CSCI 237

Computer Organization

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Instructor: Bill Jannen
Email: jannen@cs.williams.edu
Phone: x4509
Office: TCL 306
Office Hours: M 1-2pm; F 11am-noon, 1pm-2pm; and by appt
Class Meeting Times: MWF 10-10:50am in Shapiro Hall 129
Lab Meeting Times: Tu 1-2:25, 2:35-4 in TPL 312
Required Textbook: Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective (3rd Edition),
by Randal E. Bryant and David R. O'Hallaron
Recommended Textbook: The C Programming Language (2nd Edition),
by Brian W. Kernighan and Dennis M. Ritchie
Note: You do not have to buy this book, but it is a great reference.
TAs: Jonathan Carrasco-Noriega, Markus Feng, Shivam Patel,
Thomas Ragucci, and Sam Wischnewsky
TA schedule: calendar below

Course Description

This course provides a programmer's view of how computer systems execute programs, store information, and communicate. It enables students to become more effective programmers, especially in dealing with issues of performance, portability and robustness. It also serves as a foundation for courses on compilers, networks, operating systems, distributed systems, and graphics, where a deeper understanding of systems-level issues is required. At the same time, a model of computer hardware organization is developed from the gate level upward. Topics covered include: machine-level code and its generation, performance evaluation and optimization, computer arithmetic, memory organization and management, and (maybe) networking protocols and supporting concurrent computation.

Policies

Course Syllabus
Department Honor Code and Account Agreement

Course Support Schedule (TAs and office hours)