Course Syllabus
Department of Computer Science
George Washington University
Csci 6907 - Advanced Topics in Wireless Networking
Special Topics in Cognitive Radio Networks
Special Topics in Mobile Handset Networking Systems
Spring-2012

General Course Information
Meeting time: Classroom: Class Webpage: Credits:	12:45PM-3:15PM, Monday Tompkins 205 http://www.seas.gwu.edu/~cheng/6907 3
Instructor Information
Name: Office: Tel: fax: Email: Office hours:	Xiuzhen (Susan) Cheng Academic Center, Room 716 202 994 9751 202 994 4875 cheng AT gwu.edu Monday 10:00AM--12:00PM or stop by anytime if I am in the office
Course Description
This special topic course will focus on the recent advances in Cognitive Radio Networks (CRN) and Mobile Handset Networking Systems (MHNS). In CRNs, locating/predicating the spectrum holes and efficiently sharing the time-variant spectrum among primary and secondary users place critical challenges (delay, fairness, throughput, etc.) in the design of MAC access and network routing protocols. On the other hand, the meteoric sales and growth of mobile handsets, in particular, smartphones, motivate various applications that bring safety, security, and efficiency to our daily life; thus mobile health, mobile marketing, and mobile social networking technologies will be carefully examined. We also will tackle varous security issues in CRNs and MHNSs. This graduate-level coure will provide students with the chance of intensively and extensively studying various relevant topics through reading and discussing high-quality technical papers. To help students build their own background, focused knowledge in game theory, machine learning, and combinatorial optimization will be selectively covered. For more details please visit the course schedule page.
Course Objective
The major objective of the course is to coach graduate students who are interested in cognitive radio networks and Mobile Handset Networking systems to be good researchers. By the end of the semester, we expect the students to achieve the following goals: Each student should be able to read papers critically and write reviews objectively and instructively. Each student should have the ability to decompose a problem and its solution approaches into sub-problems and widgets. Each student should be able to define his/her own problem to work on for this course. Each student should accumulate tens of useful technical widgets and get the sense regarding how to apply these widgets to their own problems. A publishable technical paper from each student is expected.
Textbooks and Readings
There is no textbook required. All required reading materials will be on-line. Please click Here for reading materials.
Prerequisites
Sufficient knowledge in wireless networks, and algorithm design and analysis.
Method of Instruction
The material in the course is drawn mainly from research literature. At each week, two technical papers will be intensively studied, and their most relevant works will be extensively read. These papers will be available online one week earlier for the students to read ahead of time in order to actively participate the in-class discussion. Students are required to write reviews to criticize these papers before they are discussed. A simple templete for the review report is available at Review Template. Each student is also required to ask two in-depth technical questions for each paper discussed in class. Students are expected to attend all classes and participate in-class discussions. The best way to get the most out of this course is to read the papers intensively before class and come prepared to engage in live discussions. Each student needs to present and lead the discussion of at least one paper selected from the given list. The presentation should be carefully prepared and it should include an extensive summary of the most relevant research. Each presentation will last about 45 minutes, followed by a 30-minute discussion. The list of papers will be posted at Here. In addition to class participation and presentation, each student needs to submit a technical report, preferrably a publishable paper, at the end of the semester.
Method of Evaluation
Final grades will be criterion based, not normed or curved. You can all get A's, or all get C's, depending on your own performance. Class Participation and Preparation: 40% In-Class Presentation: 20% Course Project and presentation: 40% Students are expected to attend all classes and participate in class discussions. Reading reports: 30% Class discussion: 10% Qualified technical reports will be submitted to good conferences / journals for possible publications. Project report: 30% In-Class report presentation: 10%
Academic Integrity Policy
All examinations, papers, and other graded work products and assignments are to be completed in accordance with GW Code of Academic Integrity.