Andrew Healey • 6/25/2026

A Tiny Compiler for Data-Parallel Kernels

This article describes the creation of a tiny compiler (~180 lines of Python) that lowers data-parallel kernels into an intermediate representation where parallelism is explicit. It explains how scalar loops are transformed into vector_for loops with lanes and masks, enabling SIMD/SIMT execution. The compiler handles uniform vs varying values and uses masked operations for boundary conditions. This is a technical deep dive into compiler optimization for parallel hardware, relevant to programming, software development, and computer architecture.

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#Python #compiler #simd