CSCI 3366 (Introduction to Parallel and Distributed Processing), Fall 2005:
Syllabus

Course description

This course is an introduction to parallel and distributed processing, including both the theory and the application of parallel-processing concepts. Course content will include discussions of different types of parallel machines and machine models, the design and analysis of parallel algorithms, and the development of parallel programs.

The objectives of this course include, but are not limited to, the following:

Basic information

Class meeting times and location

Prerequisites

Instructor and contact information

Course materials

Textbook

Web page

Most course-related information (this syllabus, homework and reading assignments, etc.) will be made available via the Web. The course Web page is a starting point for Web-accessible course material; you can find it linked from my home page (http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~bmassing) or directly at http://www.cs.trinity.edu/~bmassing/Classes/CS3366_2005fall/.

Other references

Course requirements

Grading

Grades in this course will be determined by the results of several homework assignments, a project, and class attendance/participation, weighted as follows.

Component Maximum points
Homework about 200
Project 100
Class participation 20

Numeric grades will be calculated as a simple percentage, by dividing total points earned on the above components by total points possible. These numeric grades will then be converted to letter grades based on a curve, but in no case will the resulting letter grades be worse than students would receive based on the following scheme.

Numeric grade Letter grade
90 - 100 A
80 - 89 B
70 - 79 C
60 - 69 D
0 - 59 F

Homework assignments

Several homework assignments will be required for successful completion of this course; most if not all will involve programming. Detailed requirements, including due dates and times, will be provided as part of each assignment. Programming problems will be coded using suitable parallel languages or libraries (e.g., MPI or Java) as specified in individual assignments.

Project

As part of the course, students must also complete a significant project approved by the instructor and present it to the class; students may work individually or in groups of two. Detailed requirements for the project will be described separately and will include program code, a short written report, and a presentation to the class.

Notice that although there are no exams in this course, we will use the time scheduled for a final (December 13 at 8:30am) for project presentations. Please plan accordingly.

Attendance

Regular class attendance is strongly encouraged; class participation grades will be based largely on attendance.

E-mail

Course-related announcements will sometimes be made by sending e-mail to the Trinity e-mail addresses of all registered students. Students are strongly encouraged to read mail sent to their Trinity addresses frequently. An archive of such announcements will be provided via the course Web page.

Late and missed work

Unless otherwise stated for a particular assignment, homework will be accepted up to one class period late, but no more, at a penalty of 10 percent off per working day. This penalty may be waived or additional time allowed at the instructor's discretion in cases of illness or conflict with a university-sponsored activity or religious holiday.

If you have unusual circumstances (as we all sometimes do), please discuss these with the instructor as far in advance as possible.

Collaboration and academic integrity

Unless otherwise specified, all work submitted for a grade (homework assignments and projects) must represent the student's own individual effort. For students covered by the Academic Honor Code, unless otherwise stated all submitted work (homework and projects) will be considered pledged work. Discussion of homework assignments and course material among students is encouraged, but not to the point where detailed answers are being written collectively. Graded papers and sample solutions from previous years (for this course, homeworks) are off limits. Answers that are identical beyond coincidence (either to another student's work or to a sample solution from a previous year) will be considered to be in violation of Trinity's Academic Integrity Policy or Academic Honor Code, whichever applies, and will result in disciplinary action. You are responsible for the security of your work, both electronic and hard copy.



Berna Massingill
2005-08-26