Systems & Information Engineering

Detailed study of a selected topic determined by the current interest of faculty and students. Prerequisite: As specified for each offering.

Independent study or project research under the guidance of a faculty member. Offered as required. Prerequisite: As specified for each offering.

Detailed study of a selected topic, determined by the current interest of faculty and students. Offered as required.

An integrated introduction to systems methodology, design, and management. An overview of systems engineering as a professional and intellectual discipline, and its relation to other disciplines, such as operations research, management science, and economics. An introduction to selected techniques in systems and decision sciences, including mathematical modeling, decision analysis, risk analysis, and simulation modeling. Elements of systems management, including decision styles, human information processing, organizational decision processes, and information system design for planning and decision support. Emphasizes relating theory to practice via written analyses and oral presentations of individual and group case studies. Prerequisite: Admission to the graduate program.

Provides an introduction to the problems encountered when integrating large systems, and also presents a selection of specific technologies and methodologies used to address these problems. Includes actual case-studies to demonstrate systems integration problems and solutions. A term project is used to provide students with the opportunity to apply techniques for dealing with systems integration. Prerequisite: SYS 6001 or instructor permission.

This course is an introduction to theory and application of mathematical optimization. The goal of this course is to endow the student with a) a solid understanding of the subject's theoretical foundation and b) the ability to apply mathematical programming techniques in the context of diverse engineering problems. Topics to be covered include a review of convex analysis (separation and support of sets, application to linear programming), convex programming (characterization of optimality, generalizations), Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions, constraint qualification and Lagrangian duality. The course closes with a brief introduction to dynamic optimization in discrete time. Prerequisite: Two years of college mathematics, including linear algebra, and the ability to write computer programs.

Covers basic stochastic processes with emphasis on model building and probabilistic reasoning. The approach is non-measure theoretic but otherwise rigorous. Topics include a review of elementary probability theory with particular attention to conditional expectations; Markov chains; optimal stopping; renewal theory and the Poisson process; martingales. Applications are considered in reliability theory, inventory theory, and queuing systems. Prerequisite: APMA 3100, 3120, or equivalent background in applied probability and statistics.

An introduction to the analysis, design and evaluation of human-centered systems. User interaction can be designed to leverage the strengths of people in controlling automation and analyzing data. Topics include Task, User and Work Domain Analysis, User Interface Design Principles, Human Cognition and Information Processing, Human Perception, and Usability Testing. Graduate version includes separate project review sessions.

Introduces modeling, analysis, and control of dynamic systems, using ordinary differential and difference equations. Emphasizes the properties of mathematical representations of systems, the methods used to analyze mathematical models, and the translation of concrete situations into appropriate mathematical forms. Primary coverage includes ordinary linear differential and difference equation models, transform methods and concepts from classical control theory, state-variable methods and concepts from modern control theory, and continuous system simulation. Applications are drawn from social, economic, managerial, and physical systems. Cross-listed as MAE 6620. Prerequisite: APMA 2130 or equivalent.

A graduate-level course on machine learning techniques and applications with emphasis on their application to systems engineering. Topics include: Bayesian learning, evolutionary algorithms, instance-based learning, reinforcement learning, and neural networks. Students are required to have sufficient computational background to complete several substantive programming assignments. Prerequisite: A course covering statistical techniques such as regression. Co-Listed with CS 6316.

Data mining describes approaches to turning data into information. Rather than the more typical deductive strategy of building models using known principles, data mining uses inductive approaches to discover the appropriate models. These models describe a relationship between a system's response and a set of factors or predictor variables. Data mining in this context provides a formal basis for machine learning and knowledge discovery. This course investigates the construction of empirical models from data mining for systems with both discrete and continuous valued responses. It covers both estimation and classification, and explores both practical and theoretical aspects of data mining. Prerequisite: SYS 6021, SYS 4021, or STAT 5120.

This course shows how to use linear statistical models for analysis in engineering and science. The course emphasizes the use of regression models for description, prediction, and control in a variety of applications. Building on multiple regression, the course also covers principal component analysis, analysis of variance and covariance, logistic regression, time series methods, and clustering. Course lectures concentrate on theory and practice.

