Syllabus:
Topics in Computer Science, Winter 2014
Southern
Oregon University
Department
of Computer Science
CS 455 (CRN 4902), CS 582 (Irreg Reg), Four Credits
Prerequisite:
CS 258
Instructor Information
Instructor: Dan Harvey
Room:
Phone: 552-6149
E-mail: harveyd@sou.edu
Office: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu 10:30-11:30; Mon, Wed 12:30-1:20
Web
Site: http://cs.sou.edu/~harveyd
The web
site is available for quiz results, lab assignments, weekly handouts, current
grade status, and contact with class members. Click on the appropriate class,
and then select the desired option.
Class Times
Monday,
Wednesday TBA: 8:30 a.m. to 10:20 a.m.
Final Exam: Wednesday,
March 19 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Course Texts
Required:
Parallel Programming, Barry
Wilkinson and Michael Allen, Pearson, 2nd Edition, ISBN
978-0131405639
Optional:
An Introduction to Parallel Programming, Peter S. Pacheco,
Morgan Kaufmann, 1st Edition, ISBN
978-0-12-374260-5
Course Objectives
This class introduces
students to techniques used to program parallel and distributed systems. We
consider algorithms for both the message-passing and shared message
paradigms. We categorize the types of
problems that lend themselves to practical parallel solutions and reinforce the
concepts with real-world examples. These examples demonstrate the use of each
technique that we introduce. The speedup, efficiency, and overhead of each
algorithm are considered. Topics include load balancing, partitioning,
synchronization, and pipelining.
Week
1 Chapter 1 Categories of Parallel Computers
Week
2 Chapter 2 The Message Passing Programming Model
Week
3 Chapter 3 Embarrassingly Parallel Computations
Week
4 Chapter 4 Divide-and-Conquer Strategies
Week
5 Chapter 5 Pipelined Computations
Week
6 Chapter 6 Synchronous Computations
Week
7 Chapter 7 Load Balancing and Termination Detection
Week
8 Chapter 8 Shared Memory Programming
Week 9 Chapters 9-12 Selected Topics
Week
10 Review
Course
Grading
There will be a
series of lab assignments. Lab assignments will have the following components,
though all labs might not have all of these: programming exercise, pseudo
coding of algorithms, and synthesis questions to reinforce the material
covered. Extra credit opportunities will be given from time to time. Labs that
are within one week late will incur a 10% penalty. Labs within two weeks late
will incur a 30% penalty. Labs later than two weeks will NOT be accepted. The
lab average is worth 30% of your total grade.
There will be three
quizzes. Make-up quizzes will not be given unless arrangements are made in
advance. The quiz average is worth 40% of you total grade.
A comprehensive
final will be given that is based upon the topics covered in the quizzes. The
final is worth 30% of the total grade.
Grade
Breakdown: 93-100% A 90-92% A-
88-89% B+
82-87 B 80-81% B-
78-79% C+
72-77 C 70-71% C-
68-69% D+
62-67 D 60-61% D-
Under 60 F
Disabilities
If you are in need of support because of a documented disability
(whether it be learning, mobility, psychiatric, health-related, or sensory) you
may be eligible for academic or other accommodations through Disability
Services for Students. Contact Margaret Dibb, Director DSS at dibbm@sou.edu or at 541-552-6213, or schedule
an appointment in person at the