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Events for October 16, 2007
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Toward the characterization of snowpack from space-borne satellite measurements: ...
Tue, Oct 16, 2007 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
A multi-frequency multi-scale data assimilation approachSpeaker:
Prof. Steve Margulis,
Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering
UCLAAbstract:
The cryosphere represents an important component of the Earth system, with 30% of the overall global land surface covered seasonally by snow (which greatly impacts surface albedo and hence surface energy partitioning) and one-sixth of the global population living in areas where streamflow is dominated by snowmelt runoff (which in some cases makes up more than 75% of the annual water supply). Hence the ability to accurately characterize the snowpack state over large regions has significant implications for weather, climate, and water resources planning. Traditionally, snow water equivalent (SWE) estimation by water agencies has been done using data from snow surveys (performed at select locations in space and periodically during the winter months) in conjunction with regressions based on the historical record. These methods can be inaccurate due to sampling problems and the fact that regression-based schemes are suspect in the context of a changing climate. In the last couple of decades researchers have begun exploring the ability to map snowpack states using space-borne remote sensing measurements. These efforts generally include techniques to either map the presence/absence of snow or retrieve the snow water equivalent. These techniques generally do not provide the desired quantity (SWE) at the necessary resolution and accuracy over large scales. Here we discuss recent work aimed at attempting to assess the feasibility of estimating snowpack characteristics in mountainous terrain by merging remote sensing data spanning the electromagnetic spectrum from the visible to the microwave with process models describing the evolution of the distributed snowpack and its associated radiative transfer. Some future implications of the work include improved lead-time water supply forecasts as well as initial conditions in seasonal climate forecasts.
Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - rielian Hall, 355
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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CS Colloquia: The Price of Stability for Network Design
Tue, Oct 16, 2007 @ 04:00 PM - 05:30 PM
Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Title: The Price of Stability for Network Design
Speaker: Prof. Elliot Anshelevich(RPI)ABSTRACT:
Network design is a fundamental problem for which it is important to
understand the effects of strategic behavior. Given a collection of
self-interested agents who want to form a network connecting certain
endpoints, the set of stable solutions (the Nash equilibria) may look quite
different from the centrally enforced optimum. We study the price of
stability, i.e. the quality of the best Nash equilibrium compared to the
optimum network cost. The best Nash equilibrium solution has a natural meaning
of stability in this context: it is the optimal solution that can be proposed
from which no user will "deviate".We consider two versions of this game: one where agents may divide the cost of
the edges they use in any manner they desire, and one where the cost of each
such edge is divided equally between the agents whose connections make use of
it. In the first version, determining whether or not a Nash equilibrium exists
is NP-complete. However, when the goal of each player is to connect a terminal
to a common source, we prove that there is a Nash equilibrium as cheap as the
optimal network, and give a polynomial time algorithm to find a
(1+epsilon)-approximate Nash equilibrium that does not cost much more. In the
second version, however, a Nash equilibrium always exists and can be achieved
via best-response dynamics. In this version we can show a tight bound of O(log
k) on the price of stability (where k is the number of agents). I will discuss
these results and possibly mention some extensions as well.This is joint work with: Bugra Caskurlu, Anirban Dasgupta, Jon Kleinberg, Eva
Tardos, Tom Wexler, and Tim RoughgardenBIO:
Elliot Anshelevich is an Assistant Professor in Computer Science at
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He received his Ph.D. from Cornell
University in 2005, working under the direction of Jon Kleinberg and Eva
Tardos. After receiving the NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Mathematics, he
spent a year at Princeton University working with Moses Charikar. His research
interests focus on algorithms for large decentralized networks, including
networks with strategic agents. Particular interests include: network design
problems, algorithmic game theory, local and decentralized routing algorithms,
approximation algorithms, graph algorithms, and information propagation in
both social and computer networks.
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: CS Colloquia
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JPL Information Session
Tue, Oct 16, 2007 @ 05:00 PM - 07:00 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering Career Connections
Workshops & Infosessions
Join representatives of this company as they share general company information and available work opportunities.
Location: Seeley G. Mudd Building (SGM) - 124
Audiences: All Viterbi Students
Contact: RTH 218 Viterbi Career Services
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IEEE Speaker Series Event
Tue, Oct 16, 2007 @ 06:00 PM - 07:00 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering Student Organizations
Student Activity
IEEE invites you to come hear Professor Murali Annavaram talk about the exciting field of Computer Architecture and present his working experiences with Nokia and Intel.
Location: Mark Taper Hall Of Humanities (THH) - 212
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: IEEE
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Atlanta - Admission Reception
Tue, Oct 16, 2007 @ 07:00 PM - 09:00 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering Undergraduate Admission
Receptions & Special Events
Hosted by the Admission Office, the reception will include a general discussion about the University. You will also be able to ask questions about your areas of academic interest, explore co-curricular options and learn more about life and opportunities at USC. Julie Samere, Assistant Director of Admission, will be there on behalf of the Viterbi School of Engineering along with other representatives from the University.RSVP online at http://www.usc.edu/admevents
Location: Marriott Perimeter Center<br>246 Perimeter Center Parkway NE<br>Atlanta, GA 30346
Audiences: Prospective Undergraduate Students and Family Members
Contact: Viterbi Admission
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Phoenix - Admission Reception
Tue, Oct 16, 2007 @ 07:00 PM - 09:00 PM
Viterbi School of Engineering Undergraduate Admission
Receptions & Special Events
Hosted by the Admission Office, the reception will include a general discussion about the University. You will also be able to ask questions about your areas of academic interest, explore co-curricular options and learn more about life and opportunities at USC. Paul Ledesma, Associate Director of Admission, will be there on behalf of the Viterbi School of Engineering along with other representatives from the University.RSVP online at http://www.usc.edu/admevents
Location: Embassy Suites Hotel Phoenix-Scottsdale<br>4415 East Paradise Village Parkway S<br>Phoenix, AZ 85032
Audiences: Prospective Undergraduate Students and Family Members
Contact: Viterbi Admission
