COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE
Focuses on advanced topics in computer architecture, illustrated by case studies from classic and modern processors. Fundamentals of quantitative analysis. Pipelining. Memory hierarchy design. Instruction-level and thread-level parallelism. Data-level parallelism and graphics processing units. Multiprocessors. Cache coherence. Interconnection networks. Multi-core processors and systems-on-chip. Platform architectures for embedded, mobile, and cloud computing.
- TR 5:30 p.m.-8:40 p.m.
-
Instructor:
Luca Carloni
CULPA: 2 Wikipedia h-index: 45 Info - 3 points
MADE IN AMER: MAFIA IN CINEMA
In this course (whose title is taken from the name of the final episode of
The Sopranos
) we focus on America’s three greatest practitioners of the so-called “Mafia Movie.” In the first half of the course we examine representations of Mafia in the films of Coppola and Scorsese; in the second half, we perform a comprehensive reading of
The Sopranos
, a serial that redefined not only the gangster genre, but the aesthetic possibilities of television itself. In addition to our close-readings of the primary cinematic texts, we will pay attention to literary, historical, and anthropological sources on Mafia, both in America and in Italy. In the unit on
The Sopranos
, we will also consider connections to other contemporary representations of American gangsterism, particularly in the medium of television. Critical avenues privileged will include gender, sexuality, criminal and political economy, poetics of place, internationalism, dialect, plurilingualism and the politics of language, ethnicity and race, diaspora, philosophies of violence, philosophies of power.
- MW 1 p.m.-4:10 p.m.
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Instructor:
Stefan Pedatella
CULPA: 36
Info
- 3 points
REVOL/RAD POLITICS-MARX-MAY'68
This seminar will expose students to classical texts in political theory relating to revolutionary action, political ethics and social militancy from the Communist Manifesto to 1968. The course will explore the idea of revolutionary ethics as conceived by Western and non-Western political philosophers and militants. The discussion will stress the connection between philosophers and revolutionary leaders and the transformation of the idea of radical politics through the dialogue between these two discourses (the philosophical and the militant) and the public reception of revolutionary events in the media and commemorative writings. Authors will be examined according to their historical context and their role in the tradition of political thought and the history of radical politics from 1848 to the mid-sixties. Students will be exposed to different discourses of political militancy and radical politics and to reflect on the ethical implications of the history of radical thought and action in comparative perspective.
- TR 1 p.m.-4:10 p.m.
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Instructor:
Alheli Alvarado-Diaz
CULPA: 9
Info
- 4 points
TOPICS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE
FUNDAMENTALS OF GAME DESIGN
Prerequisites: COMS W3134 or equivalent strongly recommended
Section 001: Fundamentals of Game Design
Prerequisites: COMS W3134 or equivalent strongly recommended
This course presents an overview of the history of computer games and the theory of gaming. Topics include game genres, content, patterns, playability, suspension of disbelief and immersion, storytelling, and game balance and fairness.
Section 002: Deep Learning
Prerequisites: COMS W3134 or equivalent strongly recommended
Covers fundamental algorithms and methods, including backpropagation, differentiable programming, optimization, regularization techniques, and information theory behind DNN’s. Key deep learning architectures are described in detail including convolution neural networks (CNN, ResNet, DenseNet) with derivation from convolutional sparse coding, recurrent neural networks (LSTM, GRU) and attention, variational autoencoders (VAEs), and generative adversarial networks (GANs). Deep reinforcement learning is covered with examples, from basic principles of Markov Decision Processes, value-based and policy-based methods, Deep Q-Networks, policy gradient methods, through Monte Carlo tree search, expert iteration, and implementation of AlphaZero. Topics from visualization of neural networks, adversarial attacks against deep nets, and meta learning are presented. Assignments use the TensorFlow and PyTorch programming frameworks, and a final deep learning project is based on a process, data challenge, or research topic.
Section 003: Foundations of cryptography and blockchain
Prerequisites: Elementary knowledge of programming and data structures (COMS W3134, COMS W3136, or COMS W3137), discrete mathematics and discrete probability (W3203). Preferred knowledge of elements of the theory of computing (COMS W3261 or COMS W4231). If the prerequisites are not satisfied please consult with the instructor.
