在沙漠绿洲UA教过的课程与建过的实验室

收到过去的教学秘书LC的邮件，附有我1999年之前在UA教过和共同设计的课程（见后），看过十分感慨，好多课程自己差不多已经忘记。印象中，这还不是我上过得全部课程，至少没有列上一硬一软的Mechatronics 和 Computational Intelligence两门课。从计算机和控制转SIE，让我在教学上付出超过常人的努力，但回报也颇为丰厚。这些课程中，SIE350,  SIE 370/570,  SIE453/653,  SIE 458/558/685一直由我教，其它课程都是因为相关主讲教授享学术假Sabbatical Leave, 离职或者退休而由我接手、替代一个或二个学期。

实际上，SIE350 课的名字已从Deterministic Systems改为Systems Dynamics and Modeling, 因为加了相当经济和社会系统内容，相应地，SIE453也从Deterministic Control Systems改为Systems Control and Synthesis；SIE370 的名字最初为Design of Microprocessor Systems，后来很短一段时间改为Design of Computer Systems, 都名不符实，最后我将其改为Design of Embedded Systems, 引入Xilinx和Altera的FPGA(两个公司的产品类似，但不同，具体差别已记不清了)，Lattice的iSP，还有工业级的PLC(但离散和连续点数都很少,记得不到一千美元一台，朋友Weiping Li还推荐了一台只有十几个点的PLC，只有200多美元，同事都不信如此便宜), 使课程名符其实，虽然累但学生非常喜欢此课，很长一段时间这也是SIE唯一的一门低年级大学生有硬件动手实践的课程。 只是，这几门课的新名字和Catalog长期在学校系统登记不上，原因在我：学校系统允许改时，忘了或来不及申请改课的名字和Catalog；等突然想起了要改的时候，又过了学校系统允许修改的期限。那时事多思杂，人就是这样“糊涂”，加上心里根本不重视此事，导致这些课二三年里都有“挂羊头卖狗肉”的嫌疑，还曾引起几位学生的“抗议”，好在教授对授课内容有很大的自主权，学期开始时说明一下，学生还都能理解接受。后来,我把这些课程整合起来，申请了NSF的CRCD（Combined Research and Curriculum Development）Program项目，没想到经费“被”翻翻，NSF直接经费在加州里和学校的Matching Fund及In-kind Support, 超过百万美元。这是我最后一个NSF项目，由此开始建立通过Internet实时进行硬件试验的WAVES Lab。

 SIE 465/565 Financial and Investment Engineering一课，是由应用数学功力深厚的Sid Yakowitz教授领衔设立的新课，当时因为Sid即将退休，因此系里有人反对引入此课，我保证接下来才通过。此课的起因是Luenberger在Stanford开设相关课程的成功，后来Luenberger的专著Investment Science成为此领域的经典之作，为控制学者有垮学科的习惯提供了又一个例子。可惜后因Sid不幸去世，这门课还有Sid引入的SIE475/575也无疾而终。我和Sid曾讲好把SIE475/575的讲义整理成书在我主编的《World Scientific Series on Intelligent Control and Intelligent Automation》丛书里发表，而且已写了前五章，结果最终书没有完成，讲义的手稿现在也不知让我放在哪里，真是有歉于Sid。

SIE 422/522和SIE 558是老系主任Lucian Duckstein教授的课，他退休回巴黎教书后由我接下来二年。接手后，我立刻把他的教科书和参考书全换了，因为他与我们的水利系合作密切，弄得这两门课好像是专为水利问题而设的。后来，我把SIE 558扩展成为新课Computational Intelligence in Systems Analysis and Decision Making, 第一次教科书用的就是朋友、加拿大另一UA的波兰籍教授Witold Pedrycz的书，但因内容不适我们的学生而吃了不少苦头，第二年只好自编讲义。Lucian走之前，把根据二战期间儿时与母亲被关在纳粹犹太人集中营的经历写成的回忆小册子《Lucian’s Story》赠我, 我还是非常认真地阅读了一遍。读完之后，非常伤心，不仅仅是由于迫害者行为之残酷，还因有些受害者心理之黑暗，或更准确地说，无奈。Lucian还邀我一同去河边的犹太人中心参加过小册子的讨论会，私下告诉了我一些书上没有描述的事情。原来，由于母亲在集中营对他的一些行为，成年后Lucian就一直不原谅其母亲，内心埋了很多怨恨，书出版之后，他自我感觉好多了。我曾试图按中国的文化传统劝Lucian原谅自己的母亲，很快发现效果还不如对牛弹琴。与他的交往，使我对人性有了新的认识，也原谅了过去我们之间的一次争吵：他曾在Faculty Meeting上指责我“走私”中国人，因为我的研究生多为大陆来的同胞；我十分生气，回应说这种话根本不应在此种场合说，更不必反驳，而且他过去的学生也多为中国和东欧的学生，特别是作为一个犹太人，更不该说这种话。我们小小的系里有五位犹太教授，差一点就占当时教授人数的四分之一强，我气头上的关于犹太人的话，虽然会上他们没有说什么，但明显产生了不好的影响，差不多一年后才消除。退休后不久，Lucian就离了婚，与在巴黎生病时照顾他的护士再婚,好像不久又再离婚。

