Distributed Computing in a Hosted Spreadsheet Application

A method comprising, by a processor of a first computing device:

• causing a display device to display a spreadsheet containing a plurality of cells, wherein each cell is associated with a corresponding value or function;
• identifying a first subset of the cells that each include a respective function that includes a variable that depends on the value of a different cell of the spreadsheet;
• and
• in response to determining that the functions of cells of the first subset will require a computationally heavy task:
• assigning at least some cells that have not yet been processed to one or more additional subsets,
• distributing each of the one or more additional subsets among one or more additional computing devices to process the functions of cells of the additional subsets,
• receiving, from each of the one or more additional computing devices, results that include values for one or more the cells of the additional subsets, and
• causing the display device to display the values for the cells of the first subset and the values of the cells of the additional subsets in their corresponding cells.

A system comprising:

• a first computing device;
• one or more additional computing devices;
• and
• a memory that is part of or remote from the first computing device, the memory containing programming instructions that are configured to, when executed by the first computing device:
• cause a display device to display a spreadsheet containing a plurality of cells, wherein each cell is associated with a corresponding value or function,
• identify a first subset of the cells that each include a respective function that includes a variable that depends on the value of a different cell of the spreadsheet;
• and
• in response to determining that a task to be performed on the first subset of the cells is a computationally heavy task:
• assign at least some cells that have not yet been processed to one or more additional subsets;
• distribute each of the cells of the one or more additional subsets among one or more of the additional computing devices to process the functions of cells of the additional subsets;
• upon receiving, from the one or more other computing devices to which cells were distributed, results that include values for one or more the cells of the additional subsets, cause the display device to display the values for the cells of the first subset and the values of the cells of the additional subsets in their corresponding cells.