MPI_ALLGATHERV_INIT(3)

📦

version 5.0.10 · 4 versions

✨ MPI_ALLGATHERV_INIT ✨

ok bestie, gather round (literally) 💖 this is the Open MPI manual page for MPI_Allgatherv, MPI_Iallgatherv and MPI_Allgatherv_init — three icons that gather data from all processes and deliver it to all. and the whole moment here? each process may contribute a different amount of data. no cap, that's the whole vibe. 🦋

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

💅 C Syntax

#include <mpi.h>

int MPI_Allgatherv(const void *sendbuf, int sendcount,
     MPI_Datatype sendtype, void *recvbuf, const int recvcounts[],
     const int displs[], MPI_Datatype recvtype, MPI_Comm comm)

int MPI_Iallgatherv(const void *sendbuf, int sendcount,
     MPI_Datatype sendtype, void *recvbuf, const int recvcounts[],
     const int displs[], MPI_Datatype recvtype, MPI_Comm comm,
        MPI_Request *request)

int MPI_Allgatherv_init(const void *sendbuf, int sendcount,
     MPI_Datatype sendtype, void *recvbuf, const int recvcounts[],
     const int displs[], MPI_Datatype recvtype, MPI_Comm comm,
        MPI_Info info, MPI_Request *request)

🎀 Fortran Syntax

USE MPI
! or the older form: INCLUDE 'mpif.h'
MPI_ALLGATHERV(SENDBUF, SENDCOUNT, SENDTYPE, RECVBUF,
             RECVCOUNT, DISPLS, RECVTYPE, COMM, IERROR)
     <type>  SENDBUF(*), RECVBUF(*)
     INTEGER SENDCOUNT, SENDTYPE, RECVCOUNT(*)
     INTEGER DISPLS(*), RECVTYPE, COMM, IERROR

MPI_IALLGATHERV(SENDBUF, SENDCOUNT, SENDTYPE, RECVBUF,
             RECVCOUNT, DISPLS, RECVTYPE, COMM,  REQUEST,  IERROR)
     <type>  SENDBUF(*), RECVBUF(*)
     INTEGER SENDCOUNT, SENDTYPE, RECVCOUNT(*),
     INTEGER DISPLS(*), RECVTYPE, COMM, REQUEST, IERROR

MPI_ALLGATHERV_INIT(SENDBUF, SENDCOUNT, SENDTYPE, RECVBUF,
             RECVCOUNT, DISPLS, RECVTYPE, COMM,  INFO,  REQUEST,  IERROR)
     <type>  SENDBUF(*), RECVBUF(*)
     INTEGER SENDCOUNT, SENDTYPE, RECVCOUNT(*),
     INTEGER DISPLS(*), RECVTYPE, COMM, INFO, REQUEST, IERROR

🧚 Fortran 2008 Syntax

USE mpi_f08
MPI_Allgatherv(sendbuf, sendcount, sendtype, recvbuf, recvcounts, displs,
             recvtype, comm, ierror)
     TYPE(*), DIMENSION(..), INTENT(IN) :: sendbuf
     TYPE(*), DIMENSION(..) :: recvbuf
     INTEGER, INTENT(IN) :: sendcount, recvcounts(*), displs(*)
     TYPE(MPI_Datatype), INTENT(IN) :: sendtype, recvtype
     TYPE(MPI_Comm), INTENT(IN) :: comm
     INTEGER, OPTIONAL, INTENT(OUT) :: ierror

MPI_Iallgatherv(sendbuf, sendcount, sendtype, recvbuf, recvcounts, displs,
             recvtype, comm, request, ierror)
     TYPE(*), DIMENSION(..), INTENT(IN), ASYNCHRONOUS :: sendbuf
     TYPE(*), DIMENSION(..), ASYNCHRONOUS :: recvbuf
     INTEGER, INTENT(IN) :: sendcount
     INTEGER, INTENT(IN), ASYNCHRONOUS :: recvcounts(*), displs(*)
     TYPE(MPI_Datatype), INTENT(IN) :: sendtype, recvtype
     TYPE(MPI_Comm), INTENT(IN) :: comm
     TYPE(MPI_Request), INTENT(OUT) :: request
     INTEGER, OPTIONAL, INTENT(OUT) :: ierror

MPI_Allgatherv_init(sendbuf, sendcount, sendtype, recvbuf, recvcounts, displs,
                     recvtype, comm, info, request, ierror)
     TYPE(*), DIMENSION(..), INTENT(IN), ASYNCHRONOUS :: sendbuf
     TYPE(*), DIMENSION(..), ASYNCHRONOUS :: recvbuf
     INTEGER, INTENT(IN) :: sendcount
     INTEGER, INTENT(IN), ASYNCHRONOUS :: recvcounts(*), displs(*)
     TYPE(MPI_Datatype), INTENT(IN) :: sendtype, recvtype
     TYPE(MPI_Comm), INTENT(IN) :: comm
     TYPE(MPI_Info), INTENT(IN) :: info
     TYPE(MPI_Request), INTENT(OUT) :: request
     INTEGER, OPTIONAL, INTENT(OUT) :: ierror

🫶 INPUT PARAMETERS 🫶

these are the things you hand to the function, bestie, so feed them right:

sendbuf — starting address of send buffer (choice). it's giving "here's my data, take it" 💌
sendcount — number of elements in send buffer (integer).
sendtype — datatype of send buffer elements (handle).
recvcount — integer array (of length group size) containing the number of elements that are received from each process.
displs — integer array (of length group size). entry i specifies the displacement (relative to recvbuf) at which to place the incoming data from process i. lowkey the map of where everybody's stuff goes 🗺️
recvtype — datatype of receive buffer elements (handle).
comm — communicator (handle).
info — info (handle, persistent only).

