Lesson plan
CPU time
CPU time (or process time) is the amount of time that a central processing unit (CPU) was used for processing a specific set of instructions of a computer program or operating system, as opposed to total time from start to finish, where the CPU might have spent time on other processes. See the figure. CPU time is measured in clock ticks or seconds. Sometimes it is useful to convert CPU time into a percentage of the CPU capacity, giving the CPU usage. Measuring CPU time for two functionally identical programs that process identical inputs can indicate which program is faster, but it is a common misunderstanding that CPU time can be used to compare algorithms. Comparing programs by their CPU time compares specific implementations of algorithms. (It is possible to have both efficient and inefficient implementations of the same algorithm.) Algorithms are more commonly compared using measures of time complexity and space complexity. Typically, the CPU time used by a program is measured by the operating system, which schedules all of the work of the CPU. Modern multitasking operating systems run hundreds of processes. (A process is a running program.) Upon starting a process, the operating system records the time using an internal timer. When the process is suspended or terminated, the operating system again records the time.…
Article summary
CPU time (or process time) is the amount of time that a central processing unit (CPU) was used for processing a specific set of instructions of a computer program or operating system, as opposed to total time from start to finish, where the CPU might have spent time on other processes. See the figure. CPU time is measured in clock ticks or seconds. Sometimes it is useful to convert CPU time into a percentage of the CPU capacity, giving the CPU usage. Measuring CPU time for two functionally identical programs that process identical inputs can indicate which program is faster, but it is a common misunderstanding that CPU time can be used to compare algorithms. Comparing programs by their CPU time compares specific implementations of algorithms. (It is possible to have both efficient and inefficient implementations of the same algorithm.) Algorithms are more commonly compared using measures of time complexity and space complexity. Typically, the CPU time used by a program is measured by the operating system, which schedules all of the work of the CPU. Modern multitasking operating systems run hundreds of processes. (A process is a running program.) Upon starting a process, the operating system records the time using an internal timer. When the process is suspended or terminated, the operating system again records the time.…
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.