[Python-Dev] Looking for master thesis ideas involving Python

[Brett C.]

Dennis Allison wrote:

> How about re-engineering the interpreter to make it more MP friendly?
> (This is probably a bigger task than a Masters thesis.)  The current
> interpreter serializes on the global interpreter lock (GIL) and blocks
> everything.  Is there another approach which would allow processing to
> continue?  Guido said once that there was an attempt to change the
> granularity of the locking, but that it quickly became overly complex and
> unstable.  Perhaps some of Maurice Herlihy's ideas may be adapted to the
> problem.  Moreover, it may not be necessary that the interpreter state be
> consistent and deterministic all the time as long as it eventually
> produces the same answer as a deterministic equivalent.  There may be
> interpreter organizations which move forward optimistically, ignoring
> potential locking problems and then (if necessary) recoveri, and these
> may have better performance than the more conservative ones.  Or they may 
> not.  Some kind of performance tests and evaluations would need to be
> part of any such study.
> 

As you said, Dennis, this might be too big for a masters thesis.  But it 
definitely would be nice to have solved.  I will definitely think about it.

-Brett