CS 573 Syllabus

• General Information, Office Hours, Etc.
• Policies
• Grading
• Attendance
• Unacceptable Behavior
• Incompletes
• Students With Disabilities

General Information

Instructor

J. Pfeiffer, SH 136, 646-1605, pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu

Office Hours

M	1:30	-	2:30
WF	12:30	-	1:30


and by appointment

Text

• Current and classical research papers related to parallel computer architecture

Prerequisites

CS 473 and CS 474

Objectives

To study high level aspects of computer design, architecture, and organization. Emphasis will be on the use of parallelism to improve computer performance, and on the relationship between algorithms and architectures.

Topics

A computer has exactly one purpose: to execute programs quickly and reliably. The most promising avenue to increasing the speed of computers is to increase the degree to which they can operate in parallel. This includes aspects of the design of the computer itself, of the system software provided, of the languages used, and of the algorithms written.

In this course, we will explore these issues.

Grading

Your course grade will be based on four equally-weighted components:
• Reviews
• Assignments
• Presentation
• Exams

Grade Assignment

You must turn in at least half of the homework and take both exams, or you will get an F. Beyond that, grades will be assigned on the following scale:

A:	81	-	100%
B:	61	-	80%
C:	41	-	60%
D:	0	-	40%

Note: this doesn't mean it's easy to get an A, it means my assignments, my exams and my grading are all rigorous

Due Dates, Late Homework and Makeup Exams

Unless stated otherwise, homework is due before class on the due date.

I will be accepting late homework under the following conditions:

1. If you will be unable to complete an assignment on time, send me e-mail in advance explaining the circumstances, and the desired extension. If, in my judgement, the circumstances are unavoidable and the extension is reasonable, I will grant the extension (note that students on University business have an automatic right to a reasonable extension). I reserve the right to require documentation of the circumstances.
2. If, as a result of an emergency (such as a medical emergency), you are unable to turn in an assignment on time, let me know the circumstances as soon as possible. If, in my judgement, the circumstances were an unavoidable emergency, I will take the homework late. I reserve the right to require documentation of the circumstances.
3. Note: conflicts with homework in other classes, simply failing to complete an assignment on time, and oversleeping, are not reasons I will accept for late homework.

Automatic Withdrawals

I do not drop students for persistent absence nor persistent failure to turn in assignments. If you don't turn in the assignments or take the exams, and you don't withdraw from the course, you will fail.

Grading Standards

1. If this class has a TA, the TA will grade the assignments and I will grade the exams.
2. Each question will be given a clearly stated maximum point value, on the original assignment or exam. Subparts of questions may or may not have such a maximum. The points don't have to add up to 100; your score will be converted to a percentage.
3. The assignments are equally weighted, not the points. If one assignment is graded on a total of ten points, and another is graded on a total of twenty points, then the points on the latter assignment are only worth half as much as the ones on the former.
4. Some questions lend themselves to having particular point values removed (ie -1, -5, etc) for particular mistakes, while for others it is more appropriate to simply assign an overall score based on the quality of an answer. In either case, there will be a note on your assignment stating why you didn't get full credit on every problem.

Incompletes

Under university policy, Incompletes may be given only if a student has passed the first half of the course, and is precluded from successful completion of the second half of the course by a documented illness or family crisis that the instructor believes genuinely precluded successful completion.

Unacceptable Behavior

Unless otherwise stated on an assignment, assignments (including programs) in this class are to be completed individually. Copying of assignments is plagiarism and will not be tolerated. You are responsible for maintaining the security of files under your account; in cases of plagiarism I will ordinarily regard both parties as equally guilty.

Students With Disabilities

If you have or believe you have a disability and would benefit from any accommodations, you may wish to self-identify by contacting the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) Office located at Garcia Annex (phone: 646-6840). If you have already registered, please make sure that your instructor receives a copy of the accommodation memorandum from SSD within the first two weeks of classes. It is your responsibility to inform either your instructor or SSD representative in a timely manner if services/accommodations provided are not meeting your needs.

If you have a condition which may affect your ability to exit safely from the premises in an emergency or which may cause an emergency during class, you are encouraged to discuss any concerns with the instructor and/or Ms. Jane Spinti, SSD Coordinator. Feel free to call Ms. Elva Telles (EEO/ADA and Employee Relations Director) at 646-3333 with any questions about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. All medical information will be treated confidentially.