[Doc] Glossary

docs/lang/articles/get-started/glossary.md

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+
+# Glossary
+
+## Abstract syntax tree (AST)
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstract_syntax_tree>
+
+## Ahead-of-time (AOT)
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahead-of-time_compilation>
+
+## Aliasing
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliasing_(computing)>
+
+## Annotation
+
+<https://docs.python.org/3/glossary.html>
+
+## Array of structures (AOS)
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AoS_and_SoA>
+
+See also [structure of arrays](./glossary.md/#structure-of-arrays-soa).
+
+## Assert statement
+
+<https://docs.python.org/3/reference/simple_stmts.html#the-assert-statement>
+
+## Atomic operation
+
+<https://wiki.osdev.org/Atomic_operation>
+
+## Augmented assignment
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_assignment>
+
+## Automatic differentiation
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_differentiation>
+
+## Bitmask
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mask_(computing)>
+
+## Column-major order
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Row-_and_column-major_order>
+
+See also [row-major order](./glossary.md/#row-major-order).
+
+## Compound type
+
+A compound type is a user-defined array-like or struct-like data type which comprises multiple members of primitive types or other compound types. Supported compound types in Taichi include vectors, metrics, and structs.
+
+## Compute shader
+
+<https://www.khronos.org/opengl/wiki/Compute_Shader>
+
+## Coordinate offset
+
+A coordinate offset refers to a value added to another base value, which is an element in a Taichi field.
+
+You can use offsets when defining a [field](#field) to move the field boundaries.
+
+## Data-oriented programming (DOP)
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data-oriented_design>
+
+## Data race
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_condition#Data_race>
+
+## Differentiable programming
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differentiable_programming>
+
+## Domain-specific language (DSL)
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain-specific_language>
+
+## External array
+
+External arrays refer to data containers available in the Python scope.
+
+Taichi supports interaction with the following external arrays - Numpy arrays, PyTorch tensors, and Paddle tensors.
+
+## Field
+
+A field is a multi-dimensional array of elements. The elements it accepts can be a scalar, a vector, a matrix, or a struct. It is a global data container provided by Taichi and can be accessed from both the [*Python scope*](#python-scope) and the [*Taichi scope*](#taichi-scope).
+
+## Field shape
+
+The shape of a field is the number of elements in each dimension.
+
+## Fragment shader
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shader#Pixel_shaders>
+
+## Global variable
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_variable>
+
+## Grid-Stride Loop
+
+<https://developer.nvidia.com/blog/cuda-pro-tip-write-flexible-kernels-grid-stride-loops/>
+
+## Imperative programming
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperative_programming>
+
+## Instantiation
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instance_(computer_science)>
+
+## Intermediate representation (IR)
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermediate_representation>
+
+## Just-in-time (JIT) compilation
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just-in-time_compilation>
+
+## Kernel
+
+A kernel is a function decorated with `@ti.kernel`. A kernel serves as the entry point where Taichi begins to take over the tasks, and it must be called directly by Python code.
+
+## Lexical-scoped
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scope_(computer_science)#Lexical_scope>
+
+## Local variable
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_variable>
+
+## Loop unrolling
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loop_unrolling>
+
+## Megakernel
+
+A megakernel is a Taichi kernel that can deal with a large amount of computation to achieve high arithmetic intensity.
+
+## Metadata
+
+Metadata refers to the two fundamental attributes of a Taichi field, i.e., data type and shape.
+
+Use `field.dtype` and `field.shape` to retrieve the metadata.
+
+## Metaprogramming
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaprogramming>
+
+## Object-oriented programming (OOP)
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object-oriented_programming>
+
+## Plain old data (POD)
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passive_data_structure>
+
+## Primitive type
+
+Primitive data types are commonly-used numerical data types from which all other data types are constructed. Supported primitive data types in Taichi include `ti.i32` (`int32`), `ti.u8` (`uint8`), and `ti.f64` (`float64`)
+
+## Python scope
+
+Code outside of the Taichi scope is in the Python scope. The code in the Python scope is native Python and executed by Python's virtual machine, not by Taichi's runtime.
+
+The Python scope corresponds to the host side in CUDA.
+
+## Row-major order
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Row-_and_column-major_order>
+
+See also [coloum-major order](./glossary.md/#column-major-order).
+
+## Shader storage buffer object (SSBO)
+
+<https://www.khronos.org/opengl/wiki/Shader_Storage_Buffer_Object>
+
+## Sparse matrix
+
+A matrix is a two-dimensional data object made of m rows and n columns. If a matrix is comprised of mostly zero values, then it is a sparse matrix.
+
+Taichi provides *APIs* for sparse matrices.
+
+## Static scope
+
+A static scope is a scope of the argument of `ti.static`, which is a hint for the compiler to evaluate the argument at compile time.
+
+## Static single assignment (SSA)
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Static_single-assignment_form>
+
+## Structure of arrays (SOA)
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AoS_and_SoA>
+
+See also [array of structures](./glossary.md/#array-of-structures-aos).
+
+## Taichi function
+
+A Taichi function is a function decorated with `@ti.func`.
+
+A Taichi function must be called from inside a kernel or from inside another Taichi function.
+
+## Taichi scope
+
+The code inside a kernel or a Taichi function is in the Taichi scope. The code in the Taichi scope is compiled by Taichi's runtime and executed in parallel on CPU or GPU devices for high-performance computation.
+
+The Taichi scope corresponds to the device side in CUDA.
+
+## Template signature
+
+Template signatures are what distinguish different instantiations of a kernel template.
+
+For example, The signature of `add(x, 42)` is `(x, ti.i32)`, which is the same as that of `add(x, 1)`. Therefore, the latter can reuse the previously compiled binary. The signature of `add(y, 42)` is `(y, ti.i32)`, a different value from the previous signature, hence a new kernel will be instantiated and compiled.
+
+## Thread  local storage (TLS)
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thread-local_storage>
+
+## Traceback
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stack_trace>
+
+## Vertex shader
+
+<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shader#Vertex_shaders>