Course Information

Classroom and Class-time: Week 3~18 GT110: 2(11,12,13)

Please use prefix: COMP7203P01 in your email subject for expedited response.

Instructors

Prof. Xiang-Yang Li (EE-3 Building 627，xiangyangli@ustc.edu.cn)
Dr. Xiaohua Xu (West campus Library Building 1402，xiaohuaxu@ustc.edu.cn)

Course Description

"Network computing" is the organization of various autonomous entities with resources and systems connected to the network to achieve resource sharing, collaborative work, and joint computing, and provide various types of users with various networking based comprehensive services. The specific content of this course includes: 1) Basic concepts of network computing, various forms and levels of network computing, and classification of network computing; 2) Network environment and routing algorithms (IP network, mobile network, all-optical network, self-organizing network) ), various communication modes and effective routing algorithms in the network, reliable multicast communication; 3) network computing foundation and supporting environment and tools, network computing methods, network computing performance analysis and measurement, performance improvement methods; 4) Network computing algorithms, large-scale numerical calculation methods, knowledge processing in network computing mode, etc.; 5) recent research progresses, and the scientific problems that need to be further solved in network computing.
Credit Hours:  3

Textbook and Reading List

Recommended books, notes, journals, and conference proceedings:

1. Principles of Distributed Computing, lecture notes, by Roger Wattenhofer, ETH, 2016 (https://disco.ethz.ch/courses/fs18/podc/)
2. Nancy A. Lynch. Distributed Algorithms. Morgan Kaufmann Publishers Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA, 1996.
3. Xiang-Yang Li, Wireless Ad Hoc and Sensor Networks: Theory and Applications, ISBN-13: 9780521865234, Cambridge University Press, 2008
4. ACM PODC, DISC
5. IEEE transactions (e.g. TPDS)

Course Objectives

1. To understand:
1. basic concepts in Distributed Computing
2. basic techniques to design distributed algorithms
3. how to analyze distributed algorithms, i.e., time complexity, message complexity, and lower bounds
4. applications of distributed computing
2. Besides, to learn and practice basic research skills.

Course Load and Grading Policies

The final grade will be assessed based on students’ progress and findings as follows:

1. Course load
1. Seminar: Technical Paper presentation (30%)
1. (15%) Each group of studentsis expected to read and present at least ONE research paper and be able to lead the discussion about the paper, which is better related to your term project.
2. (15%) Write 3-5 page summary
2. One term project (60%)
1. Problem Solving: Apply the techniques covered in this course to some area and solve a specific problem.
2. Chapter Writing: Alternatively, choose one topic covered in this course and write a detailed Chinese technical note, which could be regarded as a chapter of a lecture book.
3. Team project is encouraged, but the REQUIRED team size is 2. 3 members is possible (special approval required).
3. Class Attendance and Activity (10%)
1. Attendance (5%). Active students (e.g., interacting with instructors) will win the other 5 points.
2. Grading policy
1. No plagiarism will be tolerated

Important Dates

Project:
• Project Proposal: in three weeks (3 students per group)
• Project Presentation: three weeks before the end of semester (10 mins per group)
• Project Code and Demo: end of semester (to TA)
• Project Report: end of semester (last week, to TA)

Seminar Summary: end of semester (To TA, need e-copy)

Classroom Policies

Each of you is expected to contribute to each class session by arriving on time, being attentive, participating in the class discussion if needed, and being respectful to your instructor and fellow students. Disruptive conversations, eating, sleeping and putting your feet on the furniture are not acceptable behavior in the class environment.

In addition to arriving on time, students are expected to stay the whole class period. Please avoid disrupting fellow students and the instructor by arriving late or leaving early. If a situation arises that consistently causes you to be late or absent, please contact me.

Every electronic device (anything with an on/off button) should be off during the class (exception: disability-helping devices).

USTC Policies and Resources

Office of Academic Affairs: https://www.teach.ustc.edu.cn/

Student Academic Guidance Center: https://www.teach.ustc.edu.cn/about/csg