frontiers

Global Data Communication

Frontiers 2000 - Mathematics

instructors: John Goulet, PhD ( goulet@wpi.edu)

Barry Posterro, MS ( posterro@wpi.edu )

The work in this project concerns data communication to a commercial communication satellite. It has several components to it, each of which uses mathematics in contemporary and challenging ways. Our job is to find reasonable solutions to the problems generated by those components.

Data Communication is the primary project. We will be transmitting data for a variety of customers in the form of

financial data
video
music and sound

Signal generation and reception are crucial to success. We will be using satellite dishes and a satellite in geosynchronous orbit above the earth. Various details of this remain to be carefully worked out.

Data Conversion is a necessity. Finding practical and efficient ways of processing data, video and music will be necessary. Each carries with it its own problems and possible solutions. How do you transmit the details of a person's voice? a picture of a mountain range?

The mathematics potentially involved in these areas comes from four sources:

encryption and decryption are in the domain of algebra

satellite dishes and orbits are dealt best with by geometry

sound requires applications of trigonometric functions

video compression is an application of fractal methods.

Further, aspects of this mathematics requires both accuracy and substantial computations. We will explore software appropriate for these different tasks.

Also, finding solutions will require resources and cooperation. The Internet may be an effective resource as well as the library and other people. The latter implies that teamwork is sometimes a crucial factor in projects.

	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Mon	Tues	Weds
8-9 AM	intro & goals	Mod arithmetic	Z_n	Prime #s	Sound	lab -digital/ analog	Julia Sets	Presentations
9-10:30	Euclid's Algorithm	Lab	Lab	Lab	Fourier methods	discussion	lab

1:30-2:30	Conic Sections	abstract algebra	Encryption Basics	RSA	Movie: Sneakers	Fractals	Geosyncorbits	Movie: the Proof
2:30-4:30	Software Resources	conic section lab	lab	lab		lab- dimension		Wrap Up