A Systolic Algorithm for the Generalized Transitive Closure

Abstract

Systolic Algorithms are computational procedures which may be efficiently implemented on systems which are representable as finite, deterministic, time-invariant, cellular automata. It is important to recall that the VLSI requirements of planarity, modularity of design and very short communication paths are inherent properties of systolic systems CKULE 78, SAVA 81]. That is why they constitute a very promising area in computer architecture at the VLSI or WSI levels. The usual criticism with respect to systolic systems is that they are too specialized: they achieve a very high efficiency at the price of inflexibility.