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VTU PhD Workshop

Ph.D. in Computer Science: A Perspective. One Day Workshop: July 2, 2010 Computer Science and Automation Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. 1. VTU PhD Workshop. The Ph.D. Process: Part 1 Thesis Production.

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VTU PhD Workshop

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  1. Ph.D. in Computer Science: A Perspective One Day Workshop: July 2, 2010 Computer Science and Automation Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 1 VTU PhD Workshop

  2. The Ph.D. Process: Part 1 Thesis Production “PhD in Computer Science: A Perspective” One Day Workshop: July 2, 2010 Y. NARAHARI Computer Science and Automation Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 2 VTU PhD Workshop

  3. The PhD Process Part II Externals (JH) REAL WORLD RESEARCHCOMMUNITY INSTITUTION ADVISOR Part I Internals(YN) THESIS

  4. OUTLINE What is Research? ; Basic Vs Applied Research What is PhD? ; PhD in Computer Science Examples of PhD Problems Ingredients of a Good PhD Program Writing a Ph.D. Thesis VTU Ph.D. Workshop

  5. Inspiration: Richard Hamming • Pioneering contributions in coding, information theory, • Automatic Programming • Talk entitled “You and Your Research” on March 7, 1986: • Bell Communications Research Colloquium Series • Question: Why do so few scientists make significant contributions and so many are forgotten in the long run? ACM TURING AWARD 1968 VTU Ph.D. Workshop

  6. What is Research? Carving statues out of stones in a creative way Systematic investigation to establish facts or discover new facts Scientific investigation intended to extend the limits of human knowledge 6 VTU Ph.D. Workshop

  7. Richard Hamming’s View Luck favours a prepared mind Knowing/asking right questions is the first step in knowing the answers If you believe too much, you will not notice the flaws If you doubt too much, you won’t get started - You need a lovely balance Courage to continue working is important 7 VTU Ph.D. Workshop

  8. Basic vs Applied Research Source: Google Images VTU Ph.D. Workshop

  9. What is Ph.D.? Rigorous investigation into an important, non-trivial problem, leading to a new methodology, novel algorithms, or a significant tool 9 VTU Ph.D. Workshop

  10. Ph.D. in Computer Science CS has a wide appeal cutting across disciplines; Offers wide scope for inter-disciplinary research Exciting new areas: machine learning, computational biology, computational economics, cyber-physical systems, etc. There is equal scope for basic research, applied research, use-inspired basic research 10 VTU Ph.D. Workshop

  11. PhD Problems: Example 1 Design of optimal auctions for heterogeneous objects Motivating Problems Sponsored Search Auctions, Procurement Auctions, Spectrum Auctions Intellectual Challenge Optimal auction available only for single unit of single object – difficult to generalize 11 VTU PhD Workshop

  12. Motivating Problem: Sponsored Search Auction Advertisers CPC 12 VTU Ph.D. Workshop

  13. EXTENSION OF MYERSON’S AUCTION Myerson Auction 1 Seller, Multiple Buyers, Single Indivisible Item Revenue Maximization subject to BIC and IIR Extension 1: Sponsored Search Auctions 1 seller, multiple buyers, multiple items (positions) Extension 2: Multi-unit Procurement Auctions 1 buyer, multiple sellers, multiple units, discounts Extension 3: Optimal Combinatorial Auctions Spectrum auctions 13 VTU PhD Workshop

  14. WBB SBB AE EPE dAGVA BIC IR CBOPT DSIC GROVES SSAOPT VDOPT MYERSON MECHANISM DESIGN SPACE 14 VTU Ph.D. Workshop

  15. Ph.D. Problems: Example 2 Social Network Analysis: A Game Theoretic Approach Social Network Analysis is an important current problem with numerous applications and desperately in need of efficient algorithms Idea: Use game theory to model social networks Challenge: Social networks could be huge in size Problem 1: Influence Maximization in Social Networks (Cooperative Game Theory – Shapley Value) Problem 2: Discovering Communities in Social Networks (Non-cooperative game theory – Nash equilibrium) Problem 3: Predicting Topologies of Social Networks (Uses both cooperative and non-cooperative game theories) 15 VTU Ph.D. Workshop

