Distinguished Visitors Program (India)
 
LECTURES CONDUCTED BY DVP (INDIA)


YEAR 1998-1999


    LECTURE 1

    Speaker : Prof. Murali Varanasi
    CSE Department, University of South Florida, Tampa, USA
    Topic : Error Correction Codes in Computer VLSI Memory
    Date : 27 th July 1998
    Venue : CSE Department, IIT Bombay

    Abstract : Single error correcting and double error detecting codes have been used extensively in computer memories for enhancing reliability. However, in VLSI memories, errors occur in clusters, i.e., several successive positions may be erroneous. In the last ten years, control of such errors known as byte errors, phased burst errors, memory package errors has received considerable attention. In this presentation, codes for detection and correction of such errors are presented. In particular, codes capable of detecting and correcting multiple errors confined to a single byte will be presented along with a comparison of several such codes.


    LECTURE 2

    Speaker : Dr. T.R.N.Rao
    The Centre for Advanced Computer Studies, University of Southwestern Louisiana, Louisiana, USA
    Topic : Computing Sciences in Ancient India
    Date : 2nd Dec. 1998
    Venue : NCST Lecture Hall, Andheri (W), Mumbai

    Abstract : This talk is based on a book with the above title, edited by the speaker jointly with the world-renowed Indologies, Subhash Kak. The book contains (ten papers) by the leading scholars in the world in the history of Indian Science with an overview of seminal contributions to computer science by ancient Indian Scholars.
    The paper by Prof.Van Nooten describes the details of binary number systems in Pingala's Chandah Shastra and other papers provide alegebraic rules and meta-rules of Panini's grammar for natural language processing. The authors show that ancient India's scientific heritage included the ideas of meta-rules, recursion, hashing, mathematical logic, formal grammars and high level language descriptions. These modern- day computer concepts and other models and computation in astronomy and cognitive science were developed in India a millenium before the west rediscovered them.


    LECTURE 3

    Speaker : Dr. T.R.N.Rao
    The Centre for Advanced Computer Studies, University of Southwestern Louisiana, Louisiana, USA
    Topic : Cryptology, a Modern Science for Computer Age
    Date : 7th Dec. 1998
    Venue : CSE Department, IIT Bombay

    Abstract : The computer revolution has ushered in many electronic systems, namely, E-mail, E-signatures, E- cash, E-trade etc. The mathematical backbone for these tools of electronic commerce is the modern science of `Cryptology'. This talk surveys how an old `Cryptology' has transformed into this modern Science in little over two decades.
    Basic concepts of cryptology and some examples of Public-key systems, such as RSA, and their applications to communication security are discussed. Also we discuss authentication systems using zero-knowledge protocols, secret-sharing and secret error correction topics.


    LECTURE 4

    Speaker : Mr.M.Manivannan
    VXL Instruments Ltd., Bangalore.
    Topic : Thin Clients : A New Computing Paradigm
    Date : 15th Jan. 1999
    Venue : CSE Department, IIT Bombay

    Abstract : Changes in enterprise computing due to global competition and problems in Network management and administration have resulted in a New-computing paradigm - the Thin Clients. Thin clients solve the problems of Network Management, Access Control, Security and Performance related issues in a revolutionary way.
    Citrix ICA ( Independent Computing Architecture ) and Microsoft's RDP ( Remote Data Protocol ), along with the Multi-user version of Windows NT Server, solve the problems of Network Administrators and I/S professionals. The server centric computing results in lower Total Cost of Ownership without sacrificing the flexibility and Performance of standard Desktops. The fact that Thinclients can run on standard and varied platforms like Windows 95, Win 3.1x, DOS, Macintosh, Unix and NC's make them all the more attractive. ICA's presentation protocol isolates the user application from the man-machine-interface of keyboard, mouse and screen updates. While the application runs on the NT server, the presentation layer runs on the client. ICA's thinwire protocol, results in a reduced network traffic, thus alleviating the problems of Network clogging, that is normally the case in Client/server computing and Network Computing.
    The areas where thinclients can be deployed are varied and the main ones are the work places where the users require limited set of programs, shared desktops, remote users who are difficult to support, replacement for older, text-based terminals and wherever security is paramount.
    Thinclient computing is a neither a retrograde step in Computing, taking back to the old days of Mainframes and terminals nor is a replacement for desktop PC's. PC's and NC's are not an either-or choice. There is room for both in any organization. Thinclients are only the next logical step in the computer evolution that is going on for half-a- century.


    LECTURE 5

    Speaker : G.Venkatesh
    VP-Telecom, Silicon Automation Systems Ltd, Bangalore.
    Topic : Evolution of Telecomm System Architecture
    Date : 18th Feb. 1999
    Venue : CSE Department, IIT Bombay

    Abstract : Languages have played a significant role in the specification, design, analysis and synthesis of both software systems and hardware systems. They have also been instrumental in directing tools that map software architectures on defined hardware platforms. In spite of this languages have been able to play only a limited role in the full design of complex (embedded) systems, as they have not contributed to the critical issue of partitioning an unbiased system specification into a suitable hardware and software specification.
    The need for such partitioning has become very pronounced due to the recent trend towards proliferation of low cost complex embedded systems employed widely especially in the area of telecommunications,where a poor choice of a hardware-software partition can ruin a perfectly good product concept.
    In this talk, we will look at some languages used in hardware and software system design and identify key areas of strengths and weakness in the approaches being attempted to define system specification languages. Examples will be drawn from issues arising in access (especially in the domain of telecommunications) to illustrate some of the key points.


    LECTURE 6

    Speaker : Prof.S.Sanyal
    Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai
    Topic : Next-Generation Internet : Future of Communication
    Date : 14th July 1999
    Venue : Jadavpur Univ, Calcutta

    Abstract : Current IP (Internet Protocol) addresses are 32-bit long, having a capability of accomodating only 4 billion addresses. In reality, this is not large enough to provide unique connectivity of every possible internet-capable device to be connected to the internet. The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) working groups have come up with the Next Generation Internet Protocol, called IPv6 (IP version 6) or IPng (IP next generation). This has an 128 bit address filed, providing approximately 3*10**38 unique addresses.
    Improved Security features are provided by IPv6 through Authentication and Privacy. IPv6 provides stateless or serverless autoconfiguration, an IPv6 node can be plugged into a network and it automatically generate a globally unique address for itself. Through a filed, flow label, enhanced quality-of-service capabilities are provided. This filed indicates to the router that a packet needs special handling.
    New application areas are opening up, partly due to the improved capabilities of IPv6 and partly due to the tremendous and continuous improvement in the communication filed.With the increasingly more available on- line Audio and Video capabilities, at real-time speed, it is now possible to think of "On-line Interactive Learning", "On-Line Remote Medical Diagnostics" and many such areas. And this is just a begining of a new era.