Course Description
This course provides a systematic treatment of performance engineering—the analysis, measurement, and optimization of software systems. It covers how performance emerges from the interaction between algorithms, programming languages, compilers, operating systems, and modern hardware.
Topics include algorithmic complexity, caching and memory hierarchies, concurrency and synchronization, vectorization, compiler and runtime optimizations, and profiling techniques for both CPU and GPU/accelerator execution. Students will conduct detailed performance studies, apply advanced profiling tools, and design and evaluate optimizations for real systems. The course emphasizes quantitative reasoning, experimental rigor, and clear performance reporting.
Student Learning Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Design statistically sound performance experiments and interpret results (CIs, variance control).
- Use profilers to diagnose front-end, back-end, and memory bottlenecks.
- Understand and diagnose memory-, allocator-, and synchronization-related pathologies; select and validate alternatives.
- Model performance and reason about tail latency.
- Optimize Python and C/C++ code and validate gains with rigorous before/after evidence.
University Policies
Academic Integrity
Academic Integrity Policy: UMass Amherst Academic Integrity Policy
UMass Amherst is strongly committed to academic integrity, which is defined as completing all academic work without cheating, lying, stealing, or receiving unauthorized assistance from any other person, or using any source of information not appropriately authorized or attributed. As a community, we hold each other accountable and support each other's knowledge and understanding of academic integrity.
Academic dishonesty is prohibited in all programs of the University and includes but is not limited to: cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, lying, and facilitating dishonesty, via analogue and digital means. Sanctions may be imposed on any student who has committed or participated in an academic integrity infraction.
All students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have read and acknowledged the Commitment to Academic Integrity and are knowingly responsible for completing all work with integrity and in accordance with the policy.
Accommodations Statement
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is committed to making reasonable, effective, and appropriate accommodations to meet the needs of students with disabilities and help create a barrier-free campus. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please register with Disability Services, meet with an Access Coordinator in Disability Services, and send your accommodation letter to your faculty.
Information on services and registration is available on the Disability Services website: https://www.umass.edu/disability/
Title IX Statement
In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 that prohibits gender-based discrimination in educational settings that receive federal funds, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is committed to providing a safe learning environment for all students, free from all forms of discrimination, including sexual assault, sexual harassment, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and retaliation. This includes interactions in person or online through digital platforms and social media.
Title IX also protects against discrimination on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, miscarriage, abortion, or related conditions, including recovery. There are resources here on campus to support you. A summary of the available Title IX resources (confidential and non-confidential) can be found at: https://www.umass.edu/titleix/resources. You do not need to make a formal report to access them.
If you need immediate support, you are not alone. Free and confidential support is available 24/7/365 at the SASA Hotline: 413-545-0800.