One Vzewpoint on Compntational Science CSE: Content and Product

♦ C omputing has become an essential tool of science and engineering. In tribute to those who brought about this state of affairs it is worth remembering that even as recently as the early 1980s, there was suspicion—sometimes bordering on ridicule—of the value of " the study of computing and computers " or of the importance of computers in scientific research and instruction. 1,2 Even when the legitimacy of computing in science was realized, access was a major problem. A white paper by Larry Smarr that was pivotal for the creation of the NSF supercomputer centers in the United States described the frustration of US scientists in gaining access to supercomputers " hidden " in federal laboratories, causing an exodus of researchers to Europe. (See also Ken Wilson's insightful article. 3) A decade later, the critical role of computers in scientific investigation is on firm ground and access has greatly improved. It is almost taken for granted that by the time of graduation a student in science or engineering will have completed at least an introductory course in computer technology (including basic computer system organization , introduction to some programming languages and data structures, and basic numerical algorithms) and a course in computational methods. The contents of the latter vary considerably across institutions. Curricula range from " numerical analysis " courses offered by mathematics or computer science departments to computational methods offered by the student's home science or engineering department. Nevertheless, the resulting education and training have frequently proven insufficient for the kinds of problems that are routinely encountered today in industry or in meaningful research activities in academia. Furthermore , until recently there existed few forums for the systematic exchange of ideas between computer science and the traditional science and engineering disciplines. Computational science and engineering (CSE) programs attempt to provide the institutional support, in terms of personnel and infrastructure, to address such needs in research and education. 4 In this article we describe our view of the area and relate it to the problem-solving processes in science and engineering. Realities: The world is interdisciplinary Fundamental to our discussion is the gradual acceptance, from a segment of the science and engineering community , of the fact that synergy of the disciplines is essential for the effective solution of hard problems in research. To put this into perspective, it is worth noting that historically the predominant model in conducting scientific …