在UA期间，除了从1990年起主持Robotics and Automation Lab, 参与医学院的Motor Control Group (属Arizona Research Lab), NASA/UA 空间研究中心SERC和CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture) Group之外, 还主持创建了：

Dynamics and Control Lab

Real-Time Embedded Systems Lab

CIM and Flexible Manufacturing Automation Lab

WAVES (Web-based Audio and Video Educational Systems) Lab

PARCS (Program for Advanced Research in Complex Systems)中心

另还参与创立了ARMS (Advanced Robotic Mining Systems)和ATLAS (Advanced Traffic and Logistic Algorithmic Systems) 两个跨系研究中心. 回想起来，真是年轻无畏才会作这些事。

北京的雾霾让人无法不回忆留恋Arizona的天空。下面是微博里下载的Arizona夜空，应是在White Mountains上的人工湖边照的，十多年前的一个生日曾在那里与系的同事钓过鱼，半天下来竟无一收获，算是生日不杀生吧。

Department of Systems andIndustrial Engineering (SIE )  Dept Info - College Info

SIE 350. Deterministic Systems (3)II Modeling and analysis and design of linear deterministic systems in both the time and frequency domains. Input/output differential equations, Laplace transforms and state space methods. Attention will be given to modeling physical and engineering systems and computer simulations. 3ES. P, ECE 207,MATH 254.

SIE 370. Design of Embedded Systems (4)I II Boolean algebra, combinational and sequential logic circuits, finite statemachines, programmable logic devices, simple computer architecture, assemblylanguage programming, and real-time computer control. The computer is used asan example of systems engineering design; it is analyzed as a system, not as acollection of components. 3R, 3L. 1ES, 2ED. P, ENGR 102, ECE 207.

SIE 377. Software for Engineers (3)I Programming in C. Modular program design and verification, pointers andstructures, data structures and algorithms including: lists, trees, graphs, searchingand sorting. 1.5 ES, 1.5 ED. P, SIE 170. Credit allowed for only one of thesecourses: SIE 377, C SC 342.

SIE 383. Integrated Manufacturing Systems (3) II Introduction to the integrated manufacturing enterprise andautomation. Topics include computer-aided design, process planning, computernumerical control machining, machine vision, application of robots andautomation. 2R, 2L. 2ES, 1ED. P, SIE 260, MSE 331.

SIE 396A. Seminar (1)I II

SIE 399. Independent Study (1-5)[Rpt./]

SIE 399H. Honors Independent Study (1-3)[Rpt./] I II

SIE 422. Engineering Decision Making Under Uncertainty (3) I Application of principles of probability and statistics tothe design and control of engineering systems in a random or uncertain environment. Emphasis is placed on Bayesian decision analysis. 1ES, 2ED. P, SIE330R, SIE 330L or equivalent. May be convened with SIE 522.

SIE 431. Simulation Modeling andAnalysis (3) I II Discrete event simulation, model development, statistical design and analysis of simulation experiments, variance reduction, random variate generation, Monte Carlo simulation. 1.5 ES, 1.5 ED. P, CR, SIE 321; SIE330R, SIE 330L. May be convened with SIE 531.

SIE 453. Deterministic Control Systems (3) I The analysis and synthesis of deterministic linear controlsystems, with emphasis on design using both frequency-domain and state-variable approaches. 1.5 ES, 1.5 ED. P, SIE 350.

SIE 465. Financial and Investment Engineering (3) I Definitions and modeling of cash flow streams, random securities, investment and portfolio problems. Operations research and decision analysis methods for investment, capacity expansion and equipment replacementin a random environment. P, SIE 305 or equivalent calculus-based probability course. May be convened with SIE 565.

SIE 473. Concepts in Information and Communication Systems (3) II Modeling and analysis of information and communication, systems/networks for applications in telecommunication, systems and computercommunication networks. Topics selected from the following: signal