AVX (Advanced Vector Extensions) is a set of instructions for x86 CPUs that provides extended support for vector-oriented calculations. Vector-oriented calculations involve performing the same arithmetic operation on multiple pieces of data simultaneously. AVX provides a way to execute these operations in parallel, which can significantly speed up calculations that involve large amounts of data.
AVX provides 256-bit registers that can store eight 32-bit or four 64-bit values at a time. The instructions operate on these registers, allowing multiple operations to be performed in parallel.
In addition to basic arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, AVX also provides instructions for more complex operations like manipulation of bits (bitwise operations) and conversions between data types. AVX also includes support for fused multiply-add (FMA) operations, which combine multiplication and addition into a single operation to improve performance and accuracy.
Overall, AVX provides significant performance improvements for applications that perform vector-oriented calculations, such as image processing, scientific simulations, and machine learning. However, not all CPUs support AVX, and software must be specifically designed to take advantage of it.