6.450 Principles of Digital Communications I
Fall 2012
Instructor: Muriel Medard
TA: Georgios Angelopoulos
Lecture: MW9.30-11 (36-153)
Information:
This course serves as an introduction to the theory and practice behind many of today's communications systems. 6.450 forms the first of a two-course sequence on digital communication. The second class, 6.451, is offered in the spring. Classes will cover communication sources and channels; data compression; entropy and the AEP; Lempel-Ziv universal coding; scalar and vector quantization; L2 waveforms; signal space and its representation by sampling and other expansions; aliasing; the Nyquist criterion; PAM and QAM modulation; Gaussian noise and random processes; detection and optimal receivers; fading channels and wireless communication; introduction to communication system design.
Announcements
Final on Monday
Dear all,Today was the last lecture! I hope you enjoyed the class!
A few announcements related to the final exam:
- The exam will be on Monday, Dec. 167th, 1:30-4:30pm, at
4-145.
- Tomorrow, Thursday 4-5pm, I will hold an office hour at 26-204.
Please bring your questions.
Best,
Georgios
Announced on 12 December 2012 1:34 p.m. by Georgios Angelopoulos
Course evaluation and optional Pset10
Dear Class,- Please spend a few minutes completing the class evaluation at
the following link: http://web.mit.edu/subjectevaluation/evaluate.html
Your feedback is very important and we do need it in order to
improve the course.
- Pset 10 has been posted. It is optional and it won't count on
your final grade.
- For the final, you are allowed to bring the textbook, 2
double-sided sheets of notes, your calculator, etc but no laptops..
(same as you did in your midterm). Some previous finals have been
posted for extra practice. I will hold on office hour next
Thursday, 4-5 pm, at 26-204.
Best,
Georgios
Announced on 06 December 2012 5:29 p.m. by Georgios Angelopoulos
Problem set 9 and office hour
Dear Class,- Please mark your calendars for the final exam (Monday, Dec.
17th, 1:30-4:30pm) and let us know in advance if you have
conflicts.
- Problem set 9 has been posted. Due date: Wednesday, Dec.
5th.
- I will hold an office hour on Pset 9 on Tuesday Dec. 4th 4-5pm at
26-204.
Best,
Georgios
Announced on 28 November 2012 11:36 a.m. by Georgios Angelopoulos
Updated Pset 8 and interesting talk next week
Dear Class,A few announcements:
- There is an office hour today 4-5pm at 26-204 on Pset 8.
- Part (f) of problem 8.10 is a bonus question.
- I would like to bring to your attention a talk next week relevant
to our class topic "To PHY or not to PHY - on the Capacity of
Wireless Networks at Different Levels of SNR":
Speaker: Prof. M. Medard
Time/Location: 5:30pm, 4-145
Abstract: The intersection of network coding and wireless
communications leads to potentially rich interactions among layers.
In this talk, we examine whether coding in ways that blend network
coding and PHY layer coding is beneficial. In the high SNR regime,
we argue that analog network coding, in effect amplify and forward,
is optimal, thus requiring only PHY-layer ISI coding. In the low
SNR regime, we argue that network coding and PHY coding can be
separated. A secondary effect of such separation is that network
planning may lend itself to elegant design. In intermediate
regimes, equivalence theory provides bounds that point to the
frequent desirability of separating network coding and PHY coding,
but no asymptotic optimality.
Have a happy Thanksgiving and safe travels!
Best,
Georgios
Announced on 21 November 2012 12:22 p.m. by Georgios Angelopoulos
Pset 8 and office hours next week
Dear Class,- Problem set 8 has been posted. It is due next Monday, Nov.
26th.
- Prof. Medard's office hour on Monday Nov. 19th is canceled
because she will be traveling. Please contact her directly if you
need to have a meeting.
- My office hour on Pset8 will be on Wednesday, Nov. 21th, 4-5pm at
26-204 (Thursday and Friday are student holidays).
Best,
Georgios
Announced on 16 November 2012 11:17 a.m. by Georgios Angelopoulos
