| Manish K Gupta | Room 2209 Faculty Block 2 | mankg [at] daiict.ac.in | Phone: 91-79-30510549 |
| None |
Overview
In last 50 years Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has had a great
impact on our society. The most profound and accelerated impact of ICT can be seen in
the last decade in the form of cell phones, connected computers and Internet. We even
have a virtual currency. ICT is an interdisciplinary discipline combining IT (Information
Technology) and CT (Communication Technology). IT has its root in computer science
and CT has its root in theory of communication. Both the fields now can be seen as two
sides of the same coin. Both deals with information, in IT we store (send information
from now to then) and manipulate the information and in CT we send information from
here to there (communicate). The mathematical principles of ICT lie in theoretical
computer science (Turing machine) and information and coding theory (work of Shannon
and Hamming). Realization of ICT is via logic gates and circuits giving birth to the area
of Electronics and VLSI.
Coding theory is at the heart of ICT with roots in mathematics, origin in electrical
engineering and applications to computer science. Whenever you want to send
information from one point to other point (communication) or send information from now
to then (storage) you require error-correcting codes. Richard W. Hamming created first
error-control codes in 1947 (published in 1949) out of frustration when he was working
on Bell Model V computers. Every weekend the machine use to stop because of errors
and Hamming said, "Why a computer can not detect and correct the errors itself". This
resulted in his invention of Hamming codes that can correct single bit error.
Around the same time in 1948 Shannon published the famous paper on Information
theory "A Mathematical Theory of Communication". Information theory answers two
fundamental questions about digital information viz. how much you can compress the
digital information? (Answer: The Entropy H) and what is the ultimate transmission rate
of digital communication (Answer: The Channel Capacity C). While information theory
sets the bounds of data storage, communication etc. Coding theory tells us how to achieve
these limits. It is more about algorithm and construction of codes. Thus there are two
aspects of coding theory: source coding (for data compression) and channel coding (error
correction). We will be focusing more on error correction. Information theory is an
interdisciplinary field with connections to Statistical physics (thermodynamics),
Computer science (Kolmogorov Complexity: complexity of a string of data is the length
of the shortest binary program for computing the string), Communications, Economics,
Networks and even to Biology and Chemistry.
Error control coding (ECC) was known before Hamming but very efficient codes were
not known and it was after Hamming's discovery it has become a field of research for
mathematicians, computer scientist, electrical engineers for about 50 years now. In fact
Von Neumann wrote that error control is an integral part of every information processing.
So whenever there is information processing, there is error control coding. We can see
now its importance in new computing paradigms such as quantum computers, bio-
molecular computers. Network coding is another area that is emerging for all kind of
networks. Many new applications of coding theory have emerged such as to Cloud
computing (Cloud Data Storage and Cloud Security). All ICT applications uses some
form of coding from CD/DVD, hard disk data storage, deep space communications,
wireless communications, power line communications, cell phones, networks, sensor
networks, data compressions, VLSI etc. Applications are endless. Now even people are
trying to decipher what kind of error control coding is used in biological information
processing? This is the greatest challenge for the ICT in 21st century. We ourselves use a
crude form of error control coding in our day-to-day conversation between us (without
knowing that it is ECC): Can you guess how? In almost 50 years error control coding has
found many deep connections with diverse areas such as the theory of computation,
complexity, algorithms, algebra (finite fields and finite rings), linear algebra,
cryptography, number theory, algebraic geometry, discrete mathematics and statistical
physics. In this course we will study the basics of coding theory with main focus on
codes, which are optimal in the sense Shannon’s results and various bounds.
More in the course. So fasten your seatbelt.
This course is designed for 3rd year BTech and open to MTech students and PhD Students.
Those who have missed the boat from 4th year BTech can also take this course.
You may want to read more at the following wikis:
1. Coding Theory Wiki
2. Error-correcting codes Wiki
3. Information Theory Wiki
Read about Hamming at Richard Hamming
Read about Shannon at Claude E. Shannon
Read general info about coding theory at Coding theory: first 50 years
First class on Wednesday, Jan 2, 2013 at 11:00 am to 12:00 noon
Tentative Course Content
Historical Introduction and Motivation of Coding and Information Theory, Basic Review of Finite Fields and Finite Rings, Introduction to Algebraic Coding Theory, Codes over finite fields and finite rings, Linear and Non-linear Codes, Hamming Codes, Golay Codes, Cyclic, Quasi-cyclic and Quasi Twisted Codes, Quadratic Residue Codes, Reed Muller, Reed Solomon Codes and BCH Codes, Quadratic Residue Codes, Art of Decoding, Convolutional Codes, Turbo Codes and Low density parity check (LDPC) codes, Algebraic Geometry codes - Goppa codes, Applications of Coding Theory to Networks (Cloud Computing: Cloud Data Storage and Cloud Security), Cryptography, Wireless Communications, Quantum Computing, and DNA computing.
Text Book
The following textbooks will be helpful. We will provide many additional materials such
as videos, handouts etc during the course. There is no need to purchase any book.
Other Books and References
Mark Distribution (Tentative)
Assignments -10%
Mid Term Test 1 -20%
Mid Term Test 2 -30 %
Final Exam -40%
Projects - Bonus Marks
Lectures
Monday, Wednesday and Friday 11:00 am to 12:00 noon, Room CEP 106.
Tutorials
None
Labs
None
For updated information about the course please visit the course webpage at http://www.guptalab.org/mankg/public_html//WWW/courses/ctasp12/courseinfo.shtml For any further information feel free to contact the instructor.