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Communication and Detection Theory
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 16:22:21
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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6th Semester: 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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Application Area (Only necessary and eligible for the Master degree in Applied Mathematics. One of the application areas specified must be selected for the category Application Area for the Master degree in Applied Mathematics. At least 8 credits are required in the chosen application area. Credits from other application areas cannot be recognised for further application areas.)
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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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