  16. Characteristics of a Good Ph.D. Problem Should be an important, relevant, contemporary problem Should address a significant research gap Should be non-trivial, non-incremental, deep, intellectually challenging Should be a feasible and tractable problem: should take polynomial time 16 VTU Ph.D. Workshop

  17. Ingredients of a Good PhD Program: Research Training Program Strong Background is an essential ingredient of the PhD process RTP involves picking up this background in a rigorous way 6 to 8 courses would be ideal. Mathematical and analytical courses are especially important Good textbooks are ideal companions 17 VTU Ph.D. Workshop

  18. Ingredients of a Good PhD Program: Reviewing the State-of-the-Art Involves reading relevant papers very carefully This leads to identifying research gaps and identifying a good research problem This will help identify important, currently active, currently relevant problems Internet and the web play an important role in this 18 VTU Ph.D. Workshop

  19. Ingredients of a Good PhD Program: Awareness of the Current Art and Positioning of Work Awareness of the Journals and Conferences in the area Awareness of leading research groups, research papers, researchers in the area Awareness of research gaps and open problems Clarity of how the proposed work can be positioned with respect to the current art 19 VTU Ph.D. Workshop

  20. Ingredients of a Good PhD Program: Abstraction, Analytical Modeling Mathematical abstractions lead to precision and rigour in research Top quality Ph.D. theses are invariably founded on solid mathematical abstractions and concepts 20 VTU Ph.D. Workshop

  21. Ingredients of a Good PhD Program: Sound Experimentation Design of experiments is very important Each graph that is drawn must have a specific purpose and plan Insights from the experimental results must be brought out very clearly Simulation based studies must be accompanied by confidence interval estimation, etc. 21 VTU Ph.D. Workshop

  22. Ph.D. Thesis Chapter 1: Background, Motivating Problems, Research Gap, Importance and Relevance, Contributions, and Thesis Outline Chapter 2 typically should contain all preliminaries Chapters 3, 4, 5, etc. are the contributory chapters Results, Conclusions, Summary, Future Work Bibliography 22 VTU Ph.D. Workshop

  23. An Example of a Ph.D. Thesis:Social Network Analysis: A Game Theoretic Approach Chapter 1: Social Network Analysis, Motivating Examples, High Level Review, Case for Game Theoretic Approach, Contributions, outline Chapter 2: Social Networks, Social Network Analysis, Relevant Game Theory Chapter 3: Influence Maximization in Social Networks Chapter 4: Discovering Communities in Social Networks Chapter 5: Predicting Topologies of Social Networks Chapter 6: Summary and Future Work Chapter 7: Bibliography 23 VTU Ph.D. Workshop

  24. Key Success Factors for a PhD Program Work on important problems Try to find connections between seemingly unrelated problems Commitment, deep involvement, good planning Work hard, continuously, and persevere Don’t depend on luck; be creative Breadth and depth are both important 24 VTU Ph.D. Workshop

  25. Challenges Wading through and keeping track of the ocean of literature Identifying a good problem; rising above mediocrity; going beyond a safety zone Striking a balance: between depth and breadth; between basic and applied Doing justice to the teaching requirements and family; time management Planning, Passion, Perseverance, Patience, Perfection, are the key 25 VTU Ph.D. Workshop

  26. Questions and Answers … Thank You … 26 VTU PhD Workshop

  27. Qualities of a Good Researcher Motivation, Aptitude, Passion Creativity and Originality Rigour, Grasp, Perseverance, Eye for detail, Breadth as well as Depth Strong Background Curiosity and Spirit of Enquiry 27 VTU Ph.D. Workshop

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