Modern Fortran: Powering Computational Science and Engineering HPC

Fortran, originating in the 1950s, is a compiled imperative programming language renowned for numeric and scientific computation. Despite seven decades of technological evolution and competition from languages like C++, Python, and Julia, Fortran remains predominant in computational sciences. Its efficiency-focused design and readability cater to scientists and engineers. Fortran's robust support for mathematical libraries and tools contributes to its enduring popularity, extending its relevance to contemporary challenges in data analysis, AI, and machine learning. The language excels in parallelism and distributed computing, seamlessly integrating with modern supercomputers and clusters. Fortran's compatibility with GPUs positions it for GPU-accelerated computing, vital in scientific workloads. As of August 2021, it ranks among the top fifteen programming languages. Modern Fortran, encompassing standards from 2003 to 2023, introduces features like object-oriented and parallel programming, enhancing interoperability with C. This minisymposium aims to explore the evolution and relevance of Modern Fortran, with examples showcasing its integration with AI techniques to accelerate time-to-science.