Abstract: This talk presents a series of combinatorial puzzles and games that are abstractions of certain problems in the design of switching systems. These formulations help expose the essential computational character of the problems, providing greater insight into possible solutions and the limitations on those solutions. This insight helps provide a deeper understanding and new interpretations of known results, and in a few cases, leads to entirely new results.

This exercise provides a useful lesson in the advantages of formulating application problems in a more abstract setting. Such formulations can help separate the problem from the confusing clutter that so often comes with application contexts. While application-oriented researchers are often reluctant to abstract away the myriad details that they feel make their problem unique, there are real advantages to doing so that should not be underestimated. Not only can abstract formulations expose connections to previously known results, they can make new results accessible to those working in other domains, greatly broadening their potential impact.

Bio: Jonathan S. Turner received the MS and PhD degrees in computer science from Northwestern University in 1979 and 1982. He holds the Barbara and Jerome Cox Chair of Computer Science at Washington University and is Director of the Applied Research Laboratory. His research centers on the design and analysis of high performance networks and he has led a series of major systems projects over the years, that have demonstrated important innovations in high performance switching, scalable multicast, extensible routers and network virtualization. He has graduated 21 PhD students and has served as Chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (1992-1997, 2007-2008).

Turner was a Member of Technical Staff at Bell Labs (1977-1983), where he provided the technical leadership on an early project seeking to integrate voice and data communication using packet switching. He was co-founder and Chief Scientist for Growth Networks, a startup company that developed scalable switching components for Internet routers and ATM switches, before being acquired by Cisco Systems in early 2000. Turner is a fellow of both the ACM and the IEEE, is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a member of the board of the Computing Research Association. He received the Koji Kobayashi Computers and Communications Award from the IEEE in 1994 and the IEEE Millenium Medal in 2000. He has been awarded 30 patents for his work on switching systems and has many widely cited publications.