COMPUTATIONAL ASTROPHYSICS IN ITALY: METHODS AND TOOLS

Modern science is becoming more and more dependent on the use of computers. Actually, there is a new paradigm other than the classical two of experimental and theoretical science: computational science, that is the one which makes use of powerful computer facilities to perform simulations of those complex systems that cannot be fully theoretically modeled neither fully experimentally checked. We are all aware of the great success of high performance computational science in the understanding of the human genoma, for instance. In the field of astronomoy and astrophysics, high performance computing has already met applications of overwhelming importance. It is one of the field of major development, in an international context. In this brief introduction to the Meeting I express some opinions on the state of the art of computational astrophysics in our national scientific community.