CS 378 Programming for Correctness and Performance

Subsection 2.1 Prerequisites

You need to have taken a course on linear algebra. You need to have prior experience with basic proof techniques and predicate logic as taught in CS311 or a discrete mathematics class. Major programming assignments will be in the C programming language. You need to either know rudimentary C, or be able to learn it quickly.

Subsection 2.2 Text/Materials

This class is based on materials developed by Prof. Robert van de Geijn, Dr. Maggie Myers, and Dr. Devangi N. Parikh. You can access these materials from ulaff.net.

You need to install Matlab on your computer. UT has a site license. Instructions on how to access the license will be provided.

Subsection 2.3 Learning Objectives

By the end of the semester you should be able to:

• Code in C, use makefiles to compile code, and use pointer arithmetic for computing the addresses of the arrays.

• Understand how the implementation of your code affects the performance of the code.

• Transform your implementation such that it takes advantage of the various architecture features available.

• Translate your code so that you can use vector instructions.

• Block code for cache hierarchy.

• Parallelize (not paralyze) your code.

• Calculate the peak performance of your machine.

• Prove that simple code segments of your code are correct.

• Derive your code to be correct.

• Derive a family of algorithms for a given linear algebra operation.

• Compare/contrast/analyze the performance of the members of a family of algorithms and reason which algorithm will perform better.

• Typeset in LaTeX.

Subsection 2.4 Detailed Calendar