CS3520 ─ Advanced Topics in Computer Networks ─
Fall 2004
Syllabus
Instructor: Prof. José Carlos Brustoloni (jcb@cs.pitt.edu)
-- Classes: SENSQ 6516 – T H
-- Office hours: SENSQ 6516 –
T H 12:
SENSQ
5129 – T H
SENSQ
6111 – T W
Goals:
1. Get students acquainted with contemporary
work on selected topics of computer networks and related areas, in particular
operating systems, distributed systems, and security.
2. Hone skills necessary for doing research or
leading advanced development in these areas.
Pre-requisites:
CS 1550 (Operating Systems)
CS 1652 (Networking)
Grading:
20% Homework
20% Presentations
10% Class participation
50% Project
Homework:
You will be required to read the papers that will be presented in class and formulate questions about them. The purpose of this homework is to help you develop the ability to read technical literature critically. This is an essential skill and usually the first step in a research or advanced development project.
You should give a hardcopy of your questions to the instructor one week before the respective paper is scheduled for presentation. The instructor will select, compile, and/or edit students’ questions and post them on the course’s Web site the week before the respective presentation.
At a minimum, your questions should reveal that you read the paper attentively and fairly. Higher grades will be given to incisive questions, such as:
· Indicating a point that, if made more clear, would significantly improve the paper, for example:
o A sentence or paragraph that is confusing and needs to be edited;
o A better organization for the paper;
o Unexpected results that are not explained in the paper (e.g. an inflexion in a graph).
· Indicating relationship to other work, for example:
o Similarity of approach or results;
o Disagreement of results.
· Indicating a flaw or shortcoming in the methodology or conclusions.
· Suggesting new extensions, generalizations, combinations, or applications of ideas presented in the paper and elsewhere that, if pursued, could be a significant contribution.
The originality of your questions will also be considered (for example, if you have a relevant question that did not occur to others, it will get a higher grade).
The quantity of questions you submit per paper will not be considered, and may be limited. In general, you will be expected to submit at least one good question per class.
Presentations:
Often the final step of a research project is its presentation to technical peers. Therefore, giving good talks and appropriately fielding questions is usually necessary for obtaining a position in research or advanced development.
In this course, you will be expected to present to the rest of the class papers selected from a list prepared by the instructor or related to your project. Please send the instructor a copy of your slides, and bring hardcopies to class.
You should also address the students’ questions that were posted in the course’s Web site the week before. If possible, do this as an integral part of your presentation, and try to give definite answers (this may require some research). If the latter is not possible, at least sketch the steps that you would expect to lead to a definite answer.
Both the instructor and other students will be evaluating your presentations according to:
· Talk organization;
· Slide clarity;
· Voice clarity;
· Paper coverage;
· Fielding of questions.
You will also be receiving other comments and suggestions for improvement.
You should expect to give about one presentation per month.
Class participation:
You will be expected to attend classes and participate actively, for example:
· Contributing an alternative answer to a question;
· Contributing a new question raised by the presentation;
· Providing useful comments and suggestions to the presenter in feedback forms.
Project:
You will be developing a project on a topic related to the course and that is of your interest. Projects can be done individually or in group.
Ideally, projects should involve a clear statement of a relevant problem, criticism of related previous knowledge or solutions, and a clear hypothesis of potential discoveries or a new solution that can be reasonably expected to be feasible and to advance the state of the art.
You need to discuss your project’s scope and plans individually with the instructor. Any previous or concurrent work that you or others have done or are doing for credit elsewhere and that is related to your project needs to be disclosed to the instructor. You also need to discuss with the instructor your equipment needs.
Please give the instructor by September 30 a written statement of your work plan, including problem statement, related bibliography, hypothesis, and steps you expect to take to demonstrate the hypothesis. You may ask the instructor for suggested problems, or choose one yourself. If you cannot think of a hypothesis at this point, please outline at least the steps you expect to take to reach a hypothesis. You may revise your work plan as you go along. In the latter case, please give the instructor a copy of your revised plan.
The results of your project should be documented in a report and turned in to the instructor by the last week of classes.
Policies:
·
There
will be no tests or exams, and no textbook is required.
·
On the other hand, class attendance is required.
There will be penalty for more than three absences during the term.
·
You should check regularly for course
announcements on http://courseweb.pitt.edu
· Do discuss papers and projects with other students at a conceptual level, but:
o do not copy solutions from others, and
o do not allow others to copy your solutions.
· Students caught cheating will fail the course.
Important dates:
9/10 Add/Drop deadline
9/24 Satisfactory/Audit deadline
10/29 Withdrawal deadline
11/24-11/28 Thanksgiving recess
12/16 Last class
Students with disabilities:
If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an
accommodation, you are encouraged to contact both your instructor and the
Office of Disability Resources and Services, 216 William Pitt