Department of Computer Science

The following list reflects the 2006/2007 faculty.

Chairman Azer Bestavros

Associate Chairman Stan Sclaroff

Faculty

Gary Benson Associate Professor of Biology and Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences. BS, MS, PhD, University of Maryland

Azer Bestavros Chairman; Professor of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences. BSc, MSc, Alexandria University (Egypt); SM, PhD, Harvard University

Margrit Betke Associate Professor of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences. MS, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

John Byers Associate Professor of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences. BA, Cornell University; PhD, University of California, Berkeley

Michael Cohen Associate Professor of Computer Science and Cognitive and Neural Systems, College of Arts and Sciences. SB, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; PhD, Harvard University

Mark Crovella Professor of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences. BS, Cornell University; MS, State University of New York at Buffalo; MS, PhD, University of Rochester

Peter Gacs Director, Graduate Studies; Professor of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences. MS, Eötvös Lóránd Tudományegyetem (Hungary); PhD, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt (Germany)

Steven E. Homer Director, Undergraduate Studies; Professor of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences. AB, University of California, Berkeley; PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Gene Itkis Assistant Professor of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences. BS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; MS, PhD, Boston University

Simon Kasif Adjunct Professor of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences. BSc, Tel Aviv University; MS, PhD, University of Maryland

Assaf J. Kfoury Professor of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences. BS, MS, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

George Kollios Associate Professor of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences. MSc, PhD, Polytechnic University

Leonid A. Levin Professor of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences. MS, PhD, Moscow University (Russia); PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Abraham Matta Associate Professor of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences. BS, MS, Alexandria University (Egypt); PhD, University of Maryland at College Park

Leonid Reyzin Assistant Professor of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences. AB, Harvard University; MS, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Stan Sclaroff Associate Chair; Associate Professor of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences. BS, Tufts University; SM, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Wayne Snyder Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences; Associate Professor of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences. BA, Dickinson College; MA, Tufts University; PhD, University of Pennsylvania

Shang-Hua Teng Professor of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences. BA, BS, Jiao-Tong University (China); MS, University of Southern California; PhD, Carnegie Mellon University

Richard West Associate Professor of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences. MS, PhD, Georgia Institute of Technology

Hongwei Xi Assistant Professor of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences. BS, MS, Nanjing University (China); PhD, Carnegie Mellon University

Emerita

Joyce B. Friedman Professor Emerita of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences. BA, Wellesley College; AM, Radcliffe College; PhD, Harvard University

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The Graduate Programs

The graduate programs in computer science prepare students for careers at the forefront of computing research, teaching, and industrial progress. Computer science has become a highly active and fast changing discipline and students at Boston University have the opportunity to work at the cutting edge of this fundamental and exciting field. The computer science faculty is composed of leading researchers in many central areas of computer science. All are involved in graduate education. Areas of current faculty interests are theory of computation, information theory, complexity theory, analysis of algorithms, cryptography, programming language theory, fault-tolerant computing, image and video computing, real-time computing, parallel and distributed computing, large-scale networked information systems, distributed systems, networking, database systems, and performance evaluation.

The department awards both MA and PhD degrees. Graduate students work closely with computer science faculty on research and applied projects, and have the opportunity to interact with distinguished faculty in the Mathematics Department, the Department of Cognitive and Neural Systems, the Center for Computational Science, the Bioinformatics program, and the College of Engineering. The master’s program consists of eight courses, five of which are in core breadth areas, and a master’s project. The doctoral program requires eight courses beyond the master’s degree, the passing of written and oral qualifying examinations, and a thesis exhibiting strong original research.

MA in Computer Science

A complete description of all the requirements for the MA degree is available in the department and from the department website, Computer Science Department Graduate Program. The following are the most important components of the degree.

Admission Tests and Prerequisites The candidate must have met the requirements for a bachelor’s degree with the equivalent of a concentration in computer science. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test results are required.

Course Requirements Eight semester courses (32 credits) approved for graduate study are required, including the computer science graduate core curriculum. A minimum grade of B – is required in noncore courses.

