In the early days of computer science the interactions of hardware software compilers and operating system were simple enough to allow students to see an overall picture of how computers worked. With the increasing complexity of computer technology and the resulting specialization of knowledge such clarity is often lost. Unlike other texts that cover only one aspect of the field The Elements of Computing Systems gives students an integrated and rigorous picture of applied computer science as its comes to play in the construction of a simple yet powerful computer system.
Indeed the best way to understand how computers work is to build one from scratch and this textbook leads students through twelve chapters and projects that gradually build a basic hardware platform and a modern software hierarchy from the ground up. In the process the students gain hands-on knowledge of hardware architecture operating systems programming languages compilers data structures algorithms and software engineering. Using this constructive approach?? the book exposes a significant body of computer science knowledge and demonstrates how theoretical and applied techniques taught in other courses fit into the overall picture.
Designed to support one- or two-semest