The course is divided into two halves. The first half is an elementary but rigorous study of ideas in private-key and public-key cryptography. The second half studies relevant topics in distributed consensus, principles of distributed ledgers, and selected state-of-the-art topics in blockchains. The course concludes with the presentation of applications of blockchain in the design of digital currencies and smart contracts. Students who take the course can choose between doing a project in either (1) the algorithmic a
- TR 1 p.m.-4:10 p.m.
-
Instructor:
Allan Fowler
h-index: 12 Info - 3 points
TOPICS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE
DEEP LEARNING
Prerequisites: COMS W3134 or equivalent strongly recommended
Section 001: Fundamentals of Game Design
Prerequisites: COMS W3134 or equivalent strongly recommended
This course presents an overview of the history of computer games and the theory of gaming. Topics include game genres, content, patterns, playability, suspension of disbelief and immersion, storytelling, and game balance and fairness.
Section 002: Deep Learning
Prerequisites: COMS W3134 or equivalent strongly recommended
Covers fundamental algorithms and methods, including backpropagation, differentiable programming, optimization, regularization techniques, and information theory behind DNN’s. Key deep learning architectures are described in detail including convolution neural networks (CNN, ResNet, DenseNet) with derivation from convolutional sparse coding, recurrent neural networks (LSTM, GRU) and attention, variational autoencoders (VAEs), and generative adversarial networks (GANs). Deep reinforcement learning is covered with examples, from basic principles of Markov Decision Processes, value-based and policy-based methods, Deep Q-Networks, policy gradient methods, through Monte Carlo tree search, expert iteration, and implementation of AlphaZero. Topics from visualization of neural networks, adversarial attacks against deep nets, and meta learning are presented. Assignments use the TensorFlow and PyTorch programming frameworks, and a final deep learning project is based on a process, data challenge, or research topic.
Section 003: Foundations of cryptography and blockchain
Prerequisites: Elementary knowledge of programming and data structures (COMS W3134, COMS W3136, or COMS W3137), discrete mathematics and discrete probability (W3203). Preferred knowledge of elements of the theory of computing (COMS W3261 or COMS W4231). If the prerequisites are not satisfied please consult with the instructor.
The course is divided into two halves. The first half is an elementary but rigorous study of ideas in private-key and public-key cryptography. The second half studies relevant topics in distributed consensus, principles of distributed ledgers, and selected state-of-the-art topics in blockchains. The course concludes with the presentation of applications of blockchain in the design of digital currencies and smart contracts. Students who take the course can choose between doing a project in either (1) the algorithmic a
- MTWR 5:30 p.m.-7:05 p.m.
-
Instructor:
Iddo Drori
CULPA: 3 h-index: 15 Info - 3 points
TOPICS IN COMPUTER SCIENCE
FOUNDATIONS/CRYPTO&BLOCKCHAIN;
Prerequisites: COMS W3134 or equivalent strongly recommended
Section 001: Fundamentals of Game Design
Prerequisites: COMS W3134 or equivalent strongly recommended
This course presents an overview of the history of computer games and the theory of gaming. Topics include game genres, content, patterns, playability, suspension of disbelief and immersion, storytelling, and game balance and fairness.
Section 002: Deep Learning
Prerequisites: COMS W3134 or equivalent strongly recommended
Covers fundamental algorithms and methods, including backpropagation, differentiable programming, optimization, regularization techniques, and information theory behind DNN’s. Key deep learning architectures are described in detail including convolution neural networks (CNN, ResNet, DenseNet) with derivation from convolutional sparse coding, recurrent neural networks (LSTM, GRU) and attention, variational autoencoders (VAEs), and generative adversarial networks (GANs). Deep reinforcement learning is covered with examples, from basic principles of Markov Decision Processes, value-based and policy-based methods, Deep Q-Networks, policy gradient methods, through Monte Carlo tree search, expert iteration, and implementation of AlphaZero. Topics from visualization of neural networks, adversarial attacks against deep nets, and meta learning are presented. Assignments use the TensorFlow and PyTorch programming frameworks, and a final deep learning project is based on a process, data challenge, or research topic.
Section 003: Foundations of cryptography and blockchain
Prerequisites: Elementary knowledge of programming and data structures (COMS W3134, COMS W3136, or COMS W3137), discrete mathematics and discrete probability (W3203). Preferred knowledge of elements of the theory of computing (COMS W3261 or COMS W4231). If the prerequisites are not satisfied please consult with the instructor.
