A practical, project-based course on end-to-end systems design for Deep Learning, taught from the perspective of Computer Architecture.
| Gopalakrishnan Srinivasan |
SSB 202, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Madras e-mail: sgopal@cse.iitm.ac.in |
This course is a practical and project based introduction to end-to-end systems design challenges in Deep Learning from the perspective of Computer Architecture. It covers topics from three fields: Machine Learning, Compilers, and Architecture. It targets self-motivated graduate students and upper-level undergraduates interested in pursuing the area in greater depth, potentially for a research project or thesis.
It is not a traditional lecture-and-exam course. Instead, it features in-class tutorials, hands-on assignments, and a significant course project. Students are expected to do original work that can potentially be extended even beyond the course itself.
"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."
- Confucius
| Component | Weight |
|---|---|
| Course Project | 40% |
| Best of 4 out of 5 assignments (10% each) | 40% |
| Mid sem Exam (October 12th, 2026) | 20% |
Taught in the H slot, in the CS24 of the CSE Department:
| Day | Time |
|---|---|
| Monday | 14:00 – 15:15 |
| Tuesday | 15:30 – 16:45 |
| Thursday | 17:00 – 17:50 |
| Week | Dates | Important Dates | Topic and Lecture Slides | Assignments | Paper Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Jul 27 - 31 | Intro to Computer Architecture | Value prediction & In-order execution (Presentation) | ||
| Week 2 | Aug 3 - 7 | Scaling and Dark Silicon | Ara2 Titan | ||
| Week 3 | Aug 10 - 14 | 15/08/2026 (Independence Day) | Intro to Deep Learning | Assignment-1 | ResNet |
| Week 4 | Aug 17 - 21 | Transformer arch & algorithm optimization | Attention Transformer (Presentation) | ||
| Week 5 | Aug 24 - 28 | Algorithm optimizations | VENOM VENOM presentation |
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| Week 6 | Aug 31 - Sep 4 | 30/08/2026 Assignment 1 Deadline.
02/09/2026 Assignment 2 Release. |
Quantization & Knowledge distillation | Assignment-2 | HAWQ HAWQ Presentation |
| Week 7 | Sep 7 - 11 | 08/09/2026 Assignment 2 Deadline. 09/09/2026 Assignment 3 Release. |
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| Week 8 | Sep 14 - 18 | 15/09/2026 Assignment 3 Deadline. | |||
| Week 9 | Sep 21 - 25 | Project proposal starts | |||
| Week 10 | Sep 28 - Oct 2 | Project proposal (continue). 28/09/2026 - Assignment 4 Release. |
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| Week 11 | Oct 5 - 9 |
05/10/2026 - Assignment 4 Deadline. 06/10/2026 - Assignment 5 Release. |
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| Week 12 | Oct 12 - 16 | 12/10/26 (Mid Sem). 13/10/26 - Assignment 5 Deadline. |
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| Week 13 | Oct 19 - 23 | ||||
| Week 14 | Oct 26 - 30 | Final Project report and code upload deadline | |||
| Week 15 | Nov 2 - 6 | Project presentation. | |||
| Week 16 | Nov 9 | Project presentation (continues). | |||
| Exam Slot | Nov 20 | Project presentation (continues). |
| Previous student projects (2025) | Student Projects (Google Sheet) |
| Ayush Bahuguna | cs25d006@cse.iitm.ac.in |
| Rakshitha Kalkura | cs25e052@smail.iitm.ac.in |
| Rajshekhar Rakshit | cs24s031@cse.iitm.ac.in |
| Noel Manuel | ep22b035@smail.iitm.ac.in |
| Devgokul BV | ns26z056@smail.iitm.ac.in |
| Balaji O S P | cs24s024@smail.iitm.ac.in |