Project Overview
The Mathematics Behind Designing Large-scale Computer Network
Department(s)
Mathematics
Abstract
Computing power has improved drastically since the invention of computers. A scientific calculator is now many times more powerful than the computers used to guide the moon landing. However, there is still much need for improvement in computing power for scientific simulations, computer graphics, big data, cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, and many more applications.
A computer network can be interpreted as a graph whose vertices are routers and edges are cables connecting the routers. There is a theoretical upper bound for the number of vertices in a graph with certain fixed properties, though often there is a large gap between this bound and the best-known graph. The goal of this project is to explore graphs that could lead to new, better, more powerful computer networks.
Students will learn about graph theory and its uses in computer science. Using this new knowledge, they will test the viability of several different types of graphs for network design. If time permits, students will develop techniques for creating new graphs based on those found in the literature.
There will be opportunities to collaborate with researchers at Los Alamos National Lab and possibly with researchers in industry.
Student Qualifications
Have taken at least 1 math class (Math 163 or higher) at Colgate University with a B or better. Must be able to travel to New Mexico for one week during the project. Students of all majors will be considered, but students should have a strong interest in math or computer science. Coding experience is recommended but not required.
Number of Student Researchers
2 students
Project Length
8 weeks