Peking University Emerges Victorious in 2024 ASC Student Supercomputer Challenge Finals

On April 13, 2024, the 2024 ASC Student Supercomputer Challenge (ASC24) Finals drew to a close at Shanghai University after five days of intense competition. Peking University emerged as the undisputed overall champion, securing their place in ASC Student Supercomputer Challenge history.

After ASC24 registration opened on November 16, 2023, over 300 teams from universities participated in the intense preliminary contests. As a result, the absolute best 25 teams ascended to the finals hosted at Shanghai University from April 9 to 13, 2024. This marked a groundbreaking moment in ASC history, with the highest number of teams ever qualifying for onsite finals since the competition's inception in 2012.

During the finals, teams showcased their skills by designing and building cluster systems capped at a maximum power consumption of 3,000 W. They tackled a lineup of cutting-edge scientific and engineering applications, including HPL and HPCG benchmarks, Large Language Model (LLM), OpenCAEPoro, GoMars, and WannierTools. ASC24 featured again a group competition in which 25 teams, divided into 5 groups, explored the real-world application of ParaSeis. They simulated seismic wave propagation and refined algorithms through collaborative communication.

The competition reached its pinnacle when Peking University ultimately seized the coveted Champion title. Their performance not only impressed everyone but also demonstrated exceptional proficiency across various tasks such as GoMars, LLM, and WannierTools. This showed their expertise and unequaled mastery of comprehensive supercomputing systems, applications, and top-tier optimization skills.

The National Tsing Hua University team achieved significant results with the OpenCAEPoro task. They maximized the use of computing resources, executed large-scale parallel optimization of OpenCAEPoro while navigating power consumption constraints, and achieved the shortest run time, securing them the prestigious e Prize.

A collaborative effort led by Shanghai University, in partnership with the Southern University of Science and Technology, Qilu University of Technology, Southwest Petroleum University, and Hong Kong Polytechnic University, achieved remarkable optimization of ParaSeis. Their commendable teamwork and dedication were duly recognized with the prestigious Group Competition Award.

Additionally, the Zhejiang University team secured the Highest LINPACK Award, showcasing their exceptional computational prowess. Meanwhile, the outstanding performances of Shanxi University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University were properly honored with the coveted Application Innovation Award, recognizing their innovative contributions to the field.

Jack Dongarra, a distinguished member of the US National Academy of Engineering and recipient of the prestigious Turing Award, as well as a Distinguished Professor at both Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee, and Chair of the ASC Advisory Committee, shared his insights during the closing ceremony of the ASC24 Finals: "ASC challenges and inspires the next generation of HPC scientists and engineers to deliver innovative solutions using the most cutting-edge technologies. The competition has been described as the world's largest supercomputing hackathon, striving to foster the next generation of young talents to inspire exploration, innovation, and collaboration in Supercomputing and AI."

About ASC

The ASC Student Supercomputer Challenge stands as the globe's premier student supercomputer competition, with the generous support of experts and institutions spanning Asia, Europe, and America. ASC boasts a noble mission: to foster the exchange and cultivation of young supercomputing talent across borders, enhance supercomputing applications and research and development capabilities, propel the advancement of supercomputing technologies, and stimulate technical and industrial innovation. Since its inception in 2012, the ASC Student Supercomputer Challenge has grown every year, attracting over 10,000 undergraduates from every corner of the planet. To discover more about this impactful endeavor, visit the website.

http://www.asc-events.net/StudentChallenge/index.html