澳洲数学高手提速网络

由于发现了一种可以将宽带速度提升10倍的方法，一位澳洲的研究员正处在奔向财富的路上。 在使用ADSL的过程中，电磁交叉干扰会导致降低链接速度。墨尔本大学研究员，John Papandriopoulos博士由于发现了一种可以减少这种现象的算法，因而即将成为硅谷的一员。 世界上绝大部分ADSL服务的速度都被限定在1到20Mbps，但是如果Papandriopoulos博士的技术能够被成功地商业应用，那么这一速度的上限将变为100Mbps。

以“DSL之父”而闻名于世的斯坦福工程学教授John Cioffi是受邀评估这一成果的专家之一。这一成果也构成了Papandriopoulos博士的论文。
曾经为第一台DSL调制解调器设计芯片的John Cioffi教授对此留下了深刻印象，因而在自己位于硅谷的新公司ASSIA里为这为29岁的年轻人提供了一个职位。该公司业务是优化DSL网络的性能。

Papandriopoulos博士由于自己的努力不懈，曾经赢得过墨尔本大学的首相奖学金。他表示说，将在两周之内离澳赴美。在此之前，他已经申请了两项和研究成果有关的技术专利。

墨尔本的校办公司墨尔本风投正在销售和DSL设备及调制解调器方面的技术，以销售给这一行业内的网络外设供应商。然后他们又把这些外设卖给全世界的网络服务商。

墨尔本风投的合作人Richard Day对这一技术获得许可的前景表示乐观，但是他也表示，目前谈及利润还为时过早。

他说：“这是一个没法回答的问题，主要是因为我们还不清楚这一技术能在多大范围内被接受…（但是）对于全世界任何一个使用铜芯电话线的国家来说，都存在被接受的可能。”

现在Papandriopoulos博士正在处理转让知识产权给墨尔本大学的事宜，但是他坚持从每一份专利使用权转让协定中收取大量的版税。

当尝试解释他的算法是如何运作的时候，Papandriopoulos博士说：“很多年以前，人们习惯于在电话机里听到微弱或是断续的交谈声，这就是所谓‘交叉干扰’。当大家只是打电话的时候这并没有什么关系，但是当你要想从那些（用于ADSL连接的）铜芯电话线上榨出更多带宽来的时候，就有麻烦了。这种由于DSL网络的信号传输而产生的交叉干扰会产生噪声，影响其他的线路，而这种噪声会降低你的链接速度。”

DPapandriopoulos博士说，他的算法能够将这种影响消除到最小，因而能够把线路通讯速度提升到最大。

他承认在该领域内还有其他人在进行类似的研究，而他的方案是最有吸引力的，这是因为它更具加实用而且更容易实现。

如果这一专利能够成功地授权给网络外设供应商，Papandriopoulos博士期待这种技术将在未来两到三年内被全世界的网络服务商变成现实。

相关文章：Maths, the passport to full employment


Australian universities are way behind those in other advanced nations in turning out mathematicians and statisticians, writes Ju Yeon Jung .

Advertisement
Real life problems may not be simple to solve. But for Greg Longdish, a second-year PhD maths student at the University of NSW, mathematics is the tool needed to find the solutions. And it is a tool many Australians undervalue, says Longdish, who has been working on developing mathematical models of HIV epidemics that would help estimate the effect of various theoretical scenarios.

"Mathematics is logical deduction and a lot of things in this world work on that cause and effect relationship. But people think maths is something strange that you do with numbers, perhaps helpful with a cash register," he says.

Change may be afoot, however. In May, the Federal Government announced its plan to allocate extra funding for some key disciplines in universities, following the review of the Higher Education Support Act 2003. The 2007-08 federal budget promised the discipline of mathematics and statistics a big lift of $2729 in per-student funding.

But mathematicians are still worried. Professor Peter Hall from the Australian National University says Australia has long been incapable of producing the trained mathematical modellers it needs in pharmaceutical companies, banks and government agencies such as CSIRO and the Australian Antarctic Division.

"We have a long way to go to rebuild the mathematical sciences in Australia, and the extra funding is only a start," he says.

