Examples of important US Department of Energy (DOE) supercomputer applications are given, including energy systems design, weapons systems design, and basic research. Computational techniques used in these applications are discussed, along with results and outstanding problems. The DOE's approach to providing supercomputer resources to its researchers is outlined, including descriptions of the supercomputer resources available to various programs. In addition, the DOE research programs in parallel architectures, algorithms, and mathematical methods are discussed.>

A system for the automatic digitization of polygon boundaries is described. Digitized map files are created from a driver tape containing identification codes and approximate centroids of polygonal boundaries (e.g., census tracts), and a film image of the map. The digitizer scans on the film plane in an automatic line-following mode, producing the first stage of the map file for the editing system. The MAPEDIT system, which can be used either interactively or in batch mode, reads maps in several standard formats and provides for combining and selecting maps by census (or other) geocodes or by longitude and latitude. This system provides several stages of data compression, analysis, and verification, including algorithms for detecting straight lines, finding corners, fitting insets of maps together and matching boundaries common to a pair of polygons. Auxiliary programs (1) provide a very high resolution (1 part in 25,000) C.R.T. plot of the map, (2) allow a detailed examination and editing of the map and (3) supply missing geocodes using auxiliary tapes such as the Medlist tapes.

CARTE is the graphics display program of the LBL Computer Mapping System, producing thematic maps on microfilm at one hundredth the cost of producing negatives by hand. The program matches a geographical area with statistical data to produce graphic output on 35mm film in the form of cross-hatchedmaps for single-color printing or slides, or color separation frames for multi-color printing (either computer-generateddot screens or total mask frames for photographic screening).A versatile set of directives allows the user to design the map and a corresponding report, and to specify such features as automatic placement of area names, calculation of a smooth distribution for color coding, and boundary clipping to specified limits for sectioning a map.