The course is divided into two halves. The first half is an elementary but rigorous study of ideas in private-key and public-key cryptography. The second half studies relevant topics in distributed consensus, principles of distributed ledgers, and selected state-of-the-art topics in blockchains. The course concludes with the presentation of applications of blockchain in the design of digital currencies and smart contracts. Students who take the course can choose between doing a project in either (1) the algorithmic a
- TR 5:30 p.m.-8:40 p.m.
-
Instructor:
Periklis Papakonstantinou
Info - 3 points
Time Series Analysis
TIME SERIES ANALYSIS
Open to MA students in Statistics only
Prerequisites: STAT GU4205 or the equivalent. Least squares smoothing and prediction, linear systems, Fourier analysis, and spectral estimation. Impulse response and transfer function. Fourier series, the fast Fourier transform, autocorrelation function, and spectral density. Univariate Box-Jenkins modeling and forecasting. Emphasis on applications. Examples from the physical sciences, social sciences, and business. Computing is an integral part of the course.
- MTWR 6:15 p.m.-7:50 p.m.
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Instructor:
Abolfazal Safikhani
Info - 3 points
TERRORISM & COUNTERTERRORISM
This course examines the origins and evolution of modern terrorism, the challenges posed by terrorist groups to states and to the international system, and strategies employed to confront and combat terrorism. We assess a wide variety of terrorist organizations, and explore the psychological, socioeconomic, political, and religious causes of terrorist violence past and present. We also analyze the strengths and weaknesses of various counterterrorism strategies, from the point of view of efficacy as well as ethics, and look into ways in which the new threat of global terrorism might impact the healthy functioning of democratic states.
- TR 2 p.m.-5:10 p.m.
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Instructor:
Stuart M Gottlieb
CULPA: 12
Info
- 3 points
UNITED NATIONS & HUMAN RIGHTS
What is the UN track record in promoting and protecting human rights? This intense six-week course will examine the UN human rights standards, mechanisms, institutions and procedures established over the past sixty years and question their effectiveness. With a particular focus on the actions (or lack thereof) of the UN Security Council, the UN Human Rights Council and diverse international judicial institutions like the International Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Court, the course will illustrate, through practical case studies, the inherent challenges associated with the protection of human dignity, the enforcement of human rights and the fight against impunity.
- TR 5:30 p.m.-8:40 p.m.
-
Instructor:
Michael Heller-Chu
Info - 3 points
UN & THE CHAL OF PEACE
It is now a well known fact that countries embroiled in conflict seldom emerge from it "once and for all." They tend to relapse back into conflict within months or years. The reasons are also well-known: low education and high poverty levels, weak or non- existent institutions, poor governance, exclusion and marginalization of certain groups including women and poor economic prospects certainly in livelihoods. And yet Peace building in the international context is a relatively new concept. It appeared in the in the UN lexicon in the 1980s and has evolved as a normative concept since. Peace building is complex and multi-faceted encompassing security, human rights, development and reconciliation of past differences and ultimately societal transformation. It is before everything else a political exercise. This course will ask: How is Peace building done, who are the actors and stakeholders? What lessons have we learnt since the 1980s? What does it take to build the peace? The course will give an understanding of the evolution of the norm of peace building at the United Nations and discuss the new UN Peace building architecture. Ten years after its creation, has the Peace Building Commission made a difference and why? What have been its challenges? It will look at the many stakeholders on the ground and discuss the issue of coordination and the need for integrated strategies. It will provide examples of countries that have succeeded, analyze the root causes of the conflicts and the tools which were used. It will extract the lessons learned and the conditions for peace building to succeed.
- MW 2 p.m.-5:10 p.m.
