A parallel approach to row-based VLSI layout using stochastic hill-climbing

Parallel algorithms based on stochastic hill-climbing and parallel algorithms based on simple elements of a genetic algorithm for the one-sided bipartite crossing number problem, used in row-based VLSI layout, were investigated. These algorithms were run on a PVM cluster. The experiments show that the parallel approach does not bring faster computation but it does, however, much more importantly, bring a better quality solution to the problem, i.e. it generates drawings with lower numbers of pairwise edge crossings.