Graduate

Summary of Course Content

1. Definition of Curve and Surface Models
   1. Bezier curves and surfaces
   2. B-spline curves and surfaces
   3. Knot insertion and removal
   4. Degree elevation and reduction
2. Models for Curve and Surface Design and Analysis
   1. Offset generation
   2. Surface-surface intersection
   3. Surface interrogation
3. Scattered-Data Approximation
   1. Triangulation-based methods
   2. Methods based on radial basis functions
4. Models for Curve and Surface Design and Analysis
   1. Subdivision methods
   2. Wavelets and Multiresolution Analysis
   3. Review of current research in the field

Illustrative Reading
G. Farin, Curves and Surfaces for CAGD, Academic Press, 1997

Potential Course Overlap
No significant overlap with other courses.

Summary of Course Content

1. Looking at Animations
2. Kinematic techniques
   1. Joint hierarchies, joint representation, interpolating splines
   2. Inverse kinematics
   3. Procedural techniques
3. Physics and Control
   1. Spacetime constraints
   2. Controller based simulations
   3. Techniques for building controllers
   4. Muscle models
4. Motion Capture Techniques
   1. Sequencing and blending clips
   2. Retargetting
5. Movement Style
   1. Expressive aspects of movement
   2. Data-based approaches for expressive movement
   3. Procedural approaches for expressive movement
6. Gesture Animation
   1. Nature of gesture
   2. Approaches to gesture animation
7. Interactive Animation
8. Skinning

Illustrative Reading
A selection of research papers.

Potential Course Overlap
There is no significant overlap with other courses.

Summary of Course Content:

1. Introduction
2. Enabling Technologies of virtual reality
3. Definition and Characteristics of virtual reality
4. Applications
5. Human Factors and Human Perception
6. Computer Graphics Principles for virtual reality
7. Geometric Modeling Principles for virtual reality
8. Modeling of Virtual Environments
9. Existing Tools
10. Special Topics

ABET Category
Engineering Science: 2 units
Engineering Design: 2 units

Illustrative Reading
Due to the lack of textbooks in this area, we will use a combination of lecture and laboratory notes.

Potential Course Overlap
Whereas much of the fundamental material for this course is similar to that of courses ECS 175, 177, 275, and 277, the core material is unique to this course. This is the only course that discusses interface issues and display issues in a synthetic environment. It is the only course that discusses computer graphics and visualization techniques to display complex images into stereo environment.

Summary of Course Content
Part I: Introduction
1. Optical Communication Networks: Principles and Challenges
2. Enabling Technologies

Part II: Broadcast (Local) Networks
1. Single-Hop Networks
2. Single-Hop Case-Study: IBM RAINBOW Protocol
3. Multihop Networks
4. Multihop Case Study: GEMNET
5. Channel-Sharing and Multicasting

Part III: Switched (Wavelength-Routed) Networks
1. Elements of Virtual Topology Design
2. Virtual Topology: LP, Cost, Reconfiguration
3. Routing and Wavelength Assignment (RWA)
4. Wavelength Conversion
5. Wavelength-Routed Networks: Case Studies and Prototypes

Part IV: Potpourri
1. Multi-Wavelength Ring Networks
2. All-Optical Cycle Elimination
3. Optimizing Amplifier Placements in an Optical LAN/MAN
4. Optical TDM Networks

Illustrative Reading
Textbook:

B. Mukherjee, Optical Communication Networks, McGraw-Hill, 1997

References:

Selected papers from the recent literature

Potential Course Overlap
ECS 259 is an advanced graduate course in optical networking. Hence, it does not overlap with any course per se.

Summary of Course Content

1. Network architecture: the big picture
   1. Circuit switching vs. packet switching
   2. End-to-end arguments
   3. Separation of control & data planes; signaling (hard state vs. soft state)
2. Telephony - Circuit-switched architecture
   1. Space and time-division circuit switches
   2. Strict-sense vs. rearrangably non-blocking
3. Internet: Packet-switched architecture
   1. IP and routing hierarchy (intra-domain vs. inter-domain routing)
   2. Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and policy-based routing
   3. Multicast routing
4. Evolving Internet Archtecture and Quality of Service (QoS)
   1. Application vs. Network based solutions
   2. Differentiated Service and Integrated Service QoS architecture
   3. Control-plane mechanisms, e.g., admission control, QoS routing
   4. Data-plane mechanisms
      1. Packet schedulers, e.g., weighted fair queuing (WFQ)
      2. Active queue management, e.g., random early detection (RED)
5. Protocol mechanisms (commonly found techniques in networking protocols)
   1. Signaling
   2. Randomization
   3. Indirection
   4. Multiplexing
   5. Virtualization
   6. Scalability
6. Network Resource Management
   1. Capacity planning
   2. Traffic engineering
   3. Network flows, optimal link-weight assignment problem
7. Advanced Topics
   1. Internate measurements, modeling, and inferences
   2. Application and services (peer-to-peer, overlay)
   3. Network security
   4. Multimedia networking

Project/TermPaper: Students work individually or in small groups on course projects that contribute to 40% of the course. The project should demonstrate quality, significance, and in-depth knowledge of the scope of the topics covered in the course. One unit of the independent study should be used for advanced reading that will be assigned in class. The project may involve: (1) conducting thorough survey of an advanced topic, or (2) Proposing/designing of a new protocol or extension of an existing one followed by its evaluation (via analysis, simulation or experiment). Students therefore gain hands-on experience in network protocol design, development and analysis.

