1. Viewing Information and Communication Technology as Pervasive Science Rajeev Sangal International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad

2. Outline ICT as interdisciplinary ? ICT as a tool ?
ICT as all pervasive.
ICT as a tool ?
ICT as a knowledge source.
Elements of ICT study
What does research require?
Globalization & India as R&D hub

3. Convergence Convergence -- Hardware, software
Computer Science, and Electronics & Communications
Examples: Communication systems, VLSI, Embedded systems
Hardware engr. needs to write software
Software engr. needs to understand hardware
Other disciplines relate to IT

4. Past Practise of ICT CS born as an interdisciplinary science
Computer science has developed
Algorithms
Tools
Applications to other domains
EE developed systems science

5. 1. Inter-disciplinary CS & EE have
Contributed to, and
Benefited from working with other disciplines, different domains, and applications
Examples: Banking, meteorology, aircraft design, psychology, circuit simulation

6. … As ICT has become a discipline
This nature of working with other domains has NOT changed
Is it right to call it inter- disciplinary?
Is Mathematics inter-disciplinary?

7. Pervasive Mathematics
Mathematics is a discipline but
permeates many other disciplines

8. All Pervasive ICT ICT is pervasive, much like mathematics
In mid-1900s, Engg. education was recast
Became "science based engineering“
+ Suddenly, text-books were full of equations
- Engg. and other areas likely to be recast today in terms of computing

9. 2. Two Aspects
2.1 ICT as a tool
2.2 ICT as a knowledge framework

10. 2.1 ICT as a Tool
Computer as a tool – incorporating knowledge of the domain
* "Active" knowledge
Can act as a "tool" in problem solving

11. 2.2 ICT as a Knowledge Framework
As we try to represent knowledge computationally
Knowledge gets recast
New connections are discovered
New ideas are born, with further advancement of knowledge
Computational models
Different methods used
Elaboration of domain models

12. 3. ICT Deals with 3.1 Modeling - in a domain
What are the Information & knowledge structure
Problem (area) specific
3.2 Efficiency of processing
High speed of operation, using
Smaller computing resources
3.3 Developing tools & frameworks
Support for computational modeling

13. 3.1 Modeling a Domain Understanding the domain
Representing in terms of suitable computational elements
Develop programs for manipulating elements in the domain
Examples:
Ex. Banking system
Ex. Human language Dialog systems
Ex. Machines which can see

14. 3.2 Efficiency of Processing
Data structure
Representing data for problem at hand
Algorithms
Programmed operations to be performed
Efficiency judged in terms of speed (time) and memory (computing resources

15. 3.3 Tools and Frameworks Generalizing from problem specific solutions
Make them more widely applicable
Ex. Viewing data in terms of structured tables

16. 3.4 What does research require?
Building underlying models
Evaluation: How good are they?
Quantitative measures
Rapid development of prototype systems
Implementing core ideas first
Testing them
Detailed features later

17. An Example
An operating system that understands business (or job requirements of users)
Integration of s, usage of internet, word processing, specialized software
Such an integration will continue to elude us, until we figure out underlying knowledge structures

18. 4. Prospective Areas Modeling the earth Study of Life Human dwellings
Geosphere, atmosphere
Study of Life
Biology, Genetics
Human dwellings
Buildings, earthquake
Machines
Nano-machines, Cheaper conventional machines
Electric power
Monitoring and control
Encoding of human knowledge in computers in this century

19. Human mind Language, Vision, Reasoning
NLP: Machine processing and "understanding" of human language and speech
Applications: intelligent search engines, machine translation, speech

20. Global Scenario India can become global R&D hub
Cost advantage with talented manpower
Close to market for 6-billion people
Many companies starting research activity in India
Major expansion of R&D in educational institutions needed
Talented manpower but needs to understand itself

21. Hand and Mind
Did the first human learn to walk erect first, or think first?
Walking erect => "hands" are free & available
hands => tools can be used
Synergistic relation between:
tools (hands), and
concepts (mind)
One leads to advancement of the other

22. Example from Indian History
In India: Hand and mind separated - Artisan and thinkers
separated by barriers
Ex. 1790s: Indian rockets of Tipu Sultan repulsed British attack. thousands of rockets fired in a short time.
British sent them to their universities
Developed better rockets, though it took some time

23. Educational Institutions and Industry
Must combine to create a fusion of hand and mind - tools and concepts

24. Conclusions ICT is not just interdisciplinary, ICT is not just a tool,
It is all pervasive
ICT is not just a tool,
It is a knowledge source
Globalization & India as R&D hub
Major new opportunities await India
Combine hand and mind

25. International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad
Contributing to the transformation of India
into an IT Powerhouse