Philosopher's Stone

Computer Science

Algorithms, data structures, computation theory, and systems design

3 chunks

CPU Cache Levels Explained: Why L1 Is Faster Than L3

CPU cache speed differences come from physical distance to the core and size tradeoffs. L1 (~1ns) is tiny but inside the core. L3 (~10-40ns) is larger but farther away. At 3 GHz, even millimeters matter.

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Why Computers Aren't More Modular: The Interconnect Bottleneck

Hardware modularity is limited by interconnect speeds (inter-chip communication is ~100x slower than intra-chip), software parallelization difficulty, and Amdahl's Law. Apple's integrated SoC approach avoids the bottleneck.

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P vs NP Problem: Fundamentals Explained

P = efficiently solvable, NP = efficiently verifiable. NP-complete problems are the hardest — solving any one efficiently would solve all NP problems. Proof must be mathematical, not algorithmic.

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