CS 6304 
Programming Abstractions for Distributed, Parallel and Ubiquitous Systems 
Dr. Eli Tilevich

Description: The complexity of modern computing systems presents
exciting intellectual challenges to software engineering and programming
languages researchers.  Distribution has become an essential requirement
for the majority of application domains, but building reliable and
efficient distributed system remains a delicate and complex task. The
emergence of multi-core, and soon many-core, architectures requires
that explicit parallelism be employed to take advantage of the new
processor trends. Ubiquitous systems employ multiple heterogeneous
computing devices in sophisticated setups to create unprecedented new
kinds of applications. To ensure the continued success and innovation of
these state-of-the-art systems requires that the complexity of their
construction, evolution, and maintenance be properly managed. And
an essential ingredient of managing this complexity are programming
abstractions.

This course will explore the foundational principles and latest research
on programming abstractions, including frameworks, language extensions,
domain specific languages, code generators, and middleware. The course
will examine the latest trends in programming abstractions by reading
and discussing the relevant research literature. The course will
also include a term project concerned with creating and evaluating a
novel programming abstraction.  Students will be encouraged to explore
programming abstractions that can benefit their respective research areas.