Since the publication of the first edition, parallel computing technology has gained considerable momentum. A large proportion of this has come from the improvement in VLSI techniques, offering one to two orders of magnitude more devices than previously possible. A second contributing factor in the fast development of the subject is commercialization. The supercomputer is no longer restricted to a few well-established research institutions and large companies. A new computer breed combining the architectural advantages of the supercomputer with the advance of VLSI technology is now available...