CSE599D FAQ
Q: I am a CS student with no background in physics. Will the course make sense?
A: The course includes the necessary background, including the small amount of thermodynamics required. We will generally be using computational experiments rather than mathematical calculations. And the discrete setting provided by the simulator simplifies the problem enormously, while still capturing essential effects.
Q: I want to do a project on X, a related topic. Can I?
A: Yes
Q: I have no idea what to do for a project. Will you suggest one?
A: Yes
Q: I am not very comfortable programming. Will I be able to handle the course?
A: The programming required is not difficult. However, if you'd rather do an analytical project, or use other tools (including circuit modeling tools), that is possible, with the right project choice.
Q: What are the chances that my class project could turn into a publishable research paper?
A: The course simulation software will enable us to explore the intersection of three topics that haven't been combined much before: Lattice Gas Automata, Billiard Ball Computation, and Maxwell's Demon. Combining these topics is likely to generate novel results. A lot of heavy lifting has already been done in developing the basic simulation framework, which means you that will very quickly be trying things that haven't been tried before. Therefore I believe that the prospects for generating novel research results during the course are VERY GOOD!
Q: What kinds of projects can you imagine students undertaking?
A: Here are some possible projects:
-Design and characterize novel _Funnel Demons_ in LGA
-Implement Billiard Ball Gates in LGA
-Design, simulate, and characterize Billiard-Ball-Gate-based Demon in LGA
-Design & simulate a ball-gate-based _information refrigerator_ in LGA
-Simulate a diode engine using conventional circuit modeling tools (e.g. Spice)
Note: LGA refers to Lattice Gas Automaton, the simulation framework we provide. You'll have an idea of what all these terms mean by the end of the first week.
Q: I already signed up for my fall courses. Can I still change my schedule?
A: Yes! Definitely through the end of the first week of the term.
Q: The course appears to be full. Is there still a chance I can take it?
A: Yes. Email me
Q: My question isn't answered here. What should I do?
A: Send me email!
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