Computer Memory
Decipher how memory actually works, layer by layer.
Retrieving Data from a Computer
Binary, Decimal, and Hexadecimal
Linear Memory Model
Memory Layout
Compiling Source Files to Executables
Memory Segments
The Code and Static Segments
The Stack Segment
The Heap Segment
Processes
Virtual and Physical Memory
Memory Pages
MMU and the OS
Page Cache
Memory Mapping
Demand Load
Page Sharing and Copy-on-Write
Libraries
Relocation
Position Independent Code
Procedure Linkage Table
Caching Overview
Details of Caching
Practical Uses of Caching
DRAM, SRAM, and CPU Caches
Computer Memory Architecture
Course description
This course was created in collaboration with Kenji Ejima and Kristian Takvam, senior members of Brilliant's software engineering team. How is the memory managed in the running program? How does the OS manage it when multiple programs are running? What are the memory related features that the CPU provides? This course will guide you through understanding memory management, layer by layer, so that you can answer the questions above and write efficient programs.
Topics covered
- Compilation
- Computer Memory Hierarchy
- Copy-on-write
- Hardware Caching
- Least Recently Used Algorithm
- Linking
- Memory Mapping
- Memory Segments
- Position Independent Code
- Time-aware Least Recently Used Algorithm
- Virtual Memory
Prerequisites and next steps
You'll need an understanding of basic programming and basic data structures. This course will use C for examples