Intermediate
10 min
Life in the Tranches: Understanding CDOs and Risk Waterfalls
Learn how CDO tranching splits credit risk into Senior, Mezzanine, and Equity layers — with a step-by-step Python waterfall simulation.
Article Archive / All Posts
Technical Articles Archive
Explore structured guides on computer architecture, operating systems, systems programming, Python data science, Rust and quantitative finance.
Intermediate
28 min
How a CPU Executes Instructions: The Fetch-Decode-Execute Cycle
Follow the fetch-decode-execute cycle step by step and learn how the program counter, registers, ALU, control unit, cache, and write-back stages execute machine code.
Intermediate
11 min
Loans and Bonds: The Mechanics of Borrowing and Default Risk
A quantitative guide to loan amortization and bond pricing. Learn to derive payment formulas, simulate default risk, and understand coupon rates using Python.
Intermediate
32 min
Computer Memory Hierarchy: Registers, Cache, RAM, and Virtual Memory
Learn how the computer memory hierarchy works, including CPU registers, L1/L2/L3 cache, RAM, SSDs, virtual memory, TLBs, and page faults.
Intermediate
8 min
The Art of Losing Slowly: Risk, Variance, and Decision-Making
Master risk management through the lens of variance and expected value. Learn how to size bets, diversify risk, and implement decision-making logic in Python.
Intermediate
23 min
How the CPU Control Unit Works: Instruction Decoding and Microcode
Learn how a CPU control unit works, from instruction decoding and control signals to hardwired logic, microcode, timing, and the fetch-decode-execute cycle.
Intermediate
22 min
How an ALU Works: Build a 1-Bit Arithmetic Logic Unit
Learn how an ALU works inside a CPU using logic gates, adders, two's-complement subtraction, multiplexers, control signals, and status flags.
Beginner
7 min
Design Patterns for Performance: Scaling Beyond Simple Code
Master high-performance architecture. Explore the Reactor pattern, Actor model, and resilience strategies like Circuit Breakers and Load Shedding for low-latency systems.
Beginner
13 min
x86-64 Assembly Hello World with NASM on Linux
Write and run Hello World in x86-64 assembly with NASM on Linux. Learn syscalls, Docker setup, assembling, linking, GDB, and Apple Silicon support.
Beginner
10 min
The Rescue Mission: Refactoring a 'Monster' Class Step-by-Step
Don't delete that messy code just yet. Learn how to transform a tightly coupled Java class into a clean, testable architecture using incremental refactoring and abstractions.
Intermediate
21 min
How Logic Gates Work: Build an 8-Bit Binary Adder and Memory Circuit
Learn how logic gates work, build half-adders and full-adders, create an 8-bit ripple-carry adder, and understand latches, flip-flops, and memory.
Intermediate
16 min
How Transistors Work: Semiconductors, Doping, and MOSFETs Explained
Learn how transistors work inside CPUs, from silicon and semiconductor doping to N-type, P-type, MOSFET channels, binary logic, and transistor history.