Syllabus

Southern Oregon University

Department of Computer Science

CS 455/CS 555 Introduction to Parallel Programming

CRN 1322 (CS455) and CRN 2301 (CS 555)

Prerequisites: cs258 and C/Unix, CS 411 recommended

 

 

Instructor Information

 

           Instructor:   Dan Harvey

           Room:         Computer Science Building #CS218

           Phone:        552-6149

           E-mail:       harveyd@sou.edu

 

           Office Hours: Mon, Wed 12:30-2:30, 12:00-2:00, Tue 10:30-1:30

 

           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 10:30 a.m. to 12:20 a.m. CS 206

 

Final Exam: Monday, Dec 5 from 10:30 – 12:30

Course Text

 

Parallel Programming

Barry Wilkinson and Michael Allen, Pearson, 2nd Edition,
ISBN 978-013405639

Optional: Peter S Pacheco, An Introduction to Parallel Programming, Morgan Kaufmann, ISBN 978-012-374260-5

 

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.  

 

Tentative Chapter Coverage

 

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.

 

There will be five lab assignments. Lab assignments are in two parts; the first part contains questions and homework questions to help synthesize the material covered; the second part is the working program. 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. The low grade will be dropped.

 

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.

For graduate students, a presentation is required covering an approved topic not covered in class.

 

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

 

SOU Cares

 

SOU has a wide range of resources to help you succeed. Our faculty, staff, and administration are dedicated to providing you with the best possible support. The SOU Cares Report allows us to connect you with staff members who can assist with concerns, including financial, health, mental health, wellbeing, legal concerns, family concerns, harassment, assault, study skills, time management, etc. You are also welcome to use the SOU Cares Report to share concerns about yourself, a friend, or a classmate at http://www.sou.edu/ssi. These concerns can include reports related to academic integrity, harassment, bias, or assault. Reports related to sexual misconduct or sexual assault can be made anonymously or confidentially. Student Support and Intervention provides recourse for students through the Student Code of Conduct, Title IX, Affirmative Action, and other applicable policies, regulations, and laws. 

 

Academic Honesty Statement and Code of Student Conduct

 

Students are expected to maintain academic integrity and honesty in completion of all work for this class. According to SOU’s Student Code of Conduct: “Acts of academic misconduct involve the use or attempted use of any method that enables a student to misrepresent the quality or integrity of his or her academic work and are prohibited”. Such acts include, but are not limited to: copying from the work of another, and/or allowing another student to copy from one’s own work; unauthorized use of materials during exams; intentional or unintentional failure to acknowledge the ideas or words of another that have been taken from any published or unpublished source; placing one’s name on papers, reports, or other documents that are the work of another individual; submission of work resulting from inappropriate collaboration or assistance; submission of the same paper or project for separate courses without prior authorization by faculty members; and/or knowingly aiding in or inciting the academic dishonesty of another. Any incident of academic dishonesty will be subject to disciplinary action(s) as outlined in SOU’s Code of Student Conduct: http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/pages/rules/oars_500/oar_573/573_076.html In case of loss, theft, destruction or dispute over authorship, always retain a copy of any work you produce and submit for grades.  Retain all written work that has been graded and handed back to you.

 

Statement on Title IX and Mandatory Reporting

 

 Federal law requires that employees of institutions of higher learning (faculty, staff and administrators) report to a Title IX officer any time they become aware that a student is a victim or perpetrator of gender-based bias, sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, or stalking. Further, Oregon law requires a mandatory report to law enforcement of any physical or emotional abuse of a child or other protected person, including elders and people with disabilities, or when a child or other protected person is perceived to be in danger of physical or emotional abuse. If you are the victim of sexual or physical abuse and wish to make a confidential disclosure please use the confidential advising available at http://www.sou.edu/ssi/confidential-advisors.html, or use Southern Oregon University's Anonymous Harassment, Violence, and Interpersonal Misconduct Reporting Form https://jfe.qualtrics.com/form/SV_7R7CCBciGNL473L

 

SOU Academic Support/Disability Resources:

 

To support students with disabilities in acquiring accessible books and materials, and in planning their study and time management strategies, SOU requires all professors to include a statement on Academic Support and Disability Resources on course syllabi. It is the policy of Southern Oregon University that no otherwise qualified person shall, solely by reason of disability, be denied access to, participation in, or benefits of any service, program, or activity operated by the University. Qualified persons shall receive reasonable accommodation/modification needed to ensure equal access to employment, educational opportunities, programs, and activities in the most appropriate, integrated setting, except when such accommodation creates undue hardship on the part of the provider. These policies are in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1974, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other applicable federal and state regulations that prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability. 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 Resources. Call Academic Support Programs at (541) 552-6213 to schedule an appointment with Disability Resources.  The Academic Support Programs office is located in the Stevenson Union, lower level. See the Disability Resources webpage at www.sou.edu/dr for more information. If you are already working with Disability Resources, make sure to request your accommodations through them for this course as quickly as possible