Core Curriculum Master’s candidates are required to complete at least five courses from the list shown in the Computer Science Graduate Bulletin with at least five breadth courses, one course taken in each subject area. Among the grades received for the five core courses, the number of grades of B – must not be greater than the number of grades of B+ or higher. No grade lower than B – may be used for graduate credit.

Language Requirement The Department does not have a foreign language requirement.

Master’s Project All MA candidates must complete a master’s project. Projects are carried out with the approval and under the supervision of a faculty member. A master’s project can be expanded into a master’s thesis, which requires two faculty readers.

PhD in Computer Science

A complete description of all the requirements for the PhD degree is available in the department and from the department website; the following are the most important components of the degree. See Computer Science Graduate Program.

Admission Tests and Prerequisites The candidate must complete or have completed the requirements for a master’s degree in computer science or the equivalent. Unusually well-qualified candidates may be accepted as 16-course PhD candidates directly after earning the bachelor’s degree. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test results are required.

Course Requirements (Breadth) Eight semester courses (32 credits) beyond those taken to fulfill the master’s degree are required. These will provide a reasonable breadth of background in computer science as well as mastery of the basic tools relevant to the research area selected.

Language Requirement The Department does not have a foreign language requirement.

Qualifying Examination (Depth) All PhD candidates must pass a written or oral comprehensive examination administered by the department. In addition, every PhD candidate is required to pass an oral examination in a distinct area of computer science. These examinations must be completed by the end of the third year of study (the second year, for post-master’s PhD candidates).

Residency Requirement, Dissertation Prospectus, and Final Oral Examination Please see General Requirements for the PhD on this site.

Dissertation An original thesis is required. A thesis advisor must be selected from among the BUCS faculty and a thesis proposal must be successfully defended by the end of the fifth year of study (the fourth year, for post-master’s PhD).

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Courses

Certain courses in other departments may be taken, if approved in advance.

CAS CS 511 Object-Oriented Software Principles

Prereq: CAS CS 320, CS 411, or consent of instructor. Specification, programming, and analysis of large-scale, reliable, and reusable Java software using object-oriented design principles. Topics may include object-oriented programming, object models, memory models, inheritance, exceptions, namespaces, data abstraction, design against failure, design patterns, reasoning about objects. Kfoury. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS CS 520 Programming Languages

Prereq: CAS CS 320 or CS 332 or consent of instructor. Concepts of programming languages: data, storage, control, and definition structures; concurrent and distributed programming; functional and logic programming. Staff. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS CS 525 Compiler Design Theory

Prereq: CAS CS 320 or consent of instructor. Covers the basic mathematical theory underlying the design of compilers and other language processors and shows how to use that theory in practical design situations. Topics may include lexical analysis, parsing, syntax-directed translation, code optimization, and code generation. Staff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS CS 530 Analysis of Algorithms

Prereq: CAS CS 330 or consent of instructor. Studies the design and efficiency of algorithms in several areas of computer science. Topics may be chosen from: graph algorithms, sorting and searching, NP-complete problems, pattern-matching, parallel algorithms, and dynamic programming. Staff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS CS 532 Computational Geometry

Prereq: CAS CS 330. Studies the design, analysis, and implementation of algorithms and data structures for solving geometric problems that arise in such diverse settings as computer graphics, robotics, databases, data mining, parallel computing, statistics, and pure mathematics. Teng. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS CS 535 Complexity Theory

Prereq: CAS CS 332 or consent of instructor. Covers topics of current interest in the theory of computation. Topics may include: computational models, games and hierarchies of problems, abstract complexity theory, informational complexity theory, time-space trade-offs, probabilistic computation, and recent work on particular combinatorial problems. Staff. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS CS 537 Randomness in Computing

Prereq: CAS CS 330 or 530 or consent of instructor; CS 535 recommended. Survey of probabilistic ideas of the theory of computation. Topics may include Monte Carlo and Las Vegas probabilistic computations, average case complexity analysis, random and pseudorandom strings, games and cryptographic protocols, information, inductive inference, reliability; and others. Staff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS CS 538 Fundamentals of Cryptography

Prereq: CAS CS 332, or consent of instructor. Basic algorithms to guarantee confidentiality and authenticity of data. Definitions and proofs of security for practical constructions. Topics include: perfectly secure encryption, pseudorandom generators, RSA and Elgamal encryption, Diffie-Hellman key agreement, RSA signatures, secret sharing, block and stream ciphers. Reyzin. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS CS 539 Methods of Scientific Computing

