1. CSC 590: Thesis Seminar Instructor: Alex Dekhtyar

2. Meet and Greet  Your name.  Undergraduate background.  Point you are in your studies.  Do you have thesis area?  Do you have specific thesis topic?  Have you started you thesis  Any other interesting info.

3. Disclaimer:do not use Disclaimer: I usually do not use PowerPoint slides in class. However this course is different. Disclaimer:Gene Fisher’s Disclaimer: Slides heavily borrow from Gene Fisher’s CSC 590 slides (with Gene’s permission)

4. Objectives Learn what is involved in writing a thesisLearn what is involved in writing a thesis Learn how to do researchLearn how to do research Learn how to present research in oral and written formsLearn how to present research in oral and written forms

5. Objectives How to do researchHow to do research –Pick a research topic –Discover/survey literature –Validate your work «sell»How to «sell» your research –on paper –In presentation (twice)

6. On the Internets Course page (for my stuff) http://www.csc.calpoly.edu/~dekhtyar/590-Fall2009 Wiki (for your stuff) http://wiki.csc.calpoly.edu/590 Mailing List csc-590-02-2098@calpoly.edu

7. Schedule 1. September 25 Syllabus and Introductions 2. October 2 M.S. research and thesis 3. October 9 Thesis document structure 4. October 16 Thesis document: Introduction, Background, Related work October 23FURLOUGH Guest lecture 5. October 23 FURLOUGH Guest lecture 6. October 30 Short Presentations, Halloween party 7. November 6 Thesis Presentation 8. November 13 Long Presentations 9. November 20 Long Presentations 10. December 4 Long Presentations

8. Alternative Schedule 1. September 25 Syllabus and Introductions 2. October 2 M.S. research and thesis 3. October 9 Thesis document structure 4. October 16 Thesis document: Introduction, Background, Related work October 23FURLOUGH Guest lecture 5. October 23 FURLOUGH Guest lecture 6. October 30 Short Presentations, Halloween party 7. November 6 Thesis Presentation Catch-up discussions 8. November 13 Catch-up discussions Catch-up discussions 9. November 20 Catch-up discussions 10. December 4 Long Presentations 11. December 7 Long Presentations

9. Assignments 1. Thesis reading and critique 15% 2. Research blurb/Thesis Intro 15% 3. Experimental design 10% 4. Related work 20% 5. Short presentation 5% 6. Long presentation 30% 7. Class participation 5% Duration Today – Oct 16 Today – Oct 23 (Part 1)

10. Research in a nutshell Come up with interesting, novel idea. See what else is out there like it. If it’s really new, «bring it to fruition» – whatever it means.

11. M.S. Thesis in a nutshell The Fisher definitionThe Fisher definition: a "potentially publishable" piece of work. "by the book" definition: «a culminating experience...» One good idea worked on for six months to a year by a smart person, under the supervision of a smart advisor.

12. Thesis BuZzwords "systematic study of significant problem" "identifies problem, states assumptions" "evidences originality, critical and independent thinking"

13. Types of M.S. Thesis  Theoretical  define stuff, prove theorems  Experimental (Empirical)  state hypothesis, design experiment, run it analyze results  Project-oriented  identify need, design and implement system, validate it.  Survey  study the work of others, summarize, analyze, draw conclusions

14. Starting your work  Figure out what general area(s) interest you.  Take grad class(es) in areas, do well in them.  Find advisor.

15. Quantitative Stuff Thesis Length – as long as is needed – 50 – 150 pages (depending on material) Thesis research length – the longer the better – 1 ac. Year now is CSC requirement (three quarters of thesis research) – 1.5 – 2 years typically yields better results

16. Quantitative Stuff How much to put in a thesis? one good idea. – pretty much, one good idea. Whose idea?Whose idea? – – yours (more fun, more risk, less advisor time) –Advisor’s (less risk, more advisor time, may be harder to get excited)

17. Quantitative Stuff How big a bibliography? –Fisher says: «Approximately equal to number of pages.» –The more the merrier