60-Day C++ Systems Mastery (EDA • HFT • BigTech)
Track Overview
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60-Day C++ Systems Mastery (EDA • HFT • BigTech)
A deep, systems-first C++ mastery track for cracking EDA, HFT, and low-latency engineering interviews. Master memory layout, concurrency, lock-free programming, and performance optimization.
Syllabus
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Week 1–2: C++ Object Model & ABI (Foundation of Systems C++)
C++ Object Model & ABI
Object Layout in Memory
abi-object-layout
Padding & Alignment Rules
memory-layout-padding
sizeof, alignof & EBO
sizeof-alignof-ebo
Standard Layout vs Trivial Types
standard-layout-trivial
POD History & Modern Equivalents
pod-history
Stack vs Heap vs TLS
stack-heap-tls
Object Lifetime Storage Duration (static/thread/auto/dynamic)
storage-duration
References vs Pointers (ABI impact)
refs-vs-ptrs-abi
Value Categories (lvalue/rvalue/xvalue/prvalue)
value-categories
RVO/NRVO & Copy Elision (ABI + perf)
rvo-nrvo-copy-elision
This Pointer, Member Access & Object Model
this-pointer-object-model
Name Lookup, Overload Resolution (high-level view)
lookup-overload-resolution
Virtual Tables & Dispatch
vtables-internals
Virtual Inheritance Internals
virtual-inheritance-internals
Multiple Inheritance Layout
multiple-inheritance-layout
Diamond & Virtual Bases
virtual-base-classes
RTTI internals (typeid/dynamic_cast)
rtti-internals
Exception Handling ABI (unwind tables, landing pads)
exception-abi-unwinding
Calling Conventions (SysV / MS ABI basics)
calling-conventions
Itanium C++ ABI overview (vtable, name mangling)
itanium-abi-overview
Name Mangling & Demangling
name-mangling-demangling
Object Files & Relocations (ELF basics)
elf-object-relocations
ODR (One Definition Rule) + Violations
odr-violations
Week 3: Constructors, Lifetimes & RAII (Correctness)
Object Lifetime & RAII
Construction & Destruction Order
construction-destruction-order
Member Initialization Order Pitfalls
member-init-order
Temporary Materialization & Lifetime Extension
temporary-lifetime-extension
Dangling References & UB patterns
dangling-references-ub
Rule of 0/3/5
rule-of-5
Copy vs Move Semantics
copy-vs-move
Move-Only Types & API design
move-only-types
Exception Safety (basic/strong/nothrow)
exception-safety-levels
RAII Patterns (scope_guard, unique_resource)
raii-patterns
Resource Ownership Models
resource-ownership
Smart Pointers deep dive (unique_ptr/shared_ptr/weak_ptr)
smart-pointers-deep-dive
Custom Deleters & Allocators with smart pointers
smartptr-deleters-allocators
Perfect Forwarding
perfect-forwarding
Universal References & Reference Collapsing
ref-collapsing-universal-refs
std::move vs std::forward (gotchas)
move-vs-forward
Copy Elision & Return-by-value APIs
copy-elision-apis
Explicit, implicit constructors; converting operators
explicit-implicit-ctors
Alignment-new & Over-aligned types
aligned-new-overaligned
Placement new, launder, strict aliasing
placement-new-launder-aliasing
RAII in concurrency (locks, thread joiners)
raii-concurrency-guards
Week 4: C++ Memory Model & Concurrency (Hard Interview Core)
Concurrency Fundamentals
C++ Memory Model Explained
cpp-memory-model
Data Races vs Race Conditions
data-race-vs-race-condition
Happens-Before & Synchronization
happens-before
Atomics & Memory Orders (relaxed/acquire/release/seq_cst)
atomics-memory-order
Atomic RMW operations (fetch_add/exchange/CAS)
atomic-rmw
