array processor
Synonyms
vector processor
(Or "vector processor") A computer, or extension to its arithmetic unit, that is capable of performing simultaneous computations on elements of an array or table of data in some number of dimensions.
The IBM AltiVec (the "Velocity Engine" used in the Apple G4 computers) is a vector processor.
Common uses for array processors include analysis of fluid dynamics and rotation of 3d objects, as well as data retrieval, in which elements of a database are scanned simultaneously. Array processors are very rare now (1998).