Research and Publications A Personal Perspective Bo Li Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Microsoft Research asia 2021/1/31 p
2021/1/31 p. 1 Research and Publications: A Personal Perspective Bo Li Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Microsoft Research Asia
Outline What about research? How much does one have to learn? PhD research What is procedure of publications? How to write technical papers? 2021/1/31 p.2
2021/1/31 p. 2 Outline ◼ What about research? ◼ How much does one have to learn? ◼ PhD research ◼ What is procedure of publications? ◼ How to write technical papers?
Research is easy you have done this many times in course rojects Take a known problem, and apply a known technique Obtain results, and write a report 2021/1/31 p.3
2021/1/31 p. 3 Research is easy! ◼ You have done this many times in course projects ◼ Take a known problem, and apply a known technique ◼ Obtain results, and write a report
Research is difficult Is it technically correct? Does it make intuitively sense? Is it publishable, where and why? Does it offer some insights beyond what we have known Does it have any impact? 2021/1/31
2021/1/31 p. 4 Research is difficult! ◼ Is it technically correct? ◼ Does it make intuitively sense? ◼ Is it publishable, where and why? ◼ Does it offer some insights beyond what we have known? ◼ Does it have any impact? ◼ …
Research There are basically four types of research works New problem and new solution New problem and old solution Old problem and new solution Old problem and old solution 2021/1/31 p.5
2021/1/31 p. 5 Research ◼ There are basically four types of research works: ◼ New problem and new solution ◼ New problem and old solution ◼ Old problem and new solution ◼ Old problem and old solution
Research Case i comes rarely, perhaps something you could only wish, once a life-time experience Shannon theory Cases ii and iii are the ones that you should target for Packet scheduling: Weighted fair queuing Geographical routing in ad hoc networks Case Iv is where you can start Plenty of out there under the category of"yet another paper on 2021/1/31 p
2021/1/31 p. 6 Research ◼ Case I comes rarely, perhaps something you could only wish, once a life-time experience ◼ Shannon theory ◼ Cases II and III are the ones that you should target for ◼ Packet scheduling: weighted fair queuing ◼ Geographical routing in ad hoc networks ◼ Case IV is where you can start ◼ Plenty of out there under the category of “Yet another paper on …
Where do ideas come from? a Drink a beer, relax, Understanding the ideas will come to existing works, build y ou upon that The ideas fall from incrementally the sky 2021/1/31 p.7
2021/1/31 p. 7 Where do ideas come from? ◼ Drink a beer, relax, ideas will come to you ◼ The ideas fall from the sky! ◼ Understanding the existing works, build upon that incrementally
Where do ideas come from? Ideas in most cases come from the deep understanding of a subject, and possess of broad knowledge This is not a technical training i e. this is not about solving a bipartite graph, or differential equations This is about relating them to real wor ld problems This is about providing new insight beyond known This is about your creativity! 2021/1/31 p.8
2021/1/31 p. 8 Where do ideas come from? ◼ Ideas in most cases come from the deep understanding of a subject, and possess of broad knowledge ◼ This is not a technical training, i.e., this is not about solving a bipartite graph, or differential equations ◼ This is about relating them to real world problems ◼ This is about providing new insight beyond known ◼ This is about your creativity!
Research: What is it? Research Re(repeat)+ search Much of the research has been built upon existing works, therefore a thorough understanding of those is the basis Too many smart people in each area so if an idea seems to be too good to be true it likely is -> rethink that again Each idea needs iterations what is it? wh has it not been done? what is the logical connection with the existing approaches? 2021/1/31 p.9
2021/1/31 p. 9 Research: What is it? ◼ Research = Re (repeat) + search ◼ Much of the research has been built upon existing works, therefore a thorough understanding of those is the basis ◼ Too many smart people in each area, so if an idea seems to be too good to be true, it likely is -> rethink that again ◼ Each idea needs iterations: what is it? why has it not been done? what is the logical connection with the existing approaches?
Research: Engineering Problem Each solution to an er engineering problem is only a trade-off it is not a cure for all, it definitely has side-effect Networkin coding Potent ial capacity gain under loaded system Is it really? Is there any alternative? What is the penalty for doing so? Can we handle that in system design P2P Facilitate the voluntary file sharing Can this be extended beyond that? 2021/1/31 p.10
2021/1/31 p. 10 Research: Engineering Problem ◼ Each solution to an engineering problem is only a trade-off; it is not a cure for all, it definitely has side-effect. ◼ Networking coding ◼ Potential capacity gain under loaded system ◼ Is it really? Is there any alternative? What is the penalty for doing so? Can we handle that in system design? ◼ P2P ◼ Facilitate the voluntary file sharing ◼ Can this be extended beyond that?