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Communication and Detection Theory
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:41:24
Abstract
This course teaches the foundations of modern digital communications and detection theory. Topics include the geometry of the space of energy-limited signals; the baseband representation of passband signals, spectral efficiency and the Nyquist Criterion; the power and power spectral density of PAM and QAM; hypothesis testing; Gaussian stochastic processes; and detection in white Gaussian noise.
Objective
This is an introductory class to the field of wired and wireless communication. It offers a glimpse at classical analog modulation (AM, FM), but mainly focuses on aspects of modern digital communication, including modulation schemes, spectral efficiency, power budget analysis, block and convolu- tional codes, receiver design, and multi- accessing schemes such as TDMA, FDMA and Spread Spectrum.
Content
- Baseband representation of passband signals. - Bandwidth and inner products in baseband and passband. - The geometry of the space of energy-limited signals. - The Sampling Theorem as an orthonormal expansion. - Sampling passband signals. - Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM): energy, power, and power spectral density. - Nyquist Pulses. - Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM). - Hypothesis testing. - The Bhattacharyya Bound. - The multivariate Gaussian distribution - Gaussian stochastic processes. - Detection in white Gaussian noise.
Resources
Lecture Notes
n/a
Literature
A. Lapidoth, A Foundation in Digital Communication, Cambridge University Press, 2nd edition (2017)
Learning Materials (Links)
- Main link
- Information
- Literature
- A Foundation in Digital Communication
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- BSC , MSC
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- session examination
- Mode
- written 180 minutes
- Aids
- Hardcopies of the course textbook, course handouts, and personal notes.
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture with exercise | Communication and Detection Theory |
|
4 h weekly |
Offered In
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Electives (In the ‘electives’ subcategory, at least two course units must be successfully completed.)
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Third Year Core Courses (Can be freely combined, a list of recommendations is available under )
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Electives (In the ‘electives’ subcategory, at least two course units must be successfully completed.)
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Communication (The core courses and specialization courses below are a selection for students who wish to specialize in the area of "Communication", see . The individual study plan is subject to the tutor's approval.)
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Core Courses (These core courses are particularly recommended for the field of "Communication". You may choose core courses form other fields in agreement with your tutor. A minimum of 24 credits must be obtained from core courses during the MSc EEIT.)
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Computers and Networks (The core courses and specialization courses below are a selection for students who wish to specialize in the area of "Computers and Networks", see . The individual study plan is subject to the tutor's approval.)
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Core Courses (These core courses are particularly recommended for the field of "Computers and Networks". You may choose core courses form other fields in agreement with your tutor. A minimum of 24 credits must be obtained from core courses during the MSc EEIT.)
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Electives (This is a selection of courses particularly suitable for the MSc QE. In agreement with the tutor, students may choose other courses from the ETH course catalogue.)
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