Advanced Topics in Communication Networks

Abstract

This lecture discusses a range of important advanced topics in communication networks. It covers state-of-the-art topics both related to wired and wireless networks and draws on current research. Lectures will be presented by senior people of this group as well as external invited lecturers that are prominent researchers in some of the topics discussed.

Objective

This lecture fills a gap between the introductory networking course offered in the bachelor study program (Communication Networks) and the doctoral level, and to prepare students to read and evaluate peer research work, as well as to produce their own. There is no similar course offered elsewhere at ETH (also considering the course offerings of D-INFK), therefore we anticipate that this course may also be chosen as an elective course by D-INFK students. The character of the course is research-oriented and thus should also be of interest to doctoral students.

Content

Course Topics Part I - Wireless Mesh Networks: Self-organization, Medium Access Control, Routing (DSR, AODV, ABR, OLSR, ETX), Transport and Cross-layer issues - Delay Tolerant Networks: Applications, Routing, Modeling and Performance Analysis - Mobility Modeling: Synthetic Models: Advantages and Shortcomings, Mobility traces, Trace-based models, Trace analysis: Power-laws, exponential tails, etc., Social network based models Part II - Future Internet Architectures Clean-slate Designs: Indirection, Plutarch, other proposals, Autonomous Networking Architecture (ANA), Peer-to-peer Networks: DHTs, BitTorrent, Skype - Social Networks (2 Lectures): * Social Network Theory: Complex Networks, Small-world phenomena, free-scale graphs, network building mechanisms (preferential attachment, game theoretic) * Social Network Applications and Measurements: Facebook, Youtube, Amazon/Ebay rating.

Resources