CSC 406 Systems I
Summary
An introductory graduate course on computer systems topics, focusing on machine-level programming and architecture and their relevance for application programming. Information representations, assembly language and debuggers, processor architecture, program optimization, memory hierarchy and caching. Students are recommended to finish CSC 400 before enrolling in this course.
Texts
Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective, 3rd edition, by Randal E. Bryant and David R. O'Hallaron. 2015, ISBN 9780134092669 (http://csapp.cs.cmu.edu)
Programming in C, 4th Edition, by Stephen Kochan. Pearson, 2015, ISBN 9780321776419.
During the majority of the course, we will be using the Bryant
and O'Hallaron text.
Grading
The grade breakdown will be as follows:
5-6 Homeworks |
45% |
Midterm |
25% |
Final Exam |
30% |
The grading scale will be determined by a curve. The cutoffs will be no higher than the following: 90-100, A; 80-89.99, B; 70-79.99, C; 60-69.99, D; 0-59.99, F. Plusses and minuses will be given at the high/low ends of each grade range (no A+'s or D-'s).
You should expect each assignment to be graded approximately
1 week after its due date.
Prerequisites
CSC 401
Late policy
In general, assignments must be turned in on time. Students may make at most one late homework assignment submission; this submission must be made prior to the presentation of an example solution in lecture.
Policy on working together
You may feel free to discuss assignments with other students or with a tutor at a general level. However, when it comes to actually writing answers to written problems, writing code, or solving assignment problems, you may not work with others, with the exception of asking the tutors (or me) for debugging help. It has been my experience that if you write code or homework solutions together with another student, or copy from a friend's old assignment, or if a tutor writes your homework for you, you will be caught. Any violations of this policy will be dealt with very seriously.
This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.
Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course
content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The
evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely
separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation.
Students complete the evaluation online in CampusConnect.
This course will be subject to the university's academic integrity policy. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/ If you
have any questions be sure to consult with your professor.
All students are expected to abide by the University's Academic Integrity Policy which prohibits cheating and other misconduct in student coursework. Publicly sharing or posting online any prior or current materials from this course (including exam questions or answers), is considered to be providing unauthorized assistance prohibited by the policy. Both students who share/post and students who access or use such materials are considered to be cheating under the Policy and will be subject to sanctions for violations of Academic Integrity.
All students are required to manage their class schedules each term in accordance with the deadlines for enrolling and withdrawing as indicated in the University Academic Calendar. Information on enrollment, withdrawal, grading and incompletes can be found at http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/Current%20Students/Pages/PoliciesandProcedures.aspx.
Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential.
To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that
you have contacted the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at:
Lewis Center 1420, 25 East Jackson Blvd.
Phone number: (312)362-8002
Fax: (312)362-6544
TTY: (773)325.7296