Parallel and Distributed Processing

CMSC 483/691p: Parallel and Distributed Processing

Spring 2001 Course Syllabus

Instructor: Dr. Howard E. Motteler
Class Time: TuTh 4:00-5:15, SS 003
Office Hours: TuTh 5:30-6:30, Physics 428
Text: Multithreaded, Parallel, and Distributed Programming, by G. R. Andrews

Course Outline

Overview
Shared-Variable Programming
- processes and synchronization
- locks and barriers
- semaphores
- monitors
- implementations
Distributed Programming
- message passing
- RPC and rendezvous
- paradigms for process interaction
- implementations
Parallel Programming
- scientific computing
- languages, compilers, libraries, and tools

Some of the material from the text's section on shared-variable programming will be familiar to students from their courses in operating systems. We will review this material but move fairly quickly to shared-variable applications; at least one of the projects will use threads. The applications-related material in the "Parallel Programming" section of the text will be covered throughout the course, when relevant.

There will be regular problem sets, three or four projects, a midterm, and a final exam. Two thirds of the grade is based projects and one third on exams and problem sets. In some cases, students may propose their own projects, if a detailed description and design sketch is first submitted. All work must be done by the end of the semester; no incompletes will be given except as required by university policy.

Further Information

Course material, including announcements, assignments, exam times, and related material, is available online at http://www.cs.umbc.edu/~motteler/parpro .