Computer Science 668, Fall 2005,
Distributed Algorithms and Systems
Contact Scott
This is a graduate-level course on fundamental algorithmic results in distributed computing. We will consider problems such as leader election, mutual exclusion, consensus, logical time, causality, distributed snapshots, fault tolerance, shared memory, and clock synchronization. This is a theoretical course. As such, our emphasis will be on proving the correctness of algorithms and proving upper and lower bounds on complexity measures.
Prerequisite:
Analysis of Algorithms (CPSC629 or equivalent). In general, I will not be enforcing this prerequisite, since it might exclude students with enough mathematical maturity to succeed in this course. As such, the prerequisite is primarily for your protection; if you choose to ignore it, however, the consequences will also be your responsibility. In particular, you might find this course mentally strenuous.
Textbook:
Distributed Computing: Fundamentals, Simulations and Advanced Topics, 2nd Edition, by Hagit Attiya and Jennifer Welch, 2004. Available in the bookstore at the Memorial Student Center.Announcement (Sept 8, 2005 at 7:00am):
Homework #1 has been assigned. It is due at 9:30am on Thursday, September 15th. The assignment is here.
Announcement (Sept 2, 2005 at 4:00pm):
Here is the Syllabus
Monday, 22 August 2005 -- This email was sent to NEO email accounts of students currently registered for the course.
Howdy,
Since class begins next week, I wanted to take a moment to send some useful information. I'm looking forward to an engaging and educational class; these notes are an effort to give you a head start.
(1) This will be a theoretical course. Our emphasis will be on proving the correctness of distributed algorithms, along with upper and lower bounds on complexity measures. My goal is to convey these theoretical results in a practical and useful way. In general, however, the course will *not* cater to students interested in a more applied or programming-oriented experience.
(2) The textbook will be "Distributed Computing: Fundamentals, Simulations, and Advanced Topics" by Hagit Attiya and Jennifer Welch. The second edition (2004) is by Wiley-Interscience. The text is available locally on campus at the Memorial Student Center (MSC) bookstore. For students who are new to College Station, the MSC is here.
I realize that the text can be costly for many students. For comparison, the text is also available for $77 (new) or $62 (used) at Amazon.
(3) Our class is scheduled to meet on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9:35-10:50 in HRBB 104. Maybe it's worth pretending that class starts at 9:30am so we can begin on-time. Directions to the Harvey R. Bright Bldg (HRBB) are here.
(4) Currently the course is full. I cannot reply to special requests to enter the course, because there are no extra seats in the classroom. Since some students may drop, however, any student wishing to be added should submit a forcing request to the CS department. This can be done online here.
(5) Class announcements will be sent to your NEO email address (this one). If you do not read this account frequently, then please configure it to forward to your preferred email address. This can be done online here.
(6) Several students have written to ask for a good survey article on distributed computing. I'd recommend Chapter 18 (by Leslie Lamport and Nancy Lynch) from the Handbook on Theoretical Computer Science. This is available online (here) and is a good overview and general reference for the course.
(7) Some students have written to ask for funding. I have limited resources for graduates at this time, and I plan to fund only students who have already taken a course with me or with whom I have collaborated previously. Taking CS 668 is a first step. During spring semester, I'll be offering a follow-up research seminar on fault tolerance. I plan to select graduate students based on their research potential witnessed in these two courses. Preference will be given to Ph.D. students.
(8) Several students have written to request special appointments to meet. Hopefully this email responds to most of your questions. If not, I will be holding an "open house" for the course this Wednesday (24 August 2005) from 12:00-1:00pm in my office (HRBB 325). Please feel free to drop by with any questions.
(9) I will be completing the syllabus for the course later this week. There will also be a link to the course website from my homepage.
(10) Your time is important. I hope to make this class among the best courses in your educational experience. Please let me know what educational aspects are most important to you in making this an outstanding experience.
Regards,
Scott Pike