Atomic fences (atomic_thread_fence)
atomic-fences
std::atomic_ref & atomic<T> pitfalls
atomic-ref-pitfalls
Cache Coherence & MESI basics
cache-coherence-mesi
False Sharing & Cache Lines
false-sharing
Memory Reordering (compiler vs CPU)
compiler-vs-cpu-reordering
Mutex vs Spinlock vs Futex
locks-vs-spinlocks
Condition Variables (lost wakeups, spurious)
condition-variables
Reader-Writer Locks & shared_mutex
shared-mutex-rwlocks
Deadlocks (avoidance, ordering, try_lock)
deadlocks-avoidance
Priority Inversion & real-time considerations
priority-inversion
Thread Lifecycle (join/detach), RAII joiners
thread-lifecycle
Thread Local Storage (TLS) performance & pitfalls
tls-performance
Futures/Promises/packaged_task
futures-promises
async launch policies & thread pools
async-launch-policies
Latches/Barriers/Semaphores (C++20)
latches-barriers-semaphores
Concurrency testing: TSAN, stress tests
concurrency-testing-tsan
Week 5: Lock-Free & Wait-Free Design (HFT Level)
Lock-Free Programming
CAS & ABA Problem
cas-aba
Tagged Pointers & Version Counters
tagged-pointers
Memory Reclamation (Hazard Pointers)
hazard-pointers
Epoch-Based Reclamation (EBR/QSBR)
epoch-reclamation
RCU basics (read-copy-update)
rcu-basics
Lock-Free Stack (Treiber) + pitfalls
treiber-stack
Michael-Scott Queue (MSQueue)
msqueue
Ring Buffers & SPSC/MPMC
ring-buffers
Disruptor Pattern (sequencers, gating sequences)
disruptor-pattern
Wait-Free vs Lock-Free vs Obstruction-Free
progress-guarantees
Linearizability & correctness proofs (practical)
linearizability
Backoff strategies & contention management
backoff-contention
NUMA-aware lock-free data structures (overview)
numa-lockfree-overview
Week 6: Templates & Compile-Time Mastery
Templates & Metaprogramming
Template Instantiation Model
template-instantiation
Two-Phase Name Lookup
two-phase-lookup
Dependent Names (typename/template keywords)
dependent-names
SFINAE & enable_if
sfinae-enable-if
Overload sets with constraints (modern patterns)
overload-constraints
Concepts & Constraints
concepts-constraints
Requires-expressions & requires-clauses
requires-expressions
constexpr & consteval
constexpr-consteval
constinit & initialization order issues
constinit-init-order
Compile-time computation patterns (CTAD, NTTP)
compile-time-patterns
Type Traits & TMP
type-traits
std::tuple, std::variant internals (usage + cost model)
tuple-variant-cost
Expression Templates (high-level)
expression-templates
Modules overview (C++20) + build implications
cpp20-modules
Week 7: Performance Engineering & Low Latency
Low Latency C++
Latency vs Throughput
latency-vs-throughput
p50/p95/p99 & tail latency control
tail-latency
NUMA & Memory Locality
numa-locality
CPU Affinity & Pinning (pthread_setaffinity)
cpu-affinity-pinning
Thread Scheduling (SCHED_FIFO/RR basics)
thread-scheduling
Cache Optimization (AoS vs SoA)
cache-optimization
Branch Prediction & Prefetching
branch-prediction
SIMD basics (AVX/NEON overview)
simd-basics
Avoiding Allocations (arena, monotonic buffer)
avoid-allocations
Custom Allocators & PMR (polymorphic allocators)
pmr-allocators
Memory Pools, Free-lists, Slab allocators
memory-pool-allocators
I/O models: sync vs async, batching, syscall reduction
io-models-batching
Lock contention profiling & reduction
lock-contention-profiling
Benchmarking Correctly (noise, warmup, pinning)
benchmarking
Profiling (perf, VTune basics, flamegraphs)
profiling-perf-flamegraphs
Compiler Optimizations (-O2/-O3/LTO/PGO)
compiler-opts-lto-pgo
