Data compression reduces the size of data by reducing its redundancy. Compression is done at the risk of making data more prone to undetected errors during transmission or storage. Data reliability improves the ability to detect and even correct errors in transmission or storage by adding checksum/parity bits, a process that increases a data set's redundancy. Compression and reliability are opposite functions that are core concepts in the transmission and storage of multimedia objects.
CISC451/651 covers the first function - multimedia compression - with an emphasis on compressing and transmitting multimedia objects over the Web. Lossless compression methods include statistical coding (e.g., Huffman, Shannon-Fano, facsimile, arithmetic, MNP5/7) and dictionary coding (e.g., LZW). Lossy compression schemes include scalar, vector, differential, subband and transform methods for images and video (e.g., JPEG, wavelets, MPEG, H.261), and for speech and audio encoding (e.g., PCM, DPCM, ADPCM, GSM, MP3, compact discs).
(required) Intro to Data Compression, 3rd ed. (NOT 4th ed.) , by Khalid Sayood, Morgan Kaufman, 2006
Graduate students must do all assignments individually. Undergraduate students may collaborate in groups of 2 for assignments. “Collaborate in a group of 2” means both students participate in all solutions, perhaps each trying to solve the questions individually and then meeting to collaborate on a single solution set. “Collaborate in a group of 2” does NOT mean student A does the odd questions (or odd chapter homeworks), and student B does the even questions (or even chapter homeworks). “Collaborate in a group of 2” does NOT mean student A does the homeworks, and student B writes the programs. Each student is individually responsible for all group material. Each student must be able to explain all answers and/or code if asked to do so by the professor or TA. If a student cannot explain how an answer was derived, or how a program works, the student may receive no credit for the assignment. Students may change their partner at any time during the semester
The exams closely follow class presentations and assignments. If you attend class, and contribute fully to the assignments, you can expect to do well in the class.
Academic Honesty: Unless explicitly stated otherwise, students are not permitted to access or compare any homework, or program-project answers with those of any other student or group past or present, alive or dead, or any Internet web site prior to submitting the assignment. Comparing answers, or getting answers off the Internet before submitting one's work is considered cheating. If you do not have time to complete an assignment, it is better to submit partial solutions than to get answers from someone else. While it is obviously difficult to enforce this policy, students who do not follow this policy should be keenly aware that in this class, they are cheating, and if caught, will be prosecuted according to University guidelines. This applies both to the student (or group) who gets answers and the student (or group) who gives answers.
Lateness Policy: Assignments are due at the beginning of class. Unexcused late assignments will be penalized up to 10% per school day (weekends do not count) up to a 2-day maximum penalty of 20%. Without prior discussion with the professor, assignments will not be accepted more than two school days late.
Undergraduate/Graduate Students: Some assignments contain questions that are required for 651 students, and are extra credit for 451 students.
My philosophy is that grades,
in part, indicate relative performance. Hence final course grades
will be assigned according to a curve. In addition to the curve, certain
grade guarantees are defined below. Guarantees differ for undergraduate
and graduate students. For example, a student registered for CISC451
earning 78% of the total course points is guaranteed
to receive a grade no less than B-.
|
|
A |
A- |
B+ |
B |
B- |
C+ |
C |
C- |
D+ |
D |
D- |
|
CISC451 |
90% |
87% |
84% |
81% |
78% |
75% |
72% |
69% |
66% |
63% |
60% |
|
CISC651 |
93% |
90% |
87% |
84% |
81% |
78% |
75% |
72% |
69% |
66% |
63% |
In the professor's subjective opinion, if the above scale does not fairly represent the class' achievement as a whole, grades may be curved up (e.g., lowering the threshold for an A- from 87% to 86%). Grades will never be curved down. Any adjustment will apply to all students. This grading policy has one exception to ensure mastery of skills, and that one lab partner is not doing all of the work.
EXCEPTION: A course grade cannot be more than one letter grade higher than the best exam grade. For example, if a student fails both the midterm and final exams, the course grade can be no higher than D.
A philosophical note on grades: I do the best I can in measuring how much course material you demonstrate that you know. This evaluation is done through assignments and tests. I do not attempt to grade intelligence. I do not grade based on how many hours you put into the course.
Finally, I love my job teaching at UD, and promise to work very hard to make CISC451/651 exciting and challenging. In return, I expect students to participate and provide their full attention in class. I believe texting or using a laptop to do other class assignments, read email, play video games, or visit Facebook while someone is working hard to educate you is as rude as it gets, and I will be offended. At the beginning of class, turn off your cell phone. The only permitted use of a laptop during lecture is for taking notes. By signing the class laptop and texting policy, you agree not to text and not to use a laptop for non-class related purposes, even once. If you believe this policy is too severe, I understand, and ask you to please enroll in another course. Thank you.