Syllabus

Table of contents

Prerequisites

Students are expected to have a solid background in distributed systems (CS7210) and graduate level operating systems (CS4210/6210). Strong system building skills and proficiency with C/C++/Java/Scala/Python programming is required. Experience with machine learning frameworks and tools (e.g., PyTorch or TensorFlow) is highly recommended. Additionally, students must be comfortable working with medium to large code bases.

Textbook & Exams

This course has no textbooks or exams. The course content will be based on recent papers from top venues in the areas of systems and AI.

Format

This course will be offered in a graduate seminar format, where students will lead paper discussions. Being a graduate seminar, the majority of the grade will be determined by a research project. Students will be expected to work on a substantial, original research project that combines systems and LLMs. The ultimate goal of this project is to produce high quality work that can potentially be published in a top-tier systems conference such as SOSP, OSDI and NSDI.

To foster a deeper understanding of the papers and encourage critical thinking, we will utilize the following format:

Required Reading

Each lecture will have two required readings. Everyone in the class is expected to read them. There will be one or more optional related reading(s) that the presenter(s) should be familiar with. They are optional for the rest of the class.

Student Lectures

The course will be conducted as a seminar. Each student will be assigned at least one paper to present over the course of the semester. Only the students assigned will present in each class. Since there are two required readings, there will be two student presenters assigned each day. Your task is to collaborate with the other person assigned for the day and come up with a cohesive presentation that should last at most 45 minutes without interruption. Note that you must expect questions and interruptions during your presentation.

You are free to come up with a single presentation, or two separate presentations. However, the goal of your presentation must be the following:

  • Provide the necessary background and motivate the problem. Note that each lecture has a “theme” such that the papers are connected in some way. For instance, perhaps they are trying to solve the same problem using different approaches, or maybe one is building on top of the other. Your presentation should try to make this connection.
  • Present the high level idea, approach, and/or insight (using examples, whenever appropriate) in the required reading as well as the additional reading.
  • Discuss technical details so that one can understand key details without carefully reading.
  • Explain the differences between related works.
  • Identify strengths and weaknesses of the required reading and propose directions of future research.

The slides must be provided to the instructor team at least 24 hours prior to the corresponding class. Late submissions will not be accepted.

If you miss a lecture where you are required to present, it is your responsibility to find a replacement before the day of the lecture.

Scribes/Lecture Summary

For each lecture, two additional students, other than the presenters, will be assigned as “scribers”. The scribers for the day will collaborate with each other and create a summary of the day’s lecture.

This summary must capture the discussion during the lecture in addition to addressing the following questions. Summaries should be about 4 pages long.

  • What is the problem addressed in the lecture, and why is this problem important?
  • What is the state of related works in this topic?
  • What is the proposed solution, and what key insight guides their solution?
  • What is one (or more) drawback or limitation of the proposal?
  • What are potential directions for future research?

Here’s a suggested breakup of the pages:

  • Page 1: Introduction of the area/problem/importance and related work (collaborate with the other scriber).
  • Page 2: proposed solution, key insights & limitations for the first paper.
  • Page 3: proposed solution, key insights & limitations for the second paper.
  • Page 4: Potential future directions for research and class discussion summary (collaborate with the other scriber).

The summary of a lecture must be submitted within 24 hours after the presentation. Late submissions will not be counted. You must use this template for your summary.

If you miss a lecture where you are required to scribe, it is your responsibility to find a replacement before the day of the lecture.

Role-based Discussion

Each lecture will be followed by a panel discussion. The goal of this discussion is to simulate a top conference’s program committee meeting, but with a twist. In real program committee meetings, the authors are not present. However, in our class, we will simulate the presence of the authors who can defend their work by using roles:

Authors

The two students who present and the two students who scribe each day will play the role of the authors.

Reviewers

Two additional students will be assigned to be the “reviewers” for the two required papers each class. Reviewers critically assess the paper, posing challenging questions and highlighting potential weaknesses or areas for further investigation. Your goal is to engage in a constructive critique of the paper, simulating a peer review scenario.

Each reviewer will review both the assigned papers, and write a detailed review for each. The review must be 1-2 pages long. You must use this template for your review. You should submit your reviews before the lecture. Late submissions will not be entertained.

If you miss a lecture where you are required to be a reviewer, it is your responsibility to find a replacement before the day of the lecture.

Others

The rest of the class will be required to submit one insightful question for each presented papers before each class. Late submissions will not be accepted. Further, during the class discussion, you are expected to actively ask questions and engage.

Participation

Given the discussion-based nature of this course, participation is required both for your own understanding and to improve the overall quality of the course. You are expected to attend all lectures (you may skip up to 2 lectures due to legitimate reasons), and more importantly, participate in class discussions.

