CS 61: Systems Programming and Machine Organization (2024)
Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Eddie Kohler
Course Description
· Setup
Git
· Coding style
· C and C++ patterns
Canvas (videos, Ed discussion, calendar)
· Course staff
· Section & OH
Grading server
· Lecture feedback
Lectures: Monday and Wednesday, 2:15–3:30pm, SEC 1.321
Announcements
- 10/19: Problem set 4 released.
- 10/4: Problem set 3 released.
- 9/20: Problem set 2 released.
- 9/5: Office hours posted. Schedule changes will typically be announced on Ed.
- 9/4: Problem set 1 is released! Initial checkin by Tuesday 9/10 for college (one day later for DCE).
- 9/4: Section begins today. See the Ed Discussion board for the schedule and details.
- Join the Ed Discussion board via Canvas > Ed Discussion.
- Problem set 0: a warmup problem set that introduces you to course infrastructure.
About
CS 61 is an introduction to the fundamentals of computer systems programming. Topics include C, C++, and assembly language programming, performance analysis and improvement strategies, memory management, caching, concurrency, threads, and synchronization.
CS 61 will help you develop the skills to write programs for the real world, where performance and robustness really matter. It will also prepare you for more advanced CS courses, including operating systems, compilers and programming languages, architecture, and graphics. We want it to be fun and challenging.
Full course description with policies
Prerequisites
CS 50, CS 32, CS 51, or instructor or DUS permission.
Note: This course requires programming in C++. Ideally you should already have experience programming in C or C++. If you have not previously programmed in C or C++ but know another procedural language, such as Java, you will likely be able to quickly learn what you need. Talk to one of the instructors if you are unsure whether you are sufficiently prepared for CS 61, or do the ungraded warmup assignment to check your preparation.
Textbook
Computer Systems: A Programmer’s Perspective, Third Edition by Randal E. Bryant and David R. O’Hallaron. More information and readings by topic
College concentration requirements
CS 61 satisfies the Programming 2 and Systems requirements for the computer science concentration, and may be used as one of the four CS courses to satisfy the requirements for a secondary field in computer science.
Extension school
CS 61 is offered through the Extension School as CSCI E-61. See information for Extension students.