MIT OpenCourseWare | Electrical Engineering and Computer Science | 6.852J Distributed Algorithms, Fall 2001

This course features an extensive list of readings related to distributed algorithms. The materials are largely based on the textbook, Distributed Algorithms, written by Professor Nancy Lynch (see http://www.mkp.com/ for more information).

6.852J / 18.437J intends to: (1) provide a rigorous introduction to the most important research results in the area of distributed algorithms, and (2) prepare interested students to carry out independent research in distributed algorithms. Topics covered include: design and analysis of concurrent algorithms, emphasizing those suitable for use in distributed networks, process synchronization, allocation of computational resources, distributed consensus, distributed graph algorithms, election of a leader in a network, distributed termination, deadlock detection, concurrency control, communication, and clock synchronization. Special consideration is given to issues of efficiency and fault tolerance. Formal models and proof methods for distributed computation are also discussed.