Computer Systems Portal
data/lecture/information/information-engineering-portal.lecture.n.md
1Introduction
This portal studies how a physical computer executes a program. An earlier programming lecture described program execution in terms of state and control flow. Here, we explain where that state is stored, how instructions are processed, and how data is exchanged with external devices.
2Learning Path
data/lecture/information/systems/computer-systems-basics.lecture.n.mdThis lecture distinguishes the roles of the CPU, memory, and input/output. It explains the path from instruction fetch to execution and introduces memory hierarchies and input/output performance.
3Connections to Adjacent Topics
- Programming treats variables, branches, and iteration as program constructs.
- Computer systems realize these constructs through the processing of instructions and data.
- Computer networks study network communication, a form of input/output, as a mechanism for connecting multiple computers.