-
Instructor:
James William Rawley
Info - 3 points
UN & MAINT OF INTL PEACE & SEC
This past year marked the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations (UN) and the year when a new Secretary-General will be selected by the Security Council to succeed Ban Ki Moon. At this critical juncture, the international system is being challenged to provide adequate responses to the rise of violent extremist groups, waves of refugees arriving in Europe, and to -†fewer but deadlier -armed conflicts. As prevention continues to be elusive and recent - mostly intrastate -armed conflicts have proven to be particularly resistant to peaceful settlement whether through mediation, the deployment of peace operations or peacebuilding projects, the question of the relevance of the UN is posed yet again. Has the Security Council been successful in using the tools at its disposal, from prevention to peace operations and enforcement measures? What has become of the Responsibility to Protect? Is a divided Security Council facing a crisis of relevance? What does it mean for peace operations sent where there is no peace to keep? What are the persisting obstacles to effective prevention? What are the lessons from the evolving partnership with regional organizations? How can peace be sustained over the long term? What will have been Ban Ki Moon's legacy? What are the prospects for UN reform and what could it look like? To address these questions and more, the course will examine the evolving role of the world organization in global security, shaped by its member states with different strategic interests and by the broader geopolitical context in which it operates.
- MW 5:30 p.m.-8:40 p.m.
-
Instructor:
Arthur Boutellis
Info - 3 points
THE UN AND DEVELOPMENT
This six week course provides an overview of the contribution the United Nations development system has made in the sphere of development. The course traces the historical evolution of the UN's contribution in the areas of development cooperation, poverty reduction, environment and climate, human rights, gender and humanitarian action. It explores the emerging role of non-state actors, in particular the private sector and civil society. The last sessions will examine in detail the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030 and the recognition that to be relevant in today's rapidly changing world, the UN must commit itself to major reform. The course will draw extensively from the practical experience of the instructor.
- TR 2 p.m.-5:10 p.m.
-
Instructor:
Jean Krasno
CULPA: 1 Info - 3 points
COMPARATIVE FOREIGN POLICY
This course explores the unique and distinct foreign policy behavior of different states in the international system. Explanations of state behavior will be drawn from many overarching international relations frameworks including but not necessarily limited to realism, liberalism, and constructivism. The effects of power, culture, institutions and history will be examined.
- TR 2 p.m.-5:10 p.m.
-
Instructor:
Zachary C Shirkey
CULPA: 1 Info - 3 points
US FOREIGN POLICY
This course examines the foundations, decision-making processes, and substance of American foreign policy, particularly as it has developed over the past fifty years. We explore the role of American political culture, the presidency, Congress, and the foreign policy bureaucracy in helping to determine America's relationship with other states and international organizations. We pay particular attention to the recurring tensions that run through American foreign policy: isolationism v. internationalism, security v. prosperity, diplomacy v. military power, unilateralism v. multilateralism, and realism v. idealism. Each week we will explore a broad theoretical/conceptual theme and then focus on a specific topic that exemplifies a practical application of the theme.
- MW 9 a.m.-12:10 p.m.
-
Instructor:
Bruce L Cronin
CULPA: 13 Info - 3 points
INTL RELATIONS:THRY & CONCEPTS
Through a review of major academic literature, lectures, and class discussion, this course examines many of the central concepts, theories, and analytical tools used in contemporary social science to understand international affairs. The theoretical literature is drawn from fields including comparative politics, international relations, political sociology, and economics. The course is designed to enhance students' abilities to think critically and analytically about current problems and challenges in international politics.
- MW 5:30 p.m.-8:40 p.m.
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Instructor:
Hisham Aidi
Wikipedia Info - 3 points
EAST ASIAN SECURITY
This course empowers students to develop a deep understanding of the major issues of East Asian security. We will examine the various challenges to stability in East Asia in the context of power, institutions, and ideas (the three primary factors that impact international relations), including: China’s increasing assertiveness; the North Korean nuclear crisis; historical stigma amongst Japan, South Korea, and China; lingering Cold War confrontations on the Korean Peninsula and across the Taiwan Strait; and an unstable relationship between the US and China. Through a comparison with the West, students will inquire whether a unique approach is required when considering appropriate responses to security issues in East Asia.
- MW 2 p.m.-5:10 p.m.
-
Instructor:
Fumiko Sasaki
Info - 3 points
INTL POLITICAL ECONOMY
This course serves as an introduction to the study of international political and economic relations. We look at the connections between politics and economics as well as markets and governments and relate them to key substantive issue areas such as finance, trade, investment, marketing, income inequality and poverty, and globalization. In examining the issue areas, we shall look both at how scholars think about them and how private and public decision makers analyze and impact them. The teaching is informed by the sharing with students knowledge deriving from multiple disciplines, cultures, and languages to help them gain useful real-world insights.
- MW 2 p.m.-5:10 p.m.
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Instructor:
Giuseppe Ammendola
Info - 3 points