A key part of participation will be in the form of discussion in Piazza. The scribers for each lecture will post their summary (after it has been approved by the instructor) as a new thread. The others should participate by adding/commenting on the thread. It is expected that everyone has something to add over the semester. The goal is to refine each of these threads so that they become comprehensive summaries for the lectures.

Project

You will have to complete substantive work on an instructor-approved problem and have original contribution. Projects will be done in groups of 3 students. Surveys are not permitted as projects; instead, each project must contain a survey of background and related work.

You must meet the following milestones (unless otherwise specified in future announcements) to ensure a high-quality project at the end of the semester:

  • Form a group of 3 members and declare your group’s membership by January 28. After this date, we will form groups from the remaining students.
  • Turn in a 2-page draft proposal by February 9. Remember to include the names and email addresses of the group members.
  • Each group must present mid-semester progress during class hours on March 11 and March 13.
  • Each group must turn in an 8-page final report and your code on or before April 26 23:59ET. The report must be submitted as a PDF file, with formatting similar to that of the papers you’ve read in the class. This format can be achieved using USENIX templates.
  • In addition to your report, you must submit a working version of your code. Your code submission must contain a README file with step-by-step instructions on how to compile and run the provided code and replicate the key result(s) in your report. If this requires specific datasets, you must include the datasets in your submission (or link them if they are open-source). You must submit a working version of your code to receive the allocated grade.

Tentative Grading

Course grades will be determined according to the following criteria:

  • Paper presentation: 10%
  • Paper summary: 10%
  • Paper reviews: 10%
  • Participation (including attendance): 10%
  • Project report & working code: 45%
    • Proposal: 5%
    • Final report: 20%
    • Working code with instructions: 20%
  • Project presentation: 15%
    • Mid-semester presentation: 5%
    • Final presentation: 10%

Subject to Change

Due to the highly dynamic situation (e.g., global phenomena outside of the instructor’s control, conference travel, etc), the syllabus and course schedule may be subject to change. It is the responsibility of students to check Canvas, Piazza, email messages, and course announcements (through course canvas and piazza) to stay up-to-date with any course logistics changes. We will make every effort to communicate changes via these mechanisms. The course is held IN RESIDENCE until and unless announced otherwise on course Piazza or Canvas. Virtual option will not be available this semester.

Communication

We will be using Piazza for asynchronous communication. ALL communication regarding this course must be via Piazza. This includes questions, discussions, as well as private messages.

Auditing Policy

A student interested in registering in audit mode must approach the course instructor and determine the minimum course audit requirements. For this class, minimum course audit requirements include full participation (attending classes and engaging in discussions) and completion of the course project (including proposal, mid-point presentation, and final project deliverables). That’s 70% of the course grade. Therefore, audit and pass/fail are highly discouraged, because the amount of work involved will be similar to taking the course for a letter grade.

Special Needs and Services

If you are a student with learning needs that require special accommodation, contact the Office of Disability Services at (404) 894-2563 or http://disabilityservices.gatech.edu/, as soon as possible, to make an appointment to discuss your special needs and to obtain an accommodations letter. Please also e-mail me as soon as possible in order to set up a time to discuss your learning needs.

Your mental health and well being is important to us. If you are having a difficult time or just need to talk, please make use of campus counseling services. These services are available in the Smithgall Student Services building (Flag Building) between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. There is also a 24/7 service for students in crisis. Again, do not wait till the end of the semester to get help.

Conduct

Be respectful of one another as well as the instructors both in class and out. Be considerate and professional in online Piazza posts, emails, and other conversation related to the course.

Please help to provide a distraction-free learning environment in class, and be considerate to your teachers and other students by minimizing in-class distractions such as cellphone use, eating, etc.

Please plan to attend the lectures. Students are responsible for all material covered in class as well as any announcements made in class (as well as on Piazza and Canvas). We make our best effort to put information on Piazza or Canvas but cannot promise everything said in class will make it on there.

Academic Integrity

Georgia Tech aims to cultivate a community based on trust, academic integrity, and honor. Students are expected to act according to the highest ethical standards. For information on Georgia Tech’s Academic Honor Code, please visit http://www.catalog.gatech.edu/policies/honor-code/ or http://www.catalog.gatech.edu/rules/18/.

Any student suspected of cheating or plagiarizing will be reported to the Office of Student Integrity, who will investigate the incident and identify the appropriate penalty for violations.

Statement of Intent for Inclusivity

As a member of the Georgia Tech community, I am committed to creating a learning environment in which all of my students feel safe and included. Because we are individuals with varying needs, I am reliant on your feedback to achieve this goal. To that end, I invite you to enter into dialogue with me about the things I can stop, start, and continue doing to make my classroom an environment in which every student feels valued and can engage actively in our learning community.