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COMP4177: NETWORKS AND THEIR STRUCTURE

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Type	Open
Level	4
Credits	10
Availability	Available in 2023/24
Module Cap	None.
Location	Durham
Department	Computer Science

Prerequisites

COMP2181 Theory of Computation

Corequisites

None

Excluded Combinations of Modules

None

Aims

To design structured networks to provide the communications fabric of distributed-memory multi-processors, networks-on-chips and data centre networks.
To introduce the theoretical and practical tools needed to analyse social and technological networks.

Content

Core aspects of interconnection networks: topology; routing; switching; flow control; packets; technology.
Graph theory: degree; cuts; bisections; paths; diameter; embeddings; automorphisms; symmetry.
Topologies: hypercubes; tori; k-ary n-cubes; cube-connected cycles.
Performance: traffic patterns; throughput; latency; path diversity; packaging; routing algorithms.
Modelling networks to make comparisons and predictions: random graphs; Milgram's small world experiment; Watts-Strogatz model; Kleinberg model.
Centrality measures: finding influential nodes in networks; using centrality measures to understand the community structure of networks.
Epidemics: how contagions spread in networks; models of diffusion; SIR model; epidemic threshold; SIS model.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

On completion of the module, students will be able to demonstrate:
an in-depth knowledge of the state-of-the-art in interconnection networks and network science
an awareness of the main open problems of current interest
an understanding of research issues that relate to these problems, including recent developments and research trends and breaking technologies.

Subject-specific Skills:

On completion of the module, students will be able to demonstrate:
an ability to conduct significant self-study and critically evaluate research issues in interconnection networks and networks science
an ability to reason with and and apply theoretical methods
an ability to propose adaptations to computing methodologies to problems of current interest.

Key Skills:

On completion of the module, students will be able to demonstrate:
an ability to read and understand technical papers
an ability to propose original solutions to problems of current interest.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

Lectures enable the students to learn new material and engage in discussion.
Formative and summative assessments assess the application of methods and techniques.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Frequency	Duration	Total
lectures	20	2 per week	1 hour	20
preparation and reading				80
total				100

Summative Assessment

Component: Coursework		Component Weighting: 100%
Element	Length / Duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Summative Assignment		100	No

Formative Assessment

Example formative exercises are given during the course.

More information

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