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Communication, Computing, & Technology

Madhu Sudan MSR New England

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Communication vs. Computation Interdependent technologies: Neither can exist without other

Technologies/Products/Commerce developed (mostly) independently.

Early products based on clean abstractions of the other. Later versions added other capability as afterthought. Today products … deeply integrated.

Deep theories:

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Time for the theoretical wall to come down?

Well separated … and have stayed that way

Turing ‘36Shannon ‘48

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Consequences of the wall

Computing theory: Fundamental principle = Universality You can program your computer to do whatever you want.

Communication principle: Centralized design (Encoder, Decoder, Compression, IPv4, TCP/IP). You can NOT program your device!

Contradiction! But does it matter?

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Role of theory?

Ideally: Foundations of practice!

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Theory layer

Application

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Option 1

Communication vs. Computing

09/27/2011 Communication, Computing & Technology: MSR@20 5Communication

Computing

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Option 2

Communication vs. Computing

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Computing

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Option 3

Communication vs. Computing

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Computing

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Good News/ Bad News

Good: We are mostly practicing option 2 or 3!

Bad: Lost opportunities. Vulnerabilities. Inefficiency. Incompatibilities.

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Sample problems:

Digital library: Data that lives forever (communication across

time), while devices change!

Projecting from your laptop: Machines that learn to communicate, and learn

to understand each other

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A new theory?

09/27/2011 Communication, Computing & Technology: MSR@20 10Communication

Computing