CIS 6930.3753X, Spr. '02 - Physical Limits of Computing - http://www.cise.ufl.edu/~mpf/physlim

(See also the Syllabus for ABET for the year 2000 grad/undergrad edition of the course.)

Syllabus: (as per required format)

1. Course Objectives and Goals

Objectives. The objectives are that, as a result of taking the course, the students are intended to:

Become familiar with state-of-the-art research on the fundamental physical and engineering limits that are threatening to (probably within our lifetimes) slow down the current rate of improvement of performance/price of computer systems, and become aware of the large potential technological/economic impact of this slowdown for their careers and society as a whole.
Become able to apply analytic systems-engineering methods to the study of how various limiting constraints & design parameters interact, across all levels of the design stack, to determine how overall system performance scales as a function of improvements in the underlying technologies.
Gain a working understanding of fundamental new models of computing, such as reversible & quantum computing, which promise to help improve computing performance & scalability as much as possible within the fundamental limits, and know how these new models affect the design of devices, circuits, architectures, software, and systems.
Become familiar with a variety of current proposals for future implementation technologies for nano-scale computing, including various meso-scale & molecular nanoelectronic & nanomechanical devices.
Obtain valuable experience at solving problems, designing systems, writing papers, and giving presentations in a cutting-edge research field.

2. Tentative Outline of Topics to be Covered

Background

Basic physics concepts you'll need
Basic computer science concepts you'll need
Computer systems engineering principles you'll need

Fundamental Physical Limits

Quantum & relativistic limits on information density & processing rates
Relativistic & quantum limits on communication bandwidth flux & latencies
Thermodynamic limits on energy dissipation

The Future of Semiconductor Technology

Semiconductor scaling trends
Semiconductor engineering limits
Energy dissipation limits

Potential Future Device Technologies

Mesoscale bulk electronics: Quantum Dots, Single-Electron Transistors, etc.
Superconducting logic
Molecular electronics: Buckytubes, Tour wires, etc.
Miscellaneous contenders: Nanomechanical rod logic, biochemical/DNA computing.

New Models of Computing

Classical Reversible Computing

Fundamentals of adiabatic processes
Adibatic operation of present & future logic devices
Reversible logic circuit families
Analysis of the scaling advantages of reversibility
Reversible architectures, programming languages, algorithms

Quantum Computing

Quantum logic gates
Quantum logic circuits
Physical implementations
Quantum computing algorithms
Quantum information & communication

Cosmological Limits of Computing
Conclusion

3. Tentative Evalutation & Grading Procedure

Each of the 6 major segments of the course will be taught over roughly a 2-week period. During each such period, there will be a take-home assignment, in which the student, at their option, can either complete a written, analytical set of homework problems which we will assign, or write a short research paper on a topic of their choice relating to that segment of the course. In addition, there will be a term project in which the student can do work in their favorite area in more depth (including active participation in UF's Reversible & Quantum Computing research project), and prepare a final presentation & a publishable report on that work. There are no exams. Grades will be based on the correctness of homeworks, & the quality of the papers written.

4. The University's Honesty Policy regarding Cheating and Use of Copyrighted Materials

All students admitted to the University of Florida have signed a statement of academic honesty committing themselves to be honest in all academic work and understanding that failure to comply with this commitment will result in disciplinary action.

This statement is a reminder to uphold your obligation as a student at the University of Florida and to be honest in all work submitted and exams taken in this class and all others.

Here is some additional information relating to academic honesty:

5. Attendance Policy

Attendance at lectures is mandatory, although occasional absences are permissible. The student is responsible for catching up, via readings & lecture notes, with all classes missed.

6. Make-Up Policy

No late or make-up assignments will be accepted except in very extreme circumstances. However, the lowest score on the 6 assignments will be dropped, so if one assignment is missed, this will not ruin the student's grade.

7. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the Instructor when requesting accommodation.

8. Critical Dates

To Be Announced

9. Class Demeanor Expected

Please be on time, turn off your cell phones. Asking questions is encouraged, but do not talk unless asking a question or participating in a class discussion.

10. Phone Numbers & Contact Sites for University Counseling Services & Mental Health Services

(Just in case trying to understand quantum computing drives you insane.) To be determined.