The document provides an introduction to operating systems, discussing what an operating system is, its functions, structure and evolution. It defines an operating system as software that enables computer programs to run by managing hardware resources. The key points covered include: the functions of OS like memory management and I/O control; the layered structure of OS consisting of hardware, OS software, system programs and application programs; the evolution of OS from batch processing to timesharing and distributed systems; and the classification of OS into single-user and multi-user systems.