The National Strategic Review of Mathematical Sciences Research in Australia published last December showed that university mathematics faculties in have lost more than 30 per cent of their staff in the past 10 years. Only 0.4 per cent of Australian university students were graduating with qualifications in mathematics or statistics, below the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average of 1 per cent.

Amidst this persistent shortage, however, the prospects for mathematicians remain bright. Peter Taylor, executive director of the Australian Mathematics Trust, says graduates with mathematics majors are fully employed and at the top of the pay scales.

So why, then, are people still recoiling from maths?

James Franklin, associate professor in mathematics at the University of NSW, thinks there is a mistake being made on both sides, the public and industry. He says there is a lack of mathematicians because people are not aware of the job opportunities that studying mathematics can provide and therefore choose not to go into it. And the problem is compounded because industry often does not know that mathematicians can be employed to improve production. Even if they do, there are few around with the qualifications.

While public misconceptions often divert students who are interested in maths into studying other popular areas such as commerce and medicine, Ben Waterhouse says being equipped with mathematical skills can be a priceless asset in finding a job. Waterhouse is working on a collaborative research project with the Macquarie Bank on developing faster methods to value complex financial products,

"If you understand problems that you see in the maths degree, you can get a job in any industry that doesn't seem mathematical at all - because you've trained your brain to think about problems in a certain way to get a logical answer out of it," he says.

For mathematicians, it is obvious how and why maths can benefit the society. But explaining it to the public is not easy.

The media, for some, became another avenue to popularise maths and science. Karl Kruszelnicki, science commentator on radio and television and now a political candidate for the Senate in the federal elections, believes more shows in those areas have made the general public more interested.

"After all, everything has areas of interest, if the story is told correctly," he says.

The astronomer Fred Watson, last year's winner of the Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science, says that by appearing on about 200 radio broadcasts a year and publishing articles and books he hopes to direct students towards studying maths and science. "I'd like to see a greater willingness from media outlets to promote it," he says.

Does Australia have what it takes to be a leading country in mathematics?

Iain Johnstone of Stanford University thinks so. As an international reviewer of the Review of Mathematical Sciences Research in Australia, Professor Johnstone says "Australia has a reputation for world-class and innovative mathematical research".

The support to maintain the ability and potential becomes more important in this age of information, he says, as there is a strong need to train mathematicians and statisticians to make best use of information overflow.

Amidst this global competition, Australia may be lagging behind.

Professor Ian Sloan of Sydney University argues that this gap matters.

"We do not want Australia to be just a farm and a quarry. If we are to have a good standard of living we need to be a highly educated nation with highly skilled occupations."

While public misconceptions often divert students who are interested in maths into studying other popular areas such as commerce and medicine, Ben Waterhouse says being equipped with mathematical skills can be a priceless asset in finding a job. Waterhouse is working on a collaborative research project with the Macquarie Bank on developing faster methods to value complex financial products,

"If you understand problems that you see in the maths degree, you can get a job in any industry that doesn't seem mathematical at all - because you've trained your brain to think about problems in a certain way to get a logical answer out of it," he says.

For mathematicians, it is obvious how and why maths can benefit the society. But explaining it to the public is not easy.

The media, for some, became another avenue to popularise maths and science. Karl Kruszelnicki, science commentator on radio and television and now a political candidate for the Senate in the federal elections, believes more shows in those areas have made the general public more interested.

"After all, everything has areas of interest, if the story is told correctly," he says.

The astronomer Fred Watson, last year's winner of the Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science, says that by appearing on about 200 radio broadcasts a year and publishing articles and books he hopes to direct students towards studying maths and science. "I'd like to see a greater willingness from media outlets to promote it," he says.

Does Australia have what it takes to be a leading country in mathematics?

Iain Johnstone of Stanford University thinks so. As an international reviewer of the Review of Mathematical Sciences Research in Australia, Professor Johnstone says "Australia has a reputation for world-class and innovative mathematical research".

The support to maintain the ability and potential becomes more important in this age of information, he says, as there is a strong need to train mathematicians and statisticians to make best use of information overflow.

Amidst this global competition, Australia may be lagging behind.

Professor Ian Sloan of Sydney University argues that this gap matters.

"We do not want Australia to be just a farm and a quarry. If we are to have a good standard of living we need to be a highly educated nation with highly skilled occupations."