A case-based approach to the design of user interfaces with a focus on iterative project experiences. Display design concepts are related to ecological factors, situational awareness, attention, vision, and information processing. Project cases are tied to real-world problems of decision support on mobile platforms, large scale command and control, and data visualization, among others. Graduate version includes 4-5 advanced discussion sessions.

A first graduate course covering the theory and practice of discrete-event stochastic simulation. Coverage includes Monte Carlo methods and spreadsheet applications, generating random numbers and variates, specifying input probability distributions, discrete-event simulation logic and computational issues, review of basic queueing theory, analysis of correlated output sequences, model verification and validation, experiment design and comparison of simulated systems, and simulation optimization. Emphasis includes state-of-the-art simulation programming languages with animation on personal computers. Applications address operations in manufacturing, distribution, transportation, communication, computer, health care, and service systems. Prerequisite: SYS 6005 or equivalent background in probability, statistics, and stochastic processes.

The goals of this course are to educate graduate students in SEAS in the ethical conduct of research & publication, and to facilitate the thoughtful integration of ethics into their engineering research & practice. This is done by i) engaging students in deliberative readings, discussion, & writing about EERP, and ii) using cases to consider the ethical dimensions of engineering and resources to support the engineer facing ethical dilemmas.

This course provides an introduction to network and combinatorial optimization at the level of a second graduate course in optimization. Designed to complement SYS 6003, but the course is not a pre-requisite. Solid background in linear algebra and some mathematical maturity.

Presents the foundations of mathematical modeling and optimization, with emphasis on problem formulation and solution techniques. Includes applications of linear programs, nonlinear programs, and combinatorial models, as well as a practical introduction to algorithms for solving these types of problems. Topics are illustrated through classic problems such as service planning, operations management, manufacturing, transportation, and network flows. Prerequisites: Two years of college mathematics, including linear algebra, or instructor permission Note: This course cannot be applied toward completing the requirements for an M.S. or Ph.D. in Systems Engineering

This course is an introduction to the theory of the industrial organization (from a game-theoretic perspective) and its applications to industries with strong engineering content (electricity, telecommunications, software and hardware, etc.). Topics include: congestion pricing in networks, pricing and efficiency in electricity markets, planned obsolescence in software development, "networks" effects and the dynamics of technology adoption.Prerequisite: ECON 2010, APMA 3100 or 3110.

The goal of this course is to develop an operational understanding of the basic tools of probabilistic modeling, including (i) a review of undergraduate probability, (ii) introduction to Bernoulli and Poisson processes with applications, (iii) Markov chains and applications, and (iv) limit theorems. Homework and exams will emphasize the use of basic concepts of probability theory in applications. This course cannot be applied toward completing the requirements for an M.S. or Ph.D. in Systems Engineering.

A study of technological systems, where decisions are made under conditions of risk and uncertainty. Topics include conceptualization (the nature, perception, and epistemology of risk, and the process of risk assessment and management) systems engineering tools for risk analysis (basic concepts in probability and decision analysis, event trees, decision trees, and multiobjective analysis), and methodologies for risk analysis. Prerequisite: APMA 3100, SYS 3021, or equivalent.

This course will teach students the required skills, concepts, and algorithms to develop mobile robots that act autonomously in complex environments. The main emphasis is on mobile robot locomotion and kinematics, control, sensing, localization, mapping, path planning, and motion planning. Besides theory, students are exposed to simulation environments and lab exercises with real robotic systems.

This topic covers principles of human factors engineering, understanding and designing systems that take into account human capabilities and limitations from cognitive, physical, and social perspectives. Models of human performance and human-machine interaction are covered as well as methods of design and evaluation. Prerequisite: Basic statistics knowledge (ANOVA, linear regression)

For master's students.

Interactions between robots and humans are influenced by form, function and expectations. Quantitative techniques evaluate performance of specific tasks and functions. Qualitative techniques are used to evaluate the interaction and to understand expectations and perceptions of the human side of the interaction. Students use humanoid robots to develop and evaluate interactions within a specific application context.

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