University%20of%20Cambridge%20Computer%20Laboratory

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University of CambridgeComputer Laboratory
HoD Professor Andy Hopper
Dr David Greaves djg_at_cl.cam.ac.uk
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A very Warm Welcome to the Computer Laboratory.
The faculty of Computer Science in
the University of Cambridge. The William Gates
Building, (Opened October 2001).
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The Computer Laboratory

• Staff
• 407 47 academic staff,
• 31 support staff, and
• 69 affiliated research staff.
• Students
• 114 research students (PhD),
• 49 postgraduates (Masters ACS, Part III),
• 1x100 2x50 Undergraduates (BA).

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1949 Edsac 1
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Previous Heads of Department
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Current Head of Department

• Founder of Acorn and several other local
  companies.
• President of the IET.
• My PhD supervisor!

Prof Andy Hopper. FRS.
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Computer Lab Initiatives
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Research Area Map
Theory and Semantics
Users
Maths
Graphics
HCI
Proof
Media Mobility Networks
Language
Programs
Security
Hardware
Engineering
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Current Major Research Areas

• Programming Languages, Compilers, Computer
  Architectures.
• Security - Smart Cards, Trusted Computing.
• Systems - OS, Processors, Middleware, Trust,
  Networks, H/W synthesis.
• Graphical and Tangible intefaces, HCI.
• AI, NLP and Information Retrieval.
• Theory Semantics - Quantum, Computability.
• Automated Reasoning HVG.
• Bioinformatics.
• Tele-Healthcare and Sports Science.

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Dr. David Greaves. MIET.

• University Lecturer
• Chair of the CST Tripos
• Research Interests
• Hardware Compilers,
• Simulation and Modelling,
• Automated Reliable Component Composition.

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END OF PRESENTATION
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Interactive Formal Verification

• Professor Mike Gordon
• Viper Microprocessor 1985
• Fast Ring ECL Chip in 1986
• ATM Switch Chip in HOL 90 in 1994
• Formal model of ARM 6 in 2002
• Embedding PSL/Sugar in HOL 2004
• Embedded Crypto Algorithms (ongoing)?
• Prof Larry Paulson (Isabelle Prover)?
• John Harrison (HOL Lite Prover)

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END OF PRESENTATIONslides beyond this oneare
most likely old andout of date!
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Welcome to the CL

• The UoC Department of Computer Science
• Some history of our department
• Admission
• Undergraduate Taught Courses
• Postgraduate Courses
• Research Areas
• Supporters Club
• Women in Computer Science
• Graduate Association

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The Mathematical Laboratory

• Founded 1937, Sir MV Wilkes.
• EDSAC ran first stored program 1949
• Thenceforth provided a computer service
• Titan, IBM machines, Phoenix
• Diploma started in 1953
• Undergraduate Tripos in 1969
• Moved to WGB in 2001
• Rated 5 and Excellent

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EDA Spinouts

• Qudos E-beam rapid prototyping,
• Virata Broadband Modems,
• Tenison RTL to C modelling,
• Azuro Clock tree synthesis,
• Embecosm TLM Debugging.
• Our graduates provided technical lead at ARC,
  Intel, TransEDA, ARM, PA Semi, ...

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1977 Cambridge Distributed System
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1993 Autostereo Display
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William Gates Building

• A split with the Computer Service
• All research under one roof
• Two lecture theatres, one practical laboratory.

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Undergraduate Courses

• 25 Computer Science (with 75 maths)?
• 50 Computer Science (with 25 NST)?
• Full time for years 2 and 3 leading to BA.
• Part II General - A one year part II
• Diploma - A masters-like conversion course

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Admission

• Undergraduates admitted by Colleges
• Admission requirements
• A-level Maths
• One other science A level (pref Further Maths)?
• A third A-level or international equivalent
• Postgraduates (PhD) must find a supervisor who
  will has an interest in their research

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What is Computer Science ?

• It is not how to use Microsoft Excel
• It is not how to design web sites
• It is not how to be an IT manager
• We dont even train people in C programming.

• It is about theory of data representation
• It is about network protocol design
• It is about the history and future of operating
  systems
• Its about fundamental differences between
  programming paradigms.

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Example CST Subject Areas

• Continuous Maths
• Discrete Maths
• Software Engineering
• Programming
• Operating Systems
• Compilers
• Databases
• Information Theory and Coding

• Computability
• Semantics
• Hardware
• Processor Design
• Business
• Communications
• Spec and Verification
• VLSI

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3 year Tripos Practical Work

• Ia Java ticks
• Ia ML ticks
• Ia Hardware ticks
• Ib ECAD and Architecture ticks
• Ib Group Projects
• II Project and Dissertation (25 marks).

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ML programming demo.

• ML is the first language our students see
• It is functional (not imperative)?
• One of the most-advanced languages ever becoming
  mainstream (almost mainstream).
• Aim to teach fundamentals, not arbitraryness.
• If something has been known for 10 years and
  looks as though it will remain true for the next
  10 years, then its probably worth teaching -
  RMN.

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ML Three Ways to Add Up
( Mathematician )? fun intsum1(a, b) (b-a1)
(ab) div 2 ( Engineer )? fun intsum3(a, b)
if (ab) then a else let val midpoint (ab)
div 2 in intsum3(a, midpoint)
intsum3(midpoint1, b)? end ( Computer
Scientist )? fun intsum2(a, b) if (a b)
then a else a intsum2(a1, b)
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Postgraduate Courses

• PhD in theoretical computer science
• Can be in any area researched in the department.
• 1986 M Phil in Speech and Language Processing
  (with dept of Engineering)?
• Fourth Year in School of Technology ?
• Currently being planned.

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Example Pervasive Computing
Trusted computing infrastructure Mobile
applications Security of smart cards Correctness
of Network Protocols XML Ontology for personal
information Rules for control of the
home Alternative HCI devices for real-time
control and generating programs.
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Supporters Club

• 10 to 50 Local Industry Fund Contributors
• Originally for local companies
• Library and consultancy access
• Frequently funds PhD Students
• Specialist Lecture Series
• Recruitment Fair Once a Year
• Well-attended annual dinner!

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Women in Computer Science

• Sometimes seen as a male profession ?
• WICS mission to redress balance.
• Currently 4 or so female out of 30 lecturers.
• Only 5 to 10 percent of undergraduates
• 15 percent of postgraduates ?
• WICS regular meetings, open agenda
• Women frequently come top in Tripos.
• 2002 26.9 of the 52 female applicants to
  Cambridge Computer Science were accepted compared
  to 21.6 of the 416 male.

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Graduate Association

• Called The Cambridge Ring

• Recently established, 2002
• 200-300 members
• Annual update and dinner
• Advice and consultancy
• Should become self-funding

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Local Industry

• 28,000 Hi-tech employees in Cambridge
• 14,000 of them in computing/electronics
• New companies are always being founded by our
  alumni

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• Thank-you and any questions ?
• Web www.cl.cam.ac.uk
• djg_at_cl.cam.ac.uk