Editing Parallel algorithm (section)

{{Short description|Algorithm which can do multiple operations in a given time}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2012}}
In [[computer science]], a '''parallel algorithm''', as opposed to a traditional [[serial algorithm]], is an [[algorithm]] which can do multiple operations in a given time. It has been a tradition of [[computer science]] to describe serial algorithms in [[abstract machine]] models, often the one known as [[random-access machine]]. Similarly, many computer science researchers have used a so-called [[parallel random-access machine]] (PRAM) as a parallel abstract machine (shared-memory).<ref>{{cite web |title=Parallel Algorithms |first1=Guy E. |last1=Blelloch |first2=Bruce M. |last2=Maggs |publisher=School of Computer Science, [[Carnegie Mellon University]] |location=USA |access-date=2015-07-27 |url=https://www.cs.cmu.edu/~guyb/papers/BM04.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Thinking in Parallel: Some Basic Data-Parallel Algorithms and Techniques, 104 pages |first=Uzi |last=Vishkin |publisher=Class notes of courses on parallel algorithms taught since 1992 at the University of Maryland, College Park, Tel Aviv University and the Technion |date=2009 |url=http://users.umiacs.umd.edu/~vishkin/PUBLICATIONS/classnotes.pdf}}</ref>

Many parallel algorithms are executed [[concurrent computing|concurrently]] – though in general [[concurrent algorithm]]s are a distinct concept – and thus these concepts are often conflated, with which aspect of an algorithm is parallel and which is concurrent not being clearly distinguished. Further, non-parallel, non-concurrent algorithms are often referred to as "[[sequential algorithm]]s", by contrast with concurrent algorithms.