Coping with uncertainty and stress: a parallel computation approach

This paper is concerned with computations whose characteristics are akin to certain unique phenomena that occur in di erent domains of science. We are particularly interested in systems whose parameters are altered unpredictably whenever one of these parameters is measured or modi ed. Examples of such computational environments include those in which Heisenberg's uncertainty principle of quantum physics is witnessed, or those in which Le Châtelier's principle of chemical systems under stress manifests itself. A study of these systems uncovers computations that are inherently parallel in the strong sense, meaning that they are e ciently executed in parallel, but impossible to carry out sequentially.