Coursera - Networks Illustrated: Principles without Calculus

Networks are everywhere. From the social connections we make on platforms like Facebook, to the technology behind the Internet upon which these sites run, they have become an integral part of our daily lives.

In this course, we will study these networks. Specifically, we will focus on understanding the fundamental principles that guide their designs and sustainability. We will see how the simplest phrases like “sharing is hard” and “crowds are wise” can summarize a vast amount of network theory, that goes into answering questions like “how does 3G work on your smartphone?” and “when can you trust an average rating on Amazon?”. And rather than using heavy math, this course will only require basic arithmetic such as addition and multiplication. We rely on animations, analogies, and anecdotes as our pedagogical tools, in lieu of detailed equations.

Course Syllabus
The following topics will be covered during this course:
- How much power does your cell phone use to transmit?
- Why is WiFi slower at a hotspot?
- How does Google rank webpages?
- How does Netflix recommend movies?
- How does traffic go through the Internet?

Recommended Background
- No prerequisites.

Suggested Readings
C. Brinton and M. Chiang, Networks Illustrated: 8 Principles without Calculus. Available on Amazon soon.

Course Format
We will present two lectures per week, about 60 minutes each. Each lecture is edited into short segments with embedded quizzes that will allow you to check your understanding of the material. There will also be weekly homework assignments, a midterm, and a final.