Theory of Parallel Systems OpenCourseWare: MIT's Free Graduate Level Course on Parallel Computing Systems

Published Jan 27, 2009

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Learn about parallel processing design for software and hardware with this OpenCourseWare class offered by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 'Theory of Parallel Systems' offers a detailed look at the concepts behind programming for parallel computer systems, with a focus on the Cilk programming language. This free MIT course is recommended for students with previous algorithm and software engineering experience.

Theory of Parallel Systems: Course Specifics

Degree Level Free Audio Video Downloads
Graduate Yes No No Yes

Lectures/Notes Study Materials Tests/Quizzes
Yes Yes No

Theory of Parallel Systems: Course Description

As more computers are built with multiple processors, computer programs must be written in new ways to effectively take advantage of the hardware. This OpenCourseWare from MIT in Cambridge teaches students the theory behind programming for parallel computing. Professors Charles Leiserson, Michael Bender, Hsu Wen Jing and Dr. Bradley Kuszmaul present lectures on several topics important to the field of multithreaded programming. Subjects of study include race and determinacy detection, load balancing, synchronization and memory consistency. Later lectures cover issues relating to parallel systems on hypercubic networks. The course concentrates on programming via Cilk, a version of the C programming language that was designed for parallel processing environments. This class would be beneficial to students seeking a Doctor of Computer Science degree.

Lecture notes, problem sets, readings, a recommended reading list and final papers from past students are available free online. To learn more about this OpenCourseWare, visit the parallel systems course page.

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