China has regained the lead in supercomputing from the United States, intensifying rivalry in a field with broad effects on research, security and global relations. On Tuesday, researchers announced that LineShine, a large system based in Shenzhen, topped global performance benchmarks for the fastest computers. The machine distinguished itself by depending solely on ordinary microprocessors rather than specialized graphics processors typically used for intensive calculations. This approach may offer an improved method for combining artificial intelligence with conventional scientific computing, according to Jack Dongarra, who helps compile the Top500 ranking of leading supercomputers.
