GRAPE-4 and Beyond

We briefly describe the past, the present and the future of the GRAPE project. GRAPE is specialized computer to perform N-body simulation. We have completed the GRAPE4 system in summer 1995. It is the first computer to achieve the peak speed exceeding 1 Teraflops. We overview some of scientific works being done on GRAPE-4. It is currently used to study various topics such as the pre- and post-collapse evolution of globular clusters, evolution of binary black holes in galactic nuclei, clusters of galaxies, formation of galactic halos, and systems of planetesimals. Finally, We discuss the follow-up project, the Petaflops GRAPE. To develop a Petaflops GRAPE system before the end of century is technologically feasible. It will enable us to tackle the problems that cannot be solved on general-purpose machines before 2010. 1. The past We started to develop GRAPE machines in late 1988, following the proposal which Chikada presented in 1988 Summer school of young astronomers. In his proposal,..