Cover of The Elements of Computing Systems, second edition

The Elements of Computing Systems, second edition

Building a Modern Computer from First Principles

By: Noam Nisan, Shimon Schocken

ISBN: 9780262539807

A new and extensively revised edition of a popular textbook used in universities, coding boot camps, hacker clubs, and online courses. The best way to understand how computers work is to build one from scratch, and this textbook leads learners through twelve chapters and projects that gradually build the hardware platform and software hierarchy for a simple but powerful computer system. In the process, learners gain hands-on knowledge of hardware, architecture, operating systems, programming languages, compilers, data structures and algorithms, and software engineering. Using this constructive approach, the book introduces readers to a significant body of computer science knowledge and synthesizes key theoretical and applied techniques into one constructive framework.The outcome is known known as Nand to Tetris: a journey that starts with the most elementary logic gate, called Nand, and ends, twelve projects later, with a general-purpose computer system capable of running Tetris and any other program that comes to your mind. The first edition of this popular textbook inspired Nand to Tetris classes in many universities, coding boot camps, hacker clubs, and online course platforms. This second edition has been extensively revised. It has been restructured into two distinct parts—Part I, hardware, and Part II, software—with six projects in each part. All chapters and projects have been rewritten, with an emphasis on separating abstraction from implementation, and many new sections, figures, and examples have been added. Substantial new appendixes offer focused presentation on technical and theoretical topics.

Format: BOOK
Publisher: MIT Press
Pages: 345
Published: 2021-06-15
Language: en

AI Overview

Title: The Elements of Computing Systems, Second Edition Authors: Noam Nisan, Shimon Schocken

Overview

"The Elements of Computing Systems, Second Edition" is a comprehensive textbook designed to help learners understand the fundamental principles of computing systems by building a modern computer from scratch. This approach, known as "Nand to Tetris," starts with the most elementary logic gate (NAND) and gradually builds up to a general-purpose computer system capable of running Tetris and other programs.

Key Themes

  1. Constructive Approach: The book uses a hands-on, constructive approach to teach computer science concepts. Learners are guided through twelve chapters and projects that build the hardware platform and software hierarchy for a simple but powerful computer system.

  2. Hardware and Software: The book is structured into two distinct parts: Part I focuses on hardware, covering topics like logic gates, adders, ALUs, memory, and CPUs. Part II focuses on software, including assembler development, stack-based virtual machines, and compilers for higher-level languages.

  3. Abstraction and Implementation: The second edition emphasizes separating abstraction from implementation. This means that learners are encouraged to understand the theoretical concepts and then implement them in practice, rather than just memorizing formulas and code snippets.

  4. Technical and Theoretical Topics: The book includes substantial new appendixes that provide focused presentations on technical and theoretical topics, making it a valuable resource for both beginners and advanced learners.

Plot Summary

The book is not a narrative but a structured educational guide. Here is a brief outline of the journey:

  1. Starting with NAND Gates: The journey begins with the most elementary logic gate, NAND, and progresses through simple logic gates, adders, and Arithmetic Logic Units (ALUs).

  2. Building Hardware Components: Learners build memory, a CPU, and other essential hardware components using a simple hardware description language and a Java simulator.

  3. Developing Assembler and Virtual Machine: After building the hardware, learners write an assembler for their machine language and develop a simple stack-based virtual machine.

  4. Compiling Higher-Level Languages: Finally, learners compile a higher-level language targeting their virtual machine and develop an operating system/standard library providing basic services like drawing circles on the screen.

Critical Reception

  • Approachability: The book is praised for its approachability. It is not a book that you read passively but one that you engage with actively. The hints provided in each chapter help learners understand the high-level idea of the solution but do not give away the exact steps, encouraging critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

  • Elegance and Conciseness: The book is described as elegant and concise, with each chapter providing a clear structure and minimal redundancy. The extensive testing of the course material over the years has refined its content, making it highly effective for learning.

  • User Reviews: The second edition has received high praise from users. On Indigo, it has an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars based on two reviews. The book is recommended for its ability to synthesize key theoretical and applied techniques into one constructive framework, making it a valuable resource for both beginners and advanced learners.

In summary, "The Elements of Computing Systems, Second Edition" by Noam Nisan and Shimon Schocken is a highly regarded textbook that provides a comprehensive and hands-on approach to understanding computing systems. Its constructive methodology, emphasis on abstraction and implementation, and inclusion of technical and theoretical topics make it an invaluable resource for anyone interested in computer science.