COM 5130 Information Theory
Prerequisites
Calculus,
Linear Algebra, Probability.
Instructor
Chi-chao Chao (»¯±Ò¶W),
ccc at ee dot nthu dot edu dot
tw, ext. 31158, Delta 863.Lecture Hours
Monday, 10:10am to
12:00pm; Wednesday, 3:30pm to
4:20pm; Delta 210.Instructor's Office Hours
Monday, 3:30pm to 5:30pm, Delta 863, ext. 31158, or by
appointment.
Teaching Assistants
TAs' Office Hours
Monday,
3:30pm to
5:30pm,
C. L. Liu 606, ext. 34129.
Course Contents
This course discusses the theory of the fundamental limits
of information transmission or processing and the implications of
the theory for communication or data storage systems.
- Measure of information
- Data compression
- Channel capacity
- Continuous channels
- Rate distortion theory
Textbook
T. M. Cover and J. A. Thomas,
Elements of Information Theory,
2nd ed. Hoboken, NJ, USA: Wiley-Interscience, 2006.References
- R. J. McEliece,
The Theory of Information and Coding, 2nd ed.
Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
- R. G. Gallager,
Information Theory and Reliable Communication.
New York, USA: Wiley, 1968.
- R. E. Blahut,
Principles and Practice of Information Theory.
Reading, MA, USA: Addison-Wesley, 1987.
- R. Y. Yeung,
A First Course in Information Theory.
New York, USA: Springer, 2002.
Exams
- Midterm exam: Time: 7:00pm to
10:00pm, April 17, 2025; Place: Delta 216;
Rule: open an A4-size (single-side) note hand-written by
yourself.
- Final exam: Time: 7:00pm to
10:00pm, June 5, 2025; Place: Delta 209;
Rule: open an A4-size (single-side) note hand-written by
yourself.
Grading
Homework assignments 20%, midterm exam 40%, and final exam
40%.
Homework Policy
- You can discuss the homework problems with any number of students
currently taking the course, the teaching assistants, and the instructor.
However, solutions should not be exchanged. You should make sure that
you understand what you turn in, and should of course write up every
word of the solution by yourself. It is OK to compare
your final answer with others currently enrolled in the course,
but you should fix up any error by your own effort.
If these sentences are still vague, just tell
yourself "I shall not take unfair advantage of any other student" and this
should answer other policy-related questions you have in your mind.
- You are not allowed to look at the solutions to
any homework or exams of previous years.
- Please turn in your homework on time. Late homework is
subject to a penalty of 5% to 40% of your total points.
E-Learning
Please download the handouts and homework/solutions
via the E-learning system:
eeclass.
Go back to the homepage of
Chi-chao Chao.
Last updated: May 21, 2025.