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Parallel Computing Foundations

This course provides a conceptual foundation in parallel computing, driven by the limitations of sequential architecture and the multicore revolution. It explores parallel architecture design, performance metrics, benchmarking methodologies, and fundamental performance laws. Students examine key programming models, shared memory and message passing paradigms, as well as cache coherence and memory consistency issues.

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No Certificate / Course on Audit Track

About Course

The Regional Anatomy course provides learners with a structured, region-wise understanding of human anatomy relevant to medical imaging practice. The course focuses on studying anatomical structures by body regions, helping students relate bones, muscles, organs, vessels, and nerves to their appearance in diagnostic imaging.

Designed for students of Medical Imaging Technology (MIT), the course supports accurate patient positioning, image acquisition, and interpretation in radiography, CT, MRI, and ultrasound. Emphasis is placed on clinical relevance, spatial understanding of anatomical relationships, and preparation for professional practice and examinations.

Authorship and Attribution

This course has been curated by Riphah International University faculty and staff using publicly available third-party content and Open Educational Resources (OER) for self-paced learning. Learners will engage with curated open-access materials to achieve the course learning outcomes. All third-party content is used under open-access or fair-use policies, while any original materials are developed specifically for this learning experience.

Source and Credits:

  • Instructor: NPTEL IIT Guwahati
  • Provider: YouTube (@npteliitguwahati8283)
  • License: Standard YouTube license

What You'll Learn

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  • Explain the motivation for parallel computing and the impact of the multicore revolution on modern architectures.
  • Differentiate parallel architecture models, programming paradigms, and memory organization concepts.
  • Analyze performance using benchmarking techniques and fundamental parallel performance laws.
  • Evaluate cache coherence and memory consistency models in terms of correctness and performance trade-offs.

Prerequisites

To be successful on this course, you should have a basic knowledge of Computer Organization.

Who Can Take This Course?

This course is designed for: 

  • Undergraduate students pursuing degrees in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related disciplines.
  • Students preparing for advanced study or research in high-performance computing, distributed systems, or multicore architectures.
  • Learners seeking a strong conceptual understanding of parallel systems without a primary focus on hands-on programming.

Course Outline

Introduction to Parallel Computing

Why do we need Parallel Architecture (Video)

Multicore Revolution

Multicore Computers (Video)

Parallel Architecture

What is parallel Architecture (Video)

Performance and Benchmarking

Benchmarking Performance (Video)

Reporting Performance

Reporting Performance (Video)

Laws on Parallel Performance

Performance Laws (Video)

A shift from sequential to Parallel

Shift -Sequential to Parallel (Video)

Programming Models

Parallel Programming Models (Video)

Shared Memory Paradigm

Shared Memory Model (Video)

Message Passing Paradigm

Distributed Memory Model (Video)

Parallel Program Examples

Writing Parallel Programs (Video)

Cache Coherence

Cache Coherence Problems (Video)

Cache Coherence

Cache Coherence Problems (Video)

Concept of Serialization

Serialization (Video)

Conditions of Coherence

Coherence Related Conditions (Video)

Types of Cache Coherence

Types of Cache Coherence Protocols (1) (Video)

Types of Cache Coherence Protocols (2) (Video)

The Cache Coherence Protocols

VI Cache Coherence Protocols (Video)

MSI Protocol (Video)

MESI Protocol (Video)

Strict Consistency

Sequential Consistency (Video)

Implication of Sequential Consistency (Video)

Relaxed Consistency

Relaxed Consistency Models (1) (Video)

Relaxed Consistency Models (2) (Video)

Skills You Will Gain

Parallel Architecture Understanding Performance Analysis Techniques Shared Memory Programming Concepts Message Passing Paradigms Cache Coherence & Memory Consistency

Course Information

Duration

Approximately 11 Hours

Course Information
  • Category: Computing
  • Type: Self-paced
  • Start Date: Mar 05, 2026

Difficulty Level

Intermediate

Learning Mode

Fully Online (Asynchronous)

Learning Type

Self Paced

Language

English Only

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Instructor/Curator

Course Instructor