NOTOC
Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Eddie Kohler
Lectures: Tuesday/Thursday, 2:30-4:00 Location: Northwest B103
Course Description | Schedule | Course staff, sections, and office hours Infrastructure | Git | Resources | Coding style | C patterns Piazza | Grading server | Lecture videos | Lecture feedback
Announcements
- Zoom live lectures
- Final topics, Final question bank (solutions)
- Midterm (solutions), Midterm question bank (solutions)
- Section notes: s1, s2, s3, s4, s5, s6, s7, s8, s9, s10, s11, s12
- Lecture notes: Data representation 2, 3, 4, 5; Assembly 1, 2; Storage 1, 2, 3, 4; Kernel 2, 3, 4, 5; Shell 1, 2, 3; Synchronization 1, 2, 3, 4
- Problem sets: Pset 1 (m61), Pset 2 (bomb), Pset 3 (stdio), Pset 4 (WeensyOS), Pset 5 (shell), Pset 6 (pong)
- Lecture code repository
About
CS 61 is an introduction to the fundamentals of computer systems programming. Topics include 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. CS 61 is suitable for both computer science concentrators and non-concentrators.
We want CS 61 to be fun and challenging, but not necessarily to require tons of work. Computer systems rock!
Prerequisites
CS 50, CS 51, or the instructor's permission.
Note: This course requires programming in C. Ideally you should already have experience programming in C. If you have not previously programmed in 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. More Information
Textbook
Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective, Third Edition by Randal E. Bryant and David R. O'Hallaron. More information.
College concentration requirements
CS concentrators must take two of CS 50, CS 51, and CS 61. CS 61 may be used as one of the four half-courses in CS to satisfy the requirements for the secondary concentration in computer science. CS 61 may also be used as a technical elective for the primary concentration (if you don’t use it to fulfill other requirements).
Extension school
CS 61 is offered through the Extension School as CSCI E-61. See information for Extension students.