Term Project Suggestions:

The term project is based upon the MSE methodology. As I explained in class, a methodology provides a general approach but can be (and should be) further refined into different, specific approaches. So, although each project should be based upon the MSE methodology, the emphasis of each project may be quite different. The general approach is outlined as follows:

Phase 1: Requirements specification: Requirements are specified in terms of IC cards (e.g. Picnic is a purple card)

Phase 2: Relational graph: Specify the relations among objects. Result is a relational graph. In the relational graph, the subgraphs are the patterns. (Picnic is a relation between organizer and attendees)

Phase 3: IC structure: Transform the relational graph into IC structure(s). In the IC structure, the substructures are the patterns. So there are different levels of patterns. You may need transformation rules for patterns.

Within the context of this methodology, here are some project suggestions. Notice each suggestion entails some preliminary investigation, which can be the topics for your seminar.

Common Part: Every one must select an application and work through the three phases of the methodology. So the first part of your report is a description of the chosen application and how the application system is designed following the general methodology.

Suggestion 1: Phase 1 may be missing if we start from IC cards directly. The IC cards may be too restrictive. Search the literature for similar approaches (i.e. requirements in terms of cards) and come up with better designs of IC cards.

Suggestion 2: Problem of context. Some can be absorbed within the IC (i.e. in terms of f and g). But some may be implicit, i.e. time, weather,etc. Study different approaches to deal with contexts, and come up with your approach.

Suggestion 3: How to represent patterns. Study the literature to find out current practice and leading edge ideas, and formulate your own way to represent patterns.

Suggestion 4: How to transform IC cards into patterns to generate the relational graph.

Suggestion 5: How to transform relation graph into IC structure by transforming the patterns.

Suggestion 6: Investigate different ways and commercial tools to deal with time, and how to transform hypergraph into timelines and conversely

Suggestion 7: Investigate adaptive media and how to transform applications to suit media. This topic can be very practical. How to map an application to the small display area of a mobile phone or a PDA?

Suggestion 8: Investigate different commercially available tools for multimedia applications development, including programming languages, programming environments, etc., and pick one tool to implement your application.

Suggestion 9: Reflections on MSE methodology. For the philosophical minded, you can conduct reserach on different methodologies and do a comparative study.

Suggestion 10: There are many variations of Petri nets that can be used to form the backbone of an MSE methodology. Study different Petri net approaches, pick one to work out your MSE methodology. -->

Pick a topic from the above list. Be specific. Send e-mail to me for approval. Do the research and report your findings in the seminar. Follow the above guidelines to complete the project.