n-bodies: a parallel TBB solution: serial bodies test run

By Robert Reed (Intel) (25 posts) on September 29, 2009 at 3:53 pm

Let’s take the body interaction code I laid out last time, combine it with the other parts laid out previously and run it. Dropping the fleshed out program into a Microsoft Visual Studio* project, I quickly rediscover something:

Oops, that’s right. bodies007.cpp relies on language extensions available in the Intel® Compiler version 11, some early arrivals from the C++0x standard. Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to switch compilers.

With the Intel C++ Compiler installed in Visual Studio from either of the regular distribution packages, the Compiler Professional Edition or Intel Parallel Composer, switching compilers is just a click away.

OK, two clicks. I did try to build already, so I’ll let the system clean up the project files.

Viola!!! The project now uses the Intel C++ compiler.

One more configuration setting to enable C++0x support:

And now it compiles!

Dropping the serial code into the test program I’ve prepared gives access to a simple command processor that allows me to select that kernel for one of several tests. A simple ramp, testing the algorithm with varying values of n, can be launched by putting this in the command line: select serial

Looks like the time it takes to complete the simulation (I’m running 1000 time steps for each body-count) is going up more than four times for every doubling of the number of bodies; in fact, if I plot it on a logarithmic scale, I can see the exponential growth: