2. Basic Concepts

• Basic knowledge:

  • the CPU constantly runs a program some place in memory

  • the program is made up of single instructions and that is all the CPU knows

  • occasionally, the instructions direct the CPU to look at data in memory

  • put it all together, and you have the key elements of a Von-Neuman architecture machine.

• In this course we learn how memory concepts can help us better understand and write computer programs.