Computer Organization and Architecture

Computer Organization and Architecture is a fundamental area of computer science that details the internal structure and operational behavior of a computer system, effectively bridging the gap between hardware and software. Computer *architecture* defines the system from a programmer's perspective, specifying the instruction set (ISA), data types, and memory addressing modes—essentially, *what* the computer does. Computer *organization*, in contrast, focuses on the implementation of that architecture, detailing *how* the components like the CPU, memory hierarchy (including caches), and I/O systems are interconnected and managed to achieve the specified functionality and performance goals.