The Ballad of Fast Multipoles

In fields of complex numbers
forests of many an-octree
a lone student now slumbers
unknowing of horrors to be

The slug-dragon lurks yonder
its square head a dim wonder
daren’t thither unarmed wander
lest ye are of death fonder

First compile scrolls ancient
from Template of Template Temple
whose depths make Bjarne tremble;
Enlightenment is for the patient

Traverse the Marshes of Heap
reeds flowing over lakes deep
moonlight reflecting in passions three
alloc’d, malloc’d and truly free

Pay proprietary goblins their fines
in bare metal GPU mines;
When scheduling is not preemptive
even Python looks redemptive

The task is tough, the goal worthy
to solve Coulomb linearly;
In your quest, turn trees uproot
but watch the queue, never reboot

So gather ye outputs while ye may
for nodes still aren’t halting;
and this same code that compiles today
to-morrow will be seg-faulting