CSE 246: Computer Arithmetic Algorithms and Hardware Design

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CSE 246 Computer Arithmetic Algorithms and
Hardware Design
Winter 2004 Lecture 12 Thursday 02/26/2004

• Instructor
• Prof. Chung-Kuan Cheng

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Research Techniques

• Goals
• Methods
• Tools
• Results

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Goals

• Aim high Significant Impact
• Dont stop at incremental improvements
• Set the target for (3-5 yrs)
• Given unlimited resources, what could we achieve
  in five years?
• Would we be happy if we get to achieve our goals?

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Why is impact important?

• Computers are tools
• Computers impact our daily lives
• Moores Law

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Why not long-term research?

• No target
• No map
• No money
• Too boring
• No IMPACT

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Methods

• Simplify
• Start from simplest non-trivial cases
• Aim high, but start low
• Be exhaustive on the approaches
• View the problem from different angles
• Find the niches
• Identify the strengths

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Tools

• Networking
• External
• Internal (Adviser)
• Attitude
• Parallel Processing

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External Networking

• Web search
• IEEE, ACM, research inst., schools, awards
• Identify the leaders of the field
• Contact the leaders
• Discuss ideas
• Obtain benchmarks packages
• The experts of the field will provide feedbacks

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Advantages of an Adviser

• Apprentice system
• Authority in the field
• Encouragement
• Scheduling
• Collaboration

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The Nature of Research

• 3-5 years
• Can be hard
• Not much light in the beginning
• Adviser provides encouragement

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Chemistry

• Must have good chemistry with Adviser
• What if there is bad chemistry?
• Cannot change the other person
• Change self to match his style
• As a last resort, try someone else

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No Negative Attitudes

• If I tried six different things, and nothing
  worked, how can I not be negative?
• If it worked too soon, it would not be research
• If part of it works right away, then you are
  lucky
• AQ is one key ingredient of the success.

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Parallel Processing

• Work in parallel, pipeline
• More productive
• Uses all parts of the mind
• Dream about the research

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Results

• Experiments
• Plan ahead
• Conjectures