The Kahn Process Network (KPN) model is a type of formal dataflow model that is highly useful for modeling and exploiting functional parallelism in streaming data applications (such as signal processing). This model consists of concurrent processes communicating via one-way channels that are first-in first-out queues. The model maps easily to multi-threaded and/or multi-processor targets. The KPN model has an important quality that it guarantees determinacy regardless of the rates or order in which processes execute. Thus, the correctness of a computation under this model does not depend on the use of explicit synchronization mechanisms. Moreover, KPN facilitates code-reuse and eases system design.
Our research explores three dimensions of the problems confronting the KPN model:
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