The Intel Math Kernel Library version 2.1 is mostly a bug fix and performance-enhancing release.

Release History

The Intel Math Kernel Library version 2.0 included the following new features:

• A set of test functions (BLAS levels 1, 2, and 3 [S, D, C, Z] and FFT) and a set of timing functions. You can build the testing and timing functions with the makefiles provided. Batch files are provided to test and time the programs in different combinations such as running all the tests or all the timing programs.

• Release 2.0 was optimized for the Pentium^® Pro and Pentium II processors. However, performance is also good on Pentium processors. In addition to the optimizations to best use the features of the Pentium Pro and Pentium II processors, the BLAS level 3 routines have been threaded to run on as many processors as your system has. The software will use as many of those processors as you specify through the setting of an environment variable. The release notes contain instructions on how to use more than one processor.

• The best optimization results of the library can be obtained when run on the Pentium Pro or Pentium II processor.

Release 1.0 was the first public release of the Intel Math Kernel Library. It was generally distributed on the IAL (Intel Architecture Labs) Software Developer CD. The original beta release was in November, 1994. It was revised, optimized for the Pentium processor, and released as version 1.0 in May, 1995.