What has been the trend in computing from number of processing elements?

The trend in computing has shifted from using a few powerful processing elements, such as single-core CPUs, to leveraging a larger number of simpler processing elements, exemplified by multicore processors and parallel computing architectures. This change allows for greater efficiency and performance scalability, as tasks can be divided among multiple cores or processing units. Additionally, the rise of specialized processing units, like GPUs and TPUs, has further emphasized the need for parallelism in computing, enabling faster processing for tasks such as machine learning and graphics rendering. As a result, modern computing increasingly relies on the simultaneous execution of many simpler operations rather than a single complex one.