Indiana University to dedicate fastest university-owned computer

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana University is about to reclaim the title of having the fastest university-owned supercomputer in the nation.

IU officials are going to dedicate the Big Red II supercomputer on April 26. It’s capable of operating at a peak rate of one petaflop, or 1,000 trillion calculations per second. That’s 25 times faster than the university’s original Big Red supercomputer, acquired in 2006.

IU officials say the computer will help scientists and scholars accelerate breakthroughs in fields that are changing the way people live, work, learn and grow. IU President Michael McRobbie will be among those at the dedication.

McRobbie said in announcing the purchase in October that the supercomputer would play a major role in recruiting outstanding new faculty and creating research funding opportunities for existing faculty.