Tensor Core Optimization for Graph Neural Network Computation
Keywords:
graph neural networks; tensor cores; heterogeneous computing; GPU kernel design; sparse acceleration; sustainable artificial intelligence; algorithmic governance; system architectureAbstract
Graph neural networks have become a central computational paradigm for learning over relational data, with applications ranging from recommendation and fraud detection to molecular property prediction, transportation forecasting, and scientific simulation. Their growing scale has made hardware acceleration a first-order concern, particularly because graph workloads combine dense feature transformations with sparse, irregular message passing. Tensor cores, originally designed for dense matrix multiplication in deep learning, offer substantial throughput advantages, yet their efficient use for graph neural network computation is not automatic. This paper examines tensor core optimization for graph neural networks from a system-level perspective rather than a narrow kernel-tuning perspective. It analyzes the architectural mismatch between dense tensor arithmetic and graph sparsity, considers memory movement, interconnect pressure, scheduling, compilation, and heterogeneous deployment, and explores how hardware acceleration decisions shape sustainability, robustness, fairness, and governance. The central argument is that tensor core optimization should be treated as a socio-technical infrastructure problem, not merely a performance engineering problem. Achieving durable gains requires co-design across graph representations, kernel abstractions, compiler scheduling, hardware topology, cloud procurement, and accountability mechanisms. The paper concludes that accelerated graph learning systems must be evaluated not only by throughput and latency but also by energy intensity, reproducibility, robustness under approximation, equitable access, and the ability to audit consequential decisions.
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