👑 OUTPUT PARAMETERS 👑

the stuff that comes back out, the little gifts ✨:

recvbuf — address of receive buffer (choice).
request — request (handle, non-blocking only).
ierror — Fortran only: error status (integer).

💜 DESCRIPTION 💜

ok so MPI_Allgatherv is giving sibling energy with MPI_Allgather — all processes gather data from all other processes — but with one iconic twist: each process can send a different amount of data. the block of data sent from the jth process is received by every process and placed in the jth block of the buffer recvbuf. everyone gets the whole group chat, but each person texted a different number of messages. periodt. 💅

the type signature associated with sendcount, sendtype, at process j must be equal to the type signature associated with recvcounts[j], recvtype at any other process. not "similar", not "close enough" — equal. no cap. 😤

the outcome is as if all processes executed calls to

MPI_Allgatherv(sendbuf, sendcount, sendtype, recvbuf, recvcount,
              displs,recvtype,root,comm);

// for root = 0 , ..., n-1.

the rules for correct usage of MPI_Allgatherv are easily found from the corresponding rules for MPI_Gatherv. like, that's the blueprint bestie 🧚

🎀 USE OF IN-PLACE OPTION 🎀

when the communicator is an intracommunicator, you can do an all-gather operation in-place — meaning the output buffer is used as the input buffer. main character energy, one buffer doing both jobs 💖

use the variable MPI_IN_PLACE as the value of sendbuf. in this case, sendcount and sendtype are ignored. the input data of each process is assumed to be in the area where that process would receive its own contribution to the receive buffer. specifically, the outcome of a call to MPI_Allgatherv that used the in-place option is identical to the case in which all processes executed n calls to:

MPI_Allgatherv ( MPI_IN_PLACE, 0, MPI_DATATYPE_NULL, recvbuf,
                 recvcounts, displs, recvtype, root, comm );

// for root =0, ... , n-1.

heads up bestie ⚠️ note that MPI_IN_PLACE is a special kind of value; it has the same restrictions on its use as MPI_BOTTOM. so don't get cute with it.

because the in-place option converts the receive buffer into a send-and-receive buffer, a Fortran binding that includes INTENT must mark these as INOUT, not OUT. don't fight it, that's just the rules 🙈

🌈 WHEN COMMUNICATOR IS AN INTER-COMMUNICATOR 🌈

when the communicator is an inter-communicator, the gather operation occurs in two phases, like a two-part season finale:

the data is gathered from all the members of the first group, concatenated, and received by all the members of the second group.
then the data is gathered from all the members of the second group, concatenated, and received by all the members of the first.

the send buffer arguments in the one group must be consistent with the receive buffer arguments in the other group, and vice versa. the operation must exhibit symmetric, full-duplex behavior — it's giving equal partnership, mutual, both-ways. 🫶

💀 ERRORS 💀

almost all MPI routines return an error value; C routines as the return result of the function and Fortran routines in the last argument.

before the error value is returned, the current MPI error handler associated with the communication object (e.g., communicator, window, file) is called. if no communication object is associated with the MPI call, then the call is considered attached to MPI_COMM_SELF and will call the associated MPI error handler. when MPI_COMM_SELF is not initialized (i.e., before MPI_Init/MPI_Init_thread, after MPI_Finalize, or when using the Sessions Model exclusively) the error raises the initial error handler. the initial error handler can be changed by calling MPI_Comm_set_errhandler on MPI_COMM_SELF when using the World model, or the mpi_initial_errhandler CLI argument to mpiexec or info key to MPI_Comm_spawn/MPI_Comm_spawn_multiple. if no other appropriate error handler has been set, then the MPI_ERRORS_RETURN error handler is called for MPI I/O functions and the MPI_ERRORS_ABORT error handler is called for all other MPI functions.

Open MPI includes three predefined error handlers that can be used, and honestly they each have a personality:

MPI_ERRORS_ARE_FATAL — causes the program to abort all connected MPI processes. dramatic? maybe. effective? yes. 💀
MPI_ERRORS_ABORT — an error handler that can be invoked on a communicator, window, file, or session. when called on a communicator, it acts as if MPI_Abort was called on that communicator. if called on a window or file, acts as if MPI_Abort was called on a communicator containing the group of processes in the corresponding window or file. if called on a session, aborts only the local process.
MPI_ERRORS_RETURN — returns an error code to the application.

MPI applications can also implement their own error handlers by calling:

MPI_Comm_create_errhandler then MPI_Comm_set_errhandler
MPI_File_create_errhandler then MPI_File_set_errhandler
MPI_Session_create_errhandler then MPI_Session_set_errhandler or at MPI_Session_init
MPI_Win_create_errhandler then MPI_Win_set_errhandler

ok important ⚠️ note that MPI does not guarantee that an MPI program can continue past an error. so like... don't just yolo past it.

see the MPI man page for a full list of MPI error codes.

see the Error Handling section of the MPI-3.1 standard for more information.

🩷 Copyright 🩷

2003-2026, The Open MPI Community

and that's the whole page, bestie 🎀 source + version + date check: this is the Open MPI page, copyright 2003-2026, The Open MPI Community, dated Sep 10, 2026 — and the footer tag is MPI_ALLGATHERV_INIT(3). go forth and gather, you absolute icon 👑💖

📦 where this page comes from

ubuntu stonking: openmpi-doc 5.0.10-6 · other
💖 girlified by deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash on 2026-11-03: a language model's rewrite of the original, under its terms