Prereq: CAS MA 225, 242, and CAS CS 330 or consent of instructor. An introductory survey of topics, including computational linear algebra, numerical integration and solution of differential equations, solutions of linear equations, optimization, pseudo-random number generation, and methods of stochastic simulation (i.e., Monte Carlo methods). Meets with CAS MA 539. Kolaczyk. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS CS 548 Advanced Cryptography

Prereq: CAS CS 538 or consent of instructor. Continuation of CAS CS 538. Advanced techniques to preserve confidentiality and authenticity against active attacks, zero-knowledge proofs; Fiat-Shamir signature schemes; non-malleable public-key encryption; authenticated symmetric encryption; secure multiparty protocols for tasks ranging from Byzantine agreement to mental poker to threshold cryptography. Reyzin. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS CS 549 Pattern Matching and Detection with Applications in Biological Sequence Analysis

This course examines algorithmic techniques for pattern matching and pattern detection with applications geared to biological sequence analysis. Readings come from original journal articles and textbooks. Algorithm correctness, time and space complexity, and sensitivity/specificity trade-offs are discussed. Benson. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS CS 551 Parallel Computer Architecture

Prereq: ENG SC 513. Problems in parallel processing, how they are addressed by current parallel computers, and design of future systems. Topics include: characteristics of parallel applications; parallel system support; cache coherency protocols; network interfaces; switch and interconnection network design; scalable systems; and hardware-software tradeoffs. Examples of both small-scale and large-scale parallel systems, including web servers, clusters of networked PCs, MPPs, and vector supercomputers. Meets with ENG SC 713. Herbordt. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS CS 552 Introduction to Operating Systems

Prereq: CAS CS 210 and CS 350 or consent of instructor. Examines process synchronization, I/O techniques, buffering, file systems; processor scheduling, memory management, virtual memory, job scheduling, resource allocation; system modeling; performance measurement and evaluation. Staff. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS CS 553 Operating Systems II

Not offered 2007/2008

CAS CS 556 Advanced Computer Networks

Prereq: CAS CS 455 or equivalent, or consent of the instructor. Strengthens understanding of networking issues and solutions. Relates fundamental concepts, requirements, and design tradeoffs to scheduling, congestion control, routing, traffic management, wireless access and mobility, and applications. Considers how networking may evolve to provide uqbiuitous support for quality-of-service in heterogeneous environments. Matta. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS CS 558 Computer Networks Security

Prereq: CAS CS 235 or consent of instructor; recommended corequisite: CAS CS 455. Theory and practice of computer network security. Cryptographic tools: shared and public key cryptography, encryption, key exchange, and signature. Applying these tools in protocols and systems: confidentiality, authentication, data integrity (Kerberos; SSL/TLS, ISPEC; VPNs; certificates, PK). Firewalls, intrusions, viruses. 4 cr. On Demand

CAS CS 559 Algorithmic Aspects of Computer Networks

Studies the role of algorithms in large-scale networked applications such as Internet content delivery, peer-to-peer file sharing, and network monitoring. Topics include: randomizing summarization, information coding, and distributed hash tables. Byers. 1st sem.

CAS CS 562 Advanced Database Applications

Prereq: CAS CS 330 and CAS CS 460 or consent of instructor. Research issues in the design and implementation of modern database systems. Spatial, temporal, and spatiotemporal index structures. Indexing methods for image and multimedia databases and data warehouses. New data analysis techniques for large databases, clustering, and rule discovery for very large datasets. Kollios. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS CS 565 Data Mining

Prereq: CAS CS 112 or equivalent programming experience, and familiarity with linear algebra, probability, and statistics. Introduction to data mining concepts and techniques. Topics include association and correlation discovery, classification and clustering of large datasets, outlier detection. Emphasis on the algorithmic aspects as well as the application of mining in real world problems. Kollios. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS CS 580 Advanced Computer Graphics

Prereq: CAS CS 480 or equivalent, or consent of the instructor. Survey of advanced modeling, rendering, and animation algorithms. Emphasis on implementation and underlying theory for simulating various phenomena. Topics include photorealistic image synthesis, modeling natural objects and phenomena, character animation, virtual reality, and advanced computer-human interface techniques. Sclaroff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS CS 585 Image and Video Computing

Prereq: CAS MA 242 or CAS CS 232, MA 225, and CS 112 or consent of instructor. Introduction to image computation within context of image and video as multimedia datatypes. Provide background in image processing and image formation. Focus on algorithms for image and video analysis based on color, texture, shading, stereo, and motion. Betke. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS CS 591 Topics in Computer Science

Current topics in computer science. Staff. 4 cr, either sem.

