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	revision 306, Tue Aug 17 16:36:59 2010 UTC	revision 307, Tue Aug 17 18:09:10 2010 UTC
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33	of processing images is increasing as devices produce images of higher	of processing images is increasing as devices produce images of higher
34	resolution (\eg{}, typical CT scans have gone from $128^3$ to roughly $512^3$	resolution (\eg{}, typical CT scans have gone from $128^3$ to roughly $512^3$
35	resolutions~\cite{GLK:Reiser2008}).	resolutions~\cite{GLK:Reiser2008}).
36	With the latest scanning technologies, it is also more common for the the values measured at	With the latest scanning technologies, it is also more common for the values measured at
37	each sample to be multi-dimensional rather than a single scalar, which	each sample to be multi-dimensional rather than a single scalar, which
38	further complicates implementing mathematically correct methods.	further complicates implementing mathematically correct methods.
39	% diffusion-weighted MRI now commonly measures at least 30 value per	% diffusion-weighted MRI now commonly measures at least 30 value per
#	Line 47	Line 47
47	not in a position to implement correspondingly sophisticated analysis	not in a position to implement correspondingly sophisticated analysis
48	algorithms that run on the latest parallel hardware, which reinforces the	algorithms that run on the latest parallel hardware, which reinforces the
49	gap between the class of methods advanced by computer science	gap between the class of methods advanced by computer science
50	research, and those that gain currency in scientific research	research and those that gain currency in scientific research
51	applications.	applications.
52
53	We propose a new way to express and implement image-analysis algorithms that	We propose a new way to express and implement image-analysis algorithms that
54	strives for both efficiency and flexibility.	strives for both efficiency and flexibility.
55	Our proposed approach is based on a \emph{domain-specific language} (DSL)	Our proposed approach is based on a \emph{domain-specific language} (DSL)
56	that encapsulates the mathematical ingredients of working in	that encapsulates the mathematical ingredients of working in
57	a smooth image domain (reconstructed from discrete samples), and	a smooth image domain (reconstructed from discrete samples) and
58	offers a powerful abstraction with which analysis algorithms can be	offers a powerful abstraction with which analysis algorithms can be
59	decomposed into a coordinated set of actors that capture the parallelism	decomposed into a coordinated set of actors that capture the parallelism
60	inherent in these algorithms.	inherent in these algorithms.
61
62	One advantage of DSLs is that they provide a high-level programming language	One advantage of DSLs is that they provide a high-level programming model
63	that allows domain experts to program using the natural notation and concepts of the domain.	that allows domain experts to program using the natural notation and concepts of the domain.
64	For example, parser generators, such as Yacc~\cite{yacc}, allow language syntax	For example, parser generators, such as Yacc~\cite{yacc}, allow language syntax
65	to be specified using the notation of context-free grammars. Form compilers,	to be specified using the notation of context-free grammars, and form compilers,
66	such as FFC~\cite{ffc}, take high-level descriptions of a finite element variational form	such as FFC~\cite{ffc}, take high-level descriptions of a finite element variational form
67	and generate low-level C code for efficient evaluation of the element tensor	and generate low-level C code for efficient evaluation of the element tensor
68	and associated quantities.	and associated quantities.
69	But we can also view DSLs as the input to a program generator.	A second advantage is that DSLs allow for \emph{domain-specific} optimizations,
70	Program generators have proven to be a very effective way to get portable	which can result in highly-efficient implementations.
71	high-performance code.	Thirdly, we can view a DSL as a program generator, which have proven to be
72		a very effective way to get portable high-performance code.
73	For example, the leading FFT library (FFTW~\cite{fftw}) uses a program generator	For example, the leading FFT library (FFTW~\cite{fftw}) uses a program generator
74	to generate versions of the FFT algorithm that are specialized for many different	to generate versions of the FFT algorithm that are specialized for many different
75	hardware targets.	hardware targets.
76	Thus, DSLs can provide both a very high-level programming model and very high-performance	Thus, DSLs can provide both a very high-level programming model with very high-performance
77	executables.	executables on a variety of target platforms.
78
79	As others have argued~\cite{hanrahan:dsl-gpu}, the use of DSLs for parallelism	As others have argued~\cite{hanrahan:dsl-gpu}, the use of DSLs for parallelism
80	is particularly advantageous.	is particularly advantageous.
#	Line 89	Line 90
90	DSLs provide a high-level interface to such program generators.	DSLs provide a high-level interface to such program generators.
91	Our proposed research follows this model of fixing the application domain (to image	Our proposed research follows this model of fixing the application domain (to image
92	analysis in our case) and combining domain-specific optimizations with target-specific	analysis in our case) and combining domain-specific optimizations with target-specific
93	program generation to get high-level programming language with high performance.	program generation to get a high-level programming language with high performance.
94
95	There are three equally important aspects of the proposed research.	There are three equally important aspects of the proposed research.
96	\begin{enumerate}	\begin{enumerate}
97	\item	\item
98	To design a high-level, domain-specific	To design a high-level, mathematical programming model that allows existing
99	programming model that allows existing visualization and analysis	visualization and analysis methods to be expressed in simple and readily
100	methods to be expressed in simple and readily understood programs.	understood programs.
101	\item	\item
102	To test and evolve this programming model by exploring a range of	To test and evolve this programming model by exploring a range of
103	both established and novel image-analysis algorithms.	both established and novel image-analysis algorithms.
#	Line 111	Line 112
112	in both parallel and sequential language design and implementation, and PI Kindlmann, who	in both parallel and sequential language design and implementation, and PI Kindlmann, who
113	has extensive domain expertise in the area of image analysis.	has extensive domain expertise in the area of image analysis.
114	The proposed research will make contributions to both the area of parallel-language	The proposed research will make contributions to both the area of parallel-language
115	design and implementation and to the area of image analysis.	design and implementation and to the area of image analysis and visualization.
116
117	The proposal is organized as follows.	The proposal is organized as follows.
118	In the next section, we give an overview of the image-analysis domain	In the next section, we give an overview of the image-analysis domain

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