Vijay Kumar

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• Vijay Kumar
• Computer Science
• School of Computing and Engineering
• University of Missouri-Kansas City
• Kansas City, MO 64110,USA
• kumarv_at_umkc.edu

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The objective of any research is to solve an
unsolved problem, to solve an old problem using
new approach, and to identify a useful problem
for investigation. The art of doing research
does not depend on research areas but research
objectives and their outcome do. The topic for
this presentation is computer science and
telecommunication research.
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The research can be categorized as

• System research Design and develop schemes to
  improve system capability.
• Application research Design and develop schemes
  to provide new functionality to the system.

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System research
Comparatively harder problem mainly because the
researcher must have some knowledge of system
architecture.
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Application research
This is the best research area for student for
the following reasons

• A large set of simple to hard problems
• Minimal resource requirements and most of them
  are available to nearly every student
• Easy to supervise and mentor
• Parents can provide valuable help during research
• Solution approach based on simple logic

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Problem identification
One should start from household activities. For
example, an energy saving solution is highly
useful. Example What is the minimum number of
times and how long should refrigerator and
freezer doors be open without wasting
energy. Resource requirement A laptop or
desktop, a stop watch (can be a buzzer), and a
refrigerator unit of course. Benefit Student can
gain a highly useful information which can be
immediately implemented.
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Enhancement
More number of parameters such as outside
temperature, outside setup (how many items
surrounds the unit), air circulation space, and
so on.
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How to find the answer (research)

• Define the problem (hypothesis)
• Define objective
• Literature survey
• Define input and output parameters
• Collect data
• Draw graphs
• Conclusion and future direction

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Some interesting research problems

• Identifying coverage area of cordless phone
• Which is faster a mouse or a touchpad of a
  laptop?
• Resiliency of a GPS (In the presence of congested
  road with many turnings, the unit may get
  confused or may not provide correct navigation).
• Does the position of a router (upstairs or
  downstairs or basement) affect wireless
  connectivity and data transmission rate?
• Does the presence of other wireless devices
  (microwave, cordless phone, remote control, etc.)
  affect router performance?

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Some more interesting problems

• How outside temperature affects computer
  performance?
• Which is user friendly in MSword-ribbon or
  pull-down menu?
• Which is better (energy-efficient, less strain on
  disk, etc.) for a computer-turning on and off
  frequently or turning on and off after leaving it
  on for at least 2 hours or turn it off after a
  week?
• Sensor programming to detect temperature, heat,
  etc. (harder problem)
• Data broadcast using Bluetooth (harder problem)
  device

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So one should remember research is

• Fun
• Entertaining
• Rewarding
• Satisfying (it does not matter what the end
  result is)

Do not be afraid of it.