GRS CS 640 Artificial Intelligence

Prereq: CAS CS 112, CAS MA 242 or CAS CS 232, or consent of instructor. Studies computer systems that exhibit intelligent behavior—in particular, perceptual and robotic systems. Topics include human-computer interfaces, computer vision, robotics, game playing, pattern recognition, machine learning, speech recognition, knowledge representation, and planning. Betke. 4 cr, 1st sem.

GRS CS 655 Introduction to Computer Networks

Prereq: CAS CS 330 and CAS CS 350 or consent of instructor. Concepts underlying the design of high-performance computer networks and scalable protocols. Topics include Internet design principles and methodology, TCP/IP implementation, packet switching and routing algorithms, multicast, quality of service considerations, error detection and correction, and performance evaluation. Cannot be taken for credit in addition to CAS CS 455. Matta. 4 cr, 1st sem.

GRS CS 660 Introduction to Databases

Graduate introduction to database management systems. Examines entity-relationship, relational, and object-oriented data models; commercial relational query languages: SQL, relational algebra, relational calculus, and QBE; file organization, indexing and hashing, query optimization, transaction processing, concurrency control and recovery, integrity, and security. Cannot be taken for credit in addition to CAS CS 460. Kollios. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

GRS CS 670 Performance Analysis of Computer Systems

Introduction to measurement, modeling, and simulation of computer systems. Applications of probability and stochastic processes to computer systems modeling; queues and queuing networks; discrete event simulations. Applications in client/server systems and networking are emphasized. Cannot be taken for credit in addition to CAS CS 470.Staff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

GRS CS 680 Graduate Introduction to Computer Graphics

Prereq: CAS MA 242 or CAS CS 232, and CAS CS 112. Introduction to computer graphics algorithms, programming methods, and applications. Focus on fundamentals of two- and three-dimensional raster graphics: scan-conversion, clipping, geometric transformations, and camera modeling. Introduce concepts in computational geometry, computer-human interfaces, animation, and visual realism. Cannot be taken for credit in addition to CAS CS 480. Staff. 4 cr, 1st sem.

GRS CS 697 Computer Science Graduate Initiation

Grad prereq: enrollment in Computer Science PhD or MA degree program. Guidance for graduate students embarking on a research career in computer science. Topics include: research resources and methodologies, the research project development process, refereeing and reviewing, written and oral presentations, the dissertation, writing effective research proposals, ethics, and career planning. (Required of first-year doctoral candidates; open to interested CS Master’s students.) Staff. 2 cr, 1st sem.

GRS CS 698 CS Teaching Fellow Training

Covers topics needed to be a successful computer science teaching fellow. These include goals, content, and methods of instruction in computer science, and general teaching/learning issues. Required once of all teaching
fellows. 2 cr, 1st sem.

GRS CS 699 Teaching College Computer Science I

The goals, contents, and methods of instruction in computer science. General teaching-learning issues. Required of all teaching fellows. Staff. 2 cr, 1st & 2nd sem.

GRS CS 720 Advanced Programming Languages

Not offered 2007/2008

GRS CS 791, 792 Advanced Topics in Computer Science

Prereq: consent of instructor. Seminar restricted to graduate students; topics of mutual interest to faculty and students and not currently available in the graduate program. Staff. 4 cr, either sem.

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Directed Study or Research in Computer Science

Prereq: consent of instructor. Directed study must be approved by faculty supervisor and department staff member concerned. Time arranged. Variable cr.

Students may receive up to 4 directed study credits for completing a master’s project. Students opting to complete a master’s thesis may receive up to 8 directed study credits.

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Boston, MA 02215

31 October 2007
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