Course title: Distributed Algorithms [MA6072] [3-0-0-6]
Instructor: Partha Sarathi Mandal [TEL: 03612582624, E-mail ID: psm
Department of Mathematics, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
Level: Elective
Semester: Jul - Nov 2026
Lecture Time: Wednesday (5:00-5:55PM), Thursday (4:00-4:55PM), Friday (3:00-3:55PM)
Class Room: 2203
Contents: Click Here
Exams & Marking: Term Paper + Midsem + Endsem
Class & policy: Minimum 75% attendance in class is must as per institute rule.

Texts:
  1. S. Ghosh, Distributed Systems: An Algorithmic Approach, 2nd Edition (Indian Reprint), CRC Press, 2015.
  2. David Peleg, Distributed Computing: A Locality-Sensitive Approach, SIAM Monographys on Discrete Mathematics and Applications, 2000.
  3. N. Lynch, Distributed Algorithms, Morgan Kaufmann, 1996.
References:
  1. M. V. Steen, A. Tanenbaum: Distributed Systems, 3rd Edition, Pearson 2017.
  2. H. Attiya and J. Welch. Distributed Computing: Fundamentals, Simulations, and Advanced Topics, Second Edition, Wiley, 2006.
  3. G. Tel, Introduction to Distributed Algorithms, Cambridge University Press 2000.
  4. A. Kshemkalyani, M. Singhal, Distributed Computing: Principles, Algorithms, and Systems, Cambridge University Press, 2007.
  5. V. K. Garg, Elements of Distributed Computing, Wiley & Sons, 2002.
  6. Distributed Network Algorithms (Lecture Notes for GIAN Course)
  7. Gopal Pandurangan, Distributed Network Algorithms
Announcement:
  1. First Lecture is on 23rd July
Lecture Notes: __________________________________________________________________________________
Week 1 Lecture Notes 1 [Introduction to Distributed Algorithms, Course Logistics - Approach, schedule, policy & references] [Ref. 1, chapters 1 & 2]
Lecture Notes 2 [Model] [Ref. 1, chapter 3]
Lecture Notes 3 [Model of Communication] [Ref. 1, chapter 3]
Week 2 Lecture Notes 4 [Model Transformations & Knowledge-Based Communication] [Ref. 1, chapter 3]
Lecture Notes 5 [Complexity Measures of Distributed Algorithms] [Ref. 1, chapter 3]
Lecture Notes 6 [Complexity Measures & Broadcast/Tree Algorithms] [Ref. 6, ch 4, Ref. 7, ch 3]
Week 3 Lecture Notes 7 [Syntax & semantics, Atomicity, Non-determinism] [Ref. 1, chapter 4-5]
Lecture Notes 8 [Fairness] [Ref. 1, chapter 4-5]
Lecture Notes 9 [Program Correctness] [Ref. 1, chapter 4-5]
Lecture Notes 10 [continued — Liveness, Safety & Correctness Proofs] [Ref. 1, chapter 4-5]
Week 4 Lecture Notes 11 [Time in a Distributed System: Logical Clocks, Causal Ordering, Vector Clocks] [Ref. 1, chapter 6]
Lecture Notes 12 [Distributed Snapshot & Global State Collection] [Ref. 1, chapter 8]
Lecture Notes 13 [Chandy Lamport Algorithm for Global State Collection] [Ref. 1, chapter 8]
Week 5 Lecture Notes 14 [Time and Clock Synchronization] [Ref. 1, chapter 6]
Lecture Notes 15 [Distributed Mutual Exclusion] [Ref. 1, chapter 7]
Lecture Notes 16 [continued - Distributed Mutual Exclusion] [Ref. 1, chapter 7]
Week 6 Lecture Notes 17-19 [Leader Election - Rings, Arbitrary Networks & Anonymous Systems — with Recent Developments (2020–2026)] [Ref. 1, chapter 11]