An Application of Mixing Times to Fibreoptic Networks

Add to your list(s) Download to your calendar using vCal

• Sam Thomas (University of Cambridge)
• Wednesday 17 October 2018, 16:00-17:00
• MR14, Centre for Mathematical Sciences.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact gb539.

First and foremost, I promise a (reasonably) light talk, with limit equations and multiple (multicoloured!) pictures—sharks may even feature, if we have time!

In this talk, I shall discuss challenges in ‘routing schemes’ for fibreoptic networks, and suggest a possible scheme. In essence, one (eg BT or Virgin Media) has a network of cables connecting cities, and wishes to send data down these cables; however, one cannot send two signals of the same type down the same cable, as they then interfere. I shall formulate this precisely, and it turns out that finding a (suitable) routing scheme is an NP-hard problem.

Using randomness (Markov chains), I shall show how one can find a suitable solution… provided one’s definition of “suitable” is, well… suitable. These types of systems are actually used in the real world.

For those who, like me, do pure maths, I shall explain this (likely previously unknown) notion of the ‘real world’

This talk is part of the Cambridge Analysts' Knowledge Exchange series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• All CMS events
• CMS Events
• Cambridge Analysts' Knowledge Exchange
• DAMTP info aggregator
• Interested Talks
• MR14, Centre for Mathematical Sciences
• My seminars
• bld31

Note that ex-directory lists are not shown.