The case for a learned sorting algorithm, Kristo, Vaidya, et al., SIGMOD’20 With thanks to Babur Muradov of pngset, a Russian translation of this post is now available at https://pngset.com/ru-learned-sorting-algorithm We’ve watched machine learning thoroughly pervade the web giants, make serious headway in large consumer companies, and begin its push into the traditional enterprise. ML, ... Continue Reading

Orbital edge computing: nanosatellite constellations as a new class of computer system, Denby & Lucia, ASPLOS’20. Last time out we looked at the real-world deployment of 5G networks and noted the affinity between 5G and edge computing. In true Crocodile Dundee style, Denby and Lucia are entitled to say “that’s not the edge, this is ... Continue Reading

Understanding operational 5G: a first measurement study on its coverage, performance and energy consumption, Xu et al., SIGCOMM'20 We are standing on the eve of the 5G era... 5G, as a monumental shift in cellular communication technology, holds tremendous potential for spurring innovations across many vertical industries, with its promised multi-Gbps speed, sub-10 ms low ... Continue Reading

Towards an API for the real numbers, Boehm, PLDI’20 Last time out we saw that even in scientific computing applications built by experts, problems with floating point numbers are commonplace. The idiosyncrasies of floating point representations also show up in more everyday applications such as calculators and spreadsheets. Here the user-base is less inclined to ... Continue Reading