Week 8: Build Systems, ABI & Toolchain (EDA Critical)
Build & Toolchain
CMake Deep Dive (targets, properties, interface libs)
cmake-deep-dive
Toolchains, cross-compilation, sysroots
cmake-toolchains-cross
Build Types, Sanitizers, Coverage
build-sanitizers-coverage
Static vs Dynamic Linking
linking-models
Linker Basics (ld, gold, lld) + flags
linker-basics
Symbol Visibility
symbol-visibility
ELF, PLT/GOT, relocation model
elf-plt-got
ABI Stability & Versioning
abi-stability
Binary Compatibility
binary-compatibility
Symbol Versioning & SONAME
soname-symbol-versioning
Debugging toolchain (gdb/lldb) essentials
gdb-lldb-essentials
Binary analysis (nm/objdump/readelf/ldd)
binary-analysis-tools
Packaging & distribution (rpath, RUNPATH)
rpath-runpath
Week 9: Linux Internals for C++ Engineers
Linux & OS Internals
Virtual Memory & Paging
virtual-memory
TLB, page faults (minor/major), huge pages
tlb-pagefaults-hugepages
mmap/munmap, mprotect, madvise
mmap-mprotect-madvise
Syscalls & Context Switch
syscalls
Process vs Thread
process-vs-thread
Signals, timers, interruption model
signals-timers
Schedulers (CFS basics), runqueues, affinity
linux-scheduler-cfs
IPC basics (pipes, shared memory, futex)
ipc-basics
File Systems Internals (VFS, inode, dentry)
filesystem-internals
Disk I/O & page cache
disk-io-pagecache
Networking basics (sockets, TCP, Nagle, corking)
networking-sockets-tcp
epoll fundamentals (edge vs level)
epoll-fundamentals
io_uring model (SQ/CQ, submission batching)
io-uring
Time sources (clock_gettime, TSC, rdtsc)
time-sources-tsc
Perf counters & observability basics
perf-counters-observability
Week 10: Architecture, Interviews & System Design (EDA/HFT Applied)
Interview Mastery
EDA Simulation Kernel Design
simulation-kernel
Event-Driven Simulation (timing wheel, delta cycles)
event-driven-sim-delta-cycles
Compiled Simulation vs Interpretive (tradeoffs)
compiled-vs-interpretive-sim
Parallel/Distributed Simulation Concepts
parallel-distributed-simulation
Determinism, Reproducibility & Debugging in Sim
sim-determinism-debug
Low Latency Engine Design
low-latency-engine
Market Data Pipeline (SPSC rings, batching)
market-data-pipeline
Order Router & Risk Checks (latency budget)
order-router-risk
Backpressure & overload control
backpressure-overload
Memory Pool Design
memory-pools
Object Pools, arena allocators, fragmentation control
pool-fragmentation-control
Thread Pool & Scheduler Design
thread-pools
Work stealing vs work sharing
work-stealing
Per-core sharding & actor-like designs
per-core-sharding
Debugging Performance Regressions
perf-regressions
Interview drills: explain past Cadence/Xcelium porting work architect-style
cadence-porting-storytelling
Mock Interviews & Review
mock-interviews
C++ Systems Round: 50 rapid-fire questions
cpp-systems-rapid-fire
Behavioral: STAR stories for EDA/HFT/BigTech
behavioral-star-stories
Bonus Tracks (Optional but High ROI)
Bonus: C++ Deep Cuts (for Staff-level confidence)
Undefined Behavior Catalog (strict aliasing, lifetime, OOB)
ub-catalog
C++ Standard Library Performance Model (vector/string/map)
stl-performance-model
Allocator-aware containers & PMR end-to-end
allocator-aware-pmr
Exception vs error-code tradeoffs in low-latency
exceptions-vs-errorcodes
Serialization formats (flatbuffers/capnproto overview)
serialization-lowlat
Testing: fuzzing, sanitizers, property-based tests
testing-fuzz-sanitizers
cppvalley · track intro · 60-day-cpp-interview