NHR PerfLab Seminar: Exploring Compilers for HPC (September 2, online)
Speaker: Matt Godbolt, Freelance C++ Developer
Date and time: Tuesday, September 2, 2025, 2:00 p.m. CEST
Place: Online via Zoom: https://go-nhr.de/perflab-seminar
Abstract:
Modern HPC applications push the boundaries of computational performance, yet developers can treat their compilers as black boxes, missing critical optimization opportunities that could transform their code’s efficiency. In this interactive session, Matt will demonstrate how understanding your compiler’s decision-making can unlock performance improvements in HPC workloads. Through live demonstrations using Compiler Explorer, attendees will discover how modern compilers handle vectorization, loop transformations, and memory access patterns. Matt will show some of the lesser-known features of Compiler Explorer that can help you better understand what’s going on under the hood.
This presentation bridges the gap between high-level HPC programming abstractions and the machine code that ultimately executes on your clusters. Matt will help you analyze your own HPC code’s assembly output, understand why certain optimizations succeed or fail, and leverage our amazing compilers to achieve peak performance.
Short bio:
Matt Godbolt is a C++ developer with a passion for striking the balance between readable, maintainable code and high-performance solutions. He is fascinated by looking under the hood, whether that’s exploring the inner workings of compilers, operating systems, or even the silicon powering our devices.
By day, Matt applies his expertise in C++ to write software for the finance industry. By night, he pursues a range of hobby projects, from emulating vintage computers in the browser and building embedded systems to developing and maintaining the Compiler Explorer website.
For a list of past and upcoming NHR PerfLab seminar events, please see: https://hpc.fau.de/research/nhr-perflab-seminar-series/