Parallel Programming in Java Course Syllabus

Overview: This intermediate course provides a hands-on introduction to parallel programming in Java, focusing on multicore computation and practical techniques for building efficient, scalable applications. The course is structured into six modules, combining theoretical concepts with coding exercises and mini-projects. With approximately 18–24 hours of total content, learners will gain mastery over task, functional, and dataflow parallelism using Java’s core concurrency frameworks. Each module builds on the previous one, culminating in a comprehensive final project that demonstrates real-world parallel programming proficiency.

Module 1: Welcome to Parallel Programming in Java

Estimated time: 1 hour

• Course introduction and learning objectives
• Setting up the programming environment
• Overview of course structure and discussion guidelines
• Mini-project 0: Environment setup and verification

Module 2: Task Parallelism

Estimated time: 3 hours

• Introduction to task creation and termination
• Computation graph models for parallel tasks
• Java’s Fork/Join framework fundamentals
• Hands-on mini-project: Reciprocal Array Sum using Fork/Join

Module 3: Functional Parallelism

Estimated time: 4 hours

• Concepts of functional parallelism in Java
• Using Futures for asynchronous computation
• Parallel processing with Java Streams
• Implementing memoization techniques
• Understanding data races and determinism

Module 4: Loop-Level Parallelism

Estimated time: 4 hours

• Parallelizing loops in multicore environments
• Using barriers for synchronization
• Iteration grouping and chunking strategies
• Performance considerations in loop parallelism

Module 5: Dataflow Parallelism

Estimated time: 6 hours

• Introduction to dataflow programming concepts
• Using the Phaser framework for coordination
• Implementing data-driven tasks
• Building responsive and scalable dataflow systems

Module 6: Final Project

Estimated time: 6 hours

• Design and implement a parallel application using Fork/Join
• Incorporate Java Streams and Futures for functional parallelism
• Apply loop-level and dataflow techniques in a unified solution

Prerequisites

• Intermediate knowledge of Java programming
• Familiarity with object-oriented design principles
• Basic understanding of concurrency concepts

What You'll Be Able to Do After

• Design and implement task-parallel applications using Java’s Fork/Join framework
• Apply functional parallelism with Streams, Futures, and memoization
• Optimize loop-level parallelism using barriers and chunking
• Build dataflow-driven applications with the Phaser framework
• Solve real-world performance problems in multicore Java environments