Electrical & Computer Engineering

• ENG EC 726: Personal Knowledge Engineering
  Introduction to concepts and methods of Knowledge Engineering on a personal scale. Aimed at students who foresee the need to structure and activate information on their own terms in research, business, authoring, presence on the Internet, etc., or do original research in that area. Includes expressing tasks, processes, and documents in terms of essential features and goals, and how to let computers translate this ?deep structure? into the ?surface expression? appropriate to a desired use. Specifically, how to create ?personal agents? to extend the reach in various directions (memory enhancement, Web mining, and task automation). Among the methodological issues to be treated: semantic tagging (e.g., XML) vs. informal structuring; Markovian vs. Bayesian search methods; making the design/fabricate/evaluate cycle accessible to the layman; scripting language as a personal servant.
• ENG EC 727: Advanced Coding Theory
  Advanced topics in the theory of error-correcting codes, with an emphasis on decoding algorithms. Various codes and corresponding decoding algorithms: cyclic (BCH, Reed-Solomon), Reed-Muller, Golay, algebraic-geometry (Goppa, Hermitian), and iteratively-decoded codes (turbo and LDPC), graph-based decoding; trellis construction and decoding (Viterbi algorithm), belief propagation (sum-product, min-sum). Various applications: cryptography, data synchronization, and tiling.
• ENG EC 728: Design and Testing for Distributed Software-Intensive Systems
  Systems and software requirements definition, architectural software design, object-oriented software development and testing, with emphasis on distributed software-intensive systems (i.e., software for telecommunications, real-time control systems, etc.) Individual project involving requirements definition and a team project involving object-oriented software architecture, design and testing. 4 cr. 1st sem.
• ENG EC 730: Information-Theoretical Design of Algorithms
  Recently developed information-theoretical approach to the analysis and design of computer algorithms. Previous knowledge of information theory or the theory of algorithms is not required, though desirable. Main topics include the complexity of algorithms; P, E, NP, and NP?hard problems; basic concepts of information theory, optimal coding; information-theoretical approach to sorting, order statistics, binary search, decision trees, hashing, minimization of Boolean functions, test, and similar problems; and design of efficient computer algorithms.
• ENG EC 731: Applied Plasma Physics
  Statistical description of plasmas as many-body systems. Liouville equation. Distribution functions. Transport phenomena in plasmas. Fokker-Planck theory. Applications for MHD power generation, sputtering, plasma deposition, ambipolar diffusion in machine plasmas. Kinetic equations for plasma. Maxwell-Vlasov theory of plasma waves and plasma instability. Applications to microwave devices, particle beams, space and laboratory plasmas. Fluctuations, correlations, and plasma radiation.
• ENG EC 732: Combinatorial Optimization and Graph Algorithms
  Design data structures and efficient algorithms for priority queues, minimum spanning trees, searching in graphs, strongly connected components, shortest paths, maximum matching, and maximum network flow. Some discussion of intractable problems and distributed network algorithms. Meets with ENGSE732. Students may not receive credit for both.
• ENG EC 733: Discrete Event and Hybrid Systems
  Review of system theory fundamentals distinguishing between time-driven and event-driven dynamics. Modeling of Discrete Event and Hybrid Systems: Automata, Hybrid Automata, Petri Nets, basic queueing models, and stochastic flow models. Monte Carlo computer simulation: basic structure and output analysis. Analysis, control and optimization techniques based on Markov Decision Process theory with applications to scheduling, resource allocation and games of chance. Perturbation Analysis and Rapid Learning methods with applications to communication networks, manufacturing systems, and command-control. Meets with ENGME733 and ENGSE733. Students may not receive credit for both.
• ENG EC 734: Hybrid Systems
  The course offers a detailed introduction to hybrid systems, which are dynamical systems combining continuous dynamics (modeled by differential equations) with discrete dynamics (modeled by automata). The covered topics include modeling, simulation, stability analysis, verification, and control of such systems. The course contains several applications from both natural and manmade environments, ranging from gene networks in biology, to networked embedded systems in avionics and automotive controls, and to motion planning and control in robotics. Same as ENG ME 734 and ENG SE 734. Students may receive credit for one.
• ENG EC 741: Randomized Network Algorithms
  Probabilistic techniques and paradigms in the design and evaluation of network algorithms. Review of basic concepts in probability, graph theory, and algorithms. Tail inequalities and Chernoff bounds. Ball and bins and random graph models. Markov chains and random walks. The probabilistic method. Monte Carlo methods. Introduction to martingales, networking applications: distributed content storage and look-up in P2P networks, IP traceback, fountain codes, universal hash functions, packet routing. Same as SE 741. Students may not receive credit for both. 4 cr.
• ENG EC 744: Mobile Ad Hoc Networking and Computing
  Mobile routers, wireless interconnectivity, and an unpredictably changing topology characterize a Mobile Ad hoc Network (MANET). Covers MANET-specific topics related to resource discovery, handoff, MAC-layer, security, routing, mobility and location management, self-organization, caching, and practical implementations.
• ENG EC 749: Interconnection Networks fo Multicomputers
  Interconnection network topologies. Static and dynamic networks. Routing in multicomputer networks. Network flow control. Deadlocks in routing. Multicast and broadcast. Fault-tolerance and reliability of interconnection networks. Modules for realization (nodes and routers). Performance metrics for different topologies.
• ENG EC 751: Design of Asynchronous Circuit and Systems
  Very large-scale integrated circuit design. Review of MOSFET basics. Functional module design, including BiCMOS, combinational and sequential logic, programmable logic arrays, finite-state machines, ROM, and RAM. Fabrication techniques, layout strategies, scalable design rules, design-rule checking, guidelines for testing and testability. Analysis of factors affecting speed of charge transfer, power requirements, and control and minimization of parasitic effects. Survey of VLSI applications. Extensive CAD laboratory accompanies course. 4 cr.
• ENG EC 752: Theory of Computer Hardware Testing
  At the present time cost of testing is much higher than cost of design and manufacturing for computer systems. The course will contain a unified presentation of approaches for testing and diagnosis of computer hardware. Gate-level testing, functional testing, testing and diagnosis of microprocessors, memory testing, and random testing. Design for testability. Data compression of test responses. Architectures for built-in self-testing and self-diagnosis. Self-error-detection and self-error-correction in processors and memories.
• ENG EC 753: Fault-Tolerant Computing
  This course will cover techniques for design of fault-tolerant digital devices with on-line self-error-detection and self-error-correction. Fault-tolerant PLAs, gate arrays, and computer memories. Fault-tolerant computer architectures. Application of error-detecting and error-correcting codes for design of reliable devices with self-error detection/correction. Design of self-checking checkers. Combining on-line and off-line error-detecting techniques. Reliability analysis of fault-tolerant devices. Self-error detection/correction for multiprocessors.
• ENG EC 755: Comm Netw Cntrl
  
• ENG EC 757: Advanced Microprocessor Design
  This project course provides a varied and practical view of the development cycle of an embedded system design. Topics include hardware and software design methodologies, use of CAD and simulation tools, assemblers, compilers, debuggers, and programmers. Microprocessor architectures from Motorola, Intel, TI, and ARM will be discussed and evaluated. Computer interfaces such as I2C, CAN, USB, PCI, Ethernet, and Bluetooth will be discussed in detail. Students will gain a clear understanding of the design cycle from project definition and proposal to PCB layout and manufacturing. A course design project is required.
• ENG EC 760: Advanced Topics in Photonics
  This is an advanced special topics course in photonics; topics will vary from year to year. It will be offered in the spring term when there is no other 700-level course in the photonics area. Students who take the course on two different topics would be able to receive credit for it twice. Some of these offerings may become a permanent part of the curriculum in the future.
• ENG EC 762: Quantum Optics
  Review of the postulates of quantum mechanics. Quantization of the electromagnetic field. Coherent, thermal, squeezed, and entangled states, and their associated photon statistics. Interaction of light with matter. Spontaneous and stimulated transitions. Theory of optical detection. Quantum theory of the laser. Interaction of light with two-level atoms, including photon echo and self-induced transparency. Quantum theory of parametric interactions.
• ENG EC 763: Nonlinear and Ultrafast Optics
  Tensor theory of linear anisotropic optical media. Second- and third-order nonlinear optics. Three-wave mixing and parametric interaction devices, including second-harmonic generation and parametric amplifiers and oscillators. Four-wave mixing and phase conjugation optics. Electro-optics and photo-refractive optics. Generation, compression, and detection of ultra short optical pulses. Femtosecond optics. Pulse propagation in dispersive linear media. Optical solitons.
• ENG EC 764: Optical Measurement
  The course begins with a review of classical electromagnetic radiation theory and properties of light such as polarization and coherence. In the first part of the course attention will be given to applications of interference and polarization effects used in different passive application areas such as resonators (e.g. sensors, switching and detection), visibility and interferometry measurements and the usage both of highly coherent and incoherent light respectively. The second part of the course will consider light-matter interactions in dispersive media and compare classical, semi-classical, and quantum mechanical models with focus on the two-level system. The analysis will be applied to active spectroscopy measurements such as absorption and transmission, Photoluminescence, Raman and IR in time and frequency domain measurements. The emphasis will be on extracting material morphology and material properties, illustrated with classical and current journal papers. Finally, we will also discuss relevant tools such as spectrometers and detectors.

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