Course Description:

This course is designed to provide an introduction to the field of parallel computation. Topics chosen for discussion will illustrate architectural, algorithmic, and language requirements for parallel computing and the lectures will emphasize the relationships between these requirments. Parallel algorithm design and analysis as well as parallel programming languages will be examined in the context of specific parallel systems and models.

Class Web Site:

http://www.cs.gmu.edu/~pwang/Fall04/cs635/

CS 583 (Data Structures and Algorithms)
CS 571 (Operating Systems) or CS 540 (Language Processors)
Programming ability in C/C++ and familiarity with Unix

Instructor:

Prof. Pearl Y. Wang
Computer Science Department
Science & Tech 2, Room 369
Tel: 703-993-1527
E-mail: pwang@cs.gmu.edu

Tuesdays 3-4 pm and Wednesdays 6-7pm;
Other times available by appointment

Wednesdays, 7:20-10 PM
Innovation Hall, Rm. 205

Textbooks and URLS:

Barry Wilkinson & Michael Allen, Parallel Programming, Prentice Hall, 1999.
http://www.coe.uncc.edu/~abw/par_prog/index.htm

Peter S. Pacheco, Parallel Programming in MPI, Morgan Kaufman Publishers, Inc, 1997.
http://www.cs.usfca.edu/mpi/

MPI Websites:

LAM:     http://www.lam-mpi.org/
MPICH: http://www-unix.mcs.anl.gov/mpi/mpich/
MPI:       http://www-unix.mcs.anl.gov/mpi/

Some Parallel Computing Sites:

Beowulf:       http://www.beowulf.org/
NASA aCe: http://newton.gsfc.nasa.gov/aCe/
CalTech:      http://www.cacr.caltech.edu/

Reference Resources:

CalTech Resource List:  http://www.cacr.caltech.edu/Contact/other_sites.html
IEEE:   http://dsonline.computer.org/parallel/parallel_parascope.htm

Course Requirements and Grading:

There will be at least three programming assignments, a midterm and a comprehensive final examination. All assignments must be completed by the stated due date and time. Late coursework will not be accepted and make-up tests will not be given for missed examinations.

Homework/Projects:    60 %
Midterm Exam:    20 %
Final Exam:      20%

All coursework is to be done independently.
Please read the information about GMU and CS Department Academic Integrity Policies at
http://jiju.gmu.edu/catalog/apolicies and http://cs.gmu.edu/students/hnr_cds.html.

Important Dates:

Last day to add:   September 14, 2004
Last day to drop: September 14, 2004 (no tuition penalty)
Last day to drop: October 1, 2004

Thanksgiving recess: Nov 24-26
Last day of classes: December 11, 2004

Final Examination: December 15, 2004:  7:30 - 10:15 pm

Created: 8 August 2004
Revised: 8 August 2004
P.Y. Wang