Topics

This theory module explored advanced topics in operating systems, compilers, runtime systems, and system software more broadly.

Language

This theory module is offered only in English.

Activities

Students will review recent scientific articles focused on the topics of this theory module.

Students are expected to present a subset of these articles to the class, and participate in a scientific debate on each article.

Evaluation

Evaluation will be based on the presentation, on the debate, and on a final test that covers the reading list of the current edition of the course.

• Students must present their assigned research paper(s) and participate in the debate (Pass/Fail)
• Students will receive a greade based on the final test.

Schedule

This theory module will have 5 "contact days" when the whole class meets to present, attend, and debate.

• Course Kick-off: 2025-09-10  09:00-10:00 room GF-207 [Slides]
• Discussion session #1: 2025-09-24. (Week 39) 09:00-11:00 room GF-207
• Discussion session #2: 2025-10-15. (Week 42) 09:00-11:00 room GF-207
• Discussion session #3: 2025-10-29. (Week 44) 09:00-11:00 room GF-207
• Final test. 2025-11-12. (Week 46) 09:00-11:00 GF-207

More information will be announced here, when available.

Mandatory attendance is required for the Kick-off meeting and for the final test.

We do not offer streaming of lectures or remote attendance facilities.

Reading list

The reading list for the 2025 edition has 9 papers. Students are expected to form groups of 2-3 people and each present 1 paper:

Session #1

Session Chair: Stefano Cherubin

• MLIR: Scaling Compiler Infrastructure for Domain Specific Computation
  • DOI: 10.1109/CGO51591.2021.9370308
  • Group: Nicolai and Callum
• Approximate Computing: A Survey
  • DOI: 10.1109/MDAT.2015.2505723
  • Group: Bertine and Viljan
• Synergistic Memory Optimisations: Precision Tuning in Heterogeneous Memory Hierarchies
  • DOI: 10.1109/TC.2025.3586025
  • Group: Christian and Christian

Session #2

Session Chair: Nico Reissman

• RVSDG: An Intermediate Representation for Optimizing Compilers
  • DOI: 10.1145/339190
  • Group: Simon, Simon, and Vidar
• Dynamically Scheduled High-level Synthesis
  • DOI: 10.1145/3174243.3174264
• R-HLS: An IR for Dynamic High-Level Synthesis and Memory Disambiguation based on Regions and State Edges
  • DOI: 10.1145/3676536.3676671
  • Group: Andreas and Lars

Session #3

Session Chair: Di Liu

• Atom: Low-bit quantization for efficient and accurate llm serving
  • Link
• PowerInfer: Fast Large Language Model Serving with a Consumer-grade GPU
  • DOI: 10.1145/3694715.3695964
  • Group: Arunan and Eilert
• Fast On-device LLM Inference with NPUs
  • DOI: 10.1145/3669940.3707239
  • Presented by Session Chair

Teaching staff

This theory module is coordinated by Stefano Cherubin.

Teachers that participate in the delivery of this theory module include Stefano Cherubin, Di Liu, and Nico Reissman.

History

This theory module is offered starting from the Fall semester of 2025.