Multilevel algorithm

To speedup the diffusion algorithm, Horton [41] suggested a multilevel diffusion method. The processor graph was bisected and the load imbalance between the two subgraphs was determined and transferred. This process was repeated recursively until the subgraphs could not be bisected any more. The advantage of the algorithm is that it is guaranteed to converge in $log(p)$ bisections, and the final load will be almost exactly balanced even if the loads are integers. However, because it is not always possible to bisect a connected graph into two connected subgraphs, it was not clear from the paper how to proceed for such a case. Connectivity can of course be restored by adding new edges to a disconnected subgraph. However this is equivalent to moving data between non-neighboring processors and should be avoided.




2000-03-21
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