Objectives

This is an equalization course offered at the master students of Telecommunications Engineering for filling gaps in their background on probability theory and communications networks. Lectures provide some highlights of the main course topics and it is expected that the students go more in depth in studying the teaching material and books suggested according to the guidelines provided every week. Exercises and homeworks will be proposed during the course on all topics.

Detailed program

    Probability theory

• Basics (definitions, event space, conditional spaces, total probability, Bayes’ formula, statistical independence, law of large numbers)
• Random variables (continuous variables, discrete variables, moments of a pdf, conditional distributions, statistical independence, joint moments)
• Functions of random variables, sequences of random variables, the central limit theorem, basics of stochastic processes

   Communications networks

• Basics of communication networks
• Functional and layered models (services, protocols, primitives, OSI model, TCP/IP model)
• Physical layer (multiplexing, transport networks - SDH).
• Link layer (framing, error control and ARQ, flow control, link layer protocols, Ethernet, bridging)
• Network layer (Network function and routing, addressing, forwarding, IP, ARP, routing protocols)
• Transport layer (socket interface, UDP and TCP, flow and congestion control)
• Application layer (examples of application protocols)

Written exam at the end of the course, comprising both practical exercises and theoretical questions on all covered topics.

Students may be asked for an additional oral exam at the discretion of the teacher.

Fifth Edition

Optional