NDAK13000U Extreme Multiprogramming

Volume 2013/2014
Education
MSc Programme in Computer Science
Content
Multithreaded programming is often considered complex, and classic concurrency problems, such as race-conditions and deadlocks occur frequently in multithreaded programs. The overall purpose of this course is to enable the student to use threading as the primary design mechanism for large, maintainable and high-performance applications.

The class will equip the student with the tools, primarily Communicating Sequential Processes (CSP), required to understand and apply concurrency as a fundamental tool for building both computational platforms (systems-level programming) and end-user applications. It contains a thorough introduction to the abstract CSP algebra and its concrete realizations in practical programming systems.
Learning Outcome
At course completion, the successful student will have:

Knowledge of:
  • The CSP framework: concepts, notation, and reasoning principles.
  • CSP-based libraries and languages, such as PyCSP or Occam.
  • Implementation techniques for efficiently executing concurrent programs on highly parallel platforms.
  • Tools for automatic analysis and verification of concurrent systems.
Skills in:
  • Proving equivalences and other formal properties of processes in the CSP algebra.
  • Designing and implementing highly concurrent programs using the CSP paradigm.
  • Analyzing and verifying properties of concurrent programs (or program fragments), with respect to both correctness and performance.
Competences to:
  • Construct and validate maintainable, high-performance concurrent and/or parallel applications according to sound structuring and reasoning principles.
  • Communicate effectively and rigorously about key aspects of concurrent systems in both theoretical and practical contexts.
Literature
Expected textbook: Tony Hoare, Communicating Sequential Processes (freely downloadable from usingcsp.com); selected articles and notes.
BSc-level courses in Computer Architecture and Operating Systems.
Lectures and mandatory assignments. Independent work at home will be a major part of the workload.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Exam
  • 40
  • Lectures
  • 28
  • Preparation
  • 138
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment, 12 days
An individually written report based on a fixed assignment, containing both theoretical and programming tasks. The report is due on the last day of the exam period. Submission in Absalon.
Exam registration requirements
Two passed homework assignments.
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Several internal examiners
Re-exam
One-week take-home assignment + 30-minute oral examination without preparation; internal grading using the 7-point grading scale. Submission in Absalon.
Criteria for exam assesment
See learning outcome.