Illustrative Reading
References: Selected conference/journal papers D. Bertsekas and R. Gallager, Data Networks, Prentice Hall, 1992. J.E. Kurose and K.W. Ross, Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach Featuring the Internet, Addison-Wesley, 2000.

Potential Course Overlap
There is no significant overlap with other courses. This course focuses more on architecture aspect and resource management in the evolving Internet and hence complements ECS252, which covers the fundamental design principles of different network protocol layers.

Summary of Course Content
I. Preliminaries
A. Communications networks
B. Evolution of wireless networks
C. Satellite networks
D. Personal Communication Services

II. Access Technologies
A. FDMA and TDMA
B. CDMA
C. Channel characteristics
D. Dynamic and fixed channel allocation

III. Cellular Networks
A. Cellular network design
B. Handoff methods
C. Location Management
D. Call control and routing
E. Standards (GSM and IS-95)

IV. Wireless LANs and Local Loop
A. Wireless LAN Technology
B. IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN Standard
C. Bluetooth
D. Fixed wireless

V. Wireless Data Services
A. Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD)
B. Generalized Packet Radio Service (GPRS)
C. Mobile-IP
D. Transport protocols for mobile networks

VI. Next Generation Wireless Networks and Applications
A. 3G Networks
B. Wireless ATM
C. Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)
D. Adhoc networks

Design Statement:

Students will design a new network architecture, protocol or algorithm. Alternately, they will design a simulation platform to analyze an existing network architecture, protocol or algorithm to demonstrate creativity while furthering the knowledge in the mobile and wireless networks.

Illustrative Reading
Y-B. Lin and I. Chlamtac, Wireless and Mobile Network Architectures, Wiley & Sons, 2001
T.S. Rappaport, Wireless Communications: Principles & Practice, Prentice Hall 1996

Reference:
Journal papers will be provided during the course.

Potential Course Overlap
ECS 252 covers basic concepts in wireless and mobile networks in the overall context of computer networks. ECS 257 is an in-depth course in mobile and wireless networks and will be the key course to prepare students interested in research work in this area.

Summary of Course Content

I.  Brief review of prerequisite material in probability (0.5 weeks).

II.  Discrete event simulation, using either the 'simmer' (R) or SimPy
(Python) languages (2 weeks).

III.  Discrete and continuous-time Markov chains (1.5 weeks).

IV.  Queuing models (1.5 weeks).

V.  Application of Markov models to classification techniques:  
Hidden Markov models (1 week).

VI.  Application of Markov models to Bayesian methods:
Markov Chain Monte Carlo (1 week).

VII.  Specific computer science applications, case studies (2.5 weeks).

Illustrative Reading

Instructor's materials. Online textbook can be found: http://heather.cs.ucdavis.edu/probstatbook

Potential Course Overlap
This course does not have a significant overlap with any other course.  It covers some topics similar to some in course 271, but with a more statistical view.  There is also some topic similarity to MAT 135B, but with a much more applied emphasis. The major theme of this course, running throughout Topics II-VI above, is Markov models, applied in computer science contexts. There are no courses at all in the Department of Statistics on Markov modeling,  MAT 135B does cover Topic III, but in a much more theoretical manner and not with computer science applications.  Topic V has some overlap with course 271, but with a more statistical view. Topic V also has some overlap with STA 208, but again uniquely motivated by Markov models. 

Note:  This course originally was titled Probabilistic Modeling of Computer Systems.  At some point, it was re-titled Performance Evaluation, but has always been taught in the original form, involving Markov models and applications to queuing analysis.  The current change would revert to (close to) the original title, with a modernized topic list, notably adding Hidden Markov Models, Markov Chain Monte Carlo, and discrete event simulation software.

Final Exam
Yes Final Exam

Justification for No Final Exam
Grading: Letter; homework (50%), project (25%); final exam (25%) The project will include the design and analysis of a computer and/or communication system using the analytical and simulation methodologies developed in this course.

Summary of Course Content
I. Introduction
A. Wireless Systems
B. Characteristics and challenges
C. Course overview

II. Cross-layer Design
A. Introduction
B. Multi-user diversity and its theoretical aspects
C. Systems and applications
D. Advantages and limitations

III. Network Information Theory
A. Theoretical limits of wireless networks
B. Improving network scaling laws
C. Applications

IV. Dynamic Spectrum Management
A. Motivation and current status
B. Technical challenges
C. Applications

V. Networks with MIMO Technologies
A. What is MIMO (Multi-Input Multi-Output Antenna Array)?
B. Basic results on MIMO
C. Systems design using MIMO
D. Impacts on communication networks

VI. Optional Topics
A. Transport and application layers
B. QoS provisioning
C. Mesh networks
D. Sensor networks
E. Vehicular Ad hoc networks

Illustrative Reading
Selected research papers from conferences and journals.

Potential Course Overlap
ECS 257 focuses on protocols and architectures of existing and emerging wireless networks. ECS 255 is a complimentary course that focuses on resource management issues in wireless networks, including cross-layer design, network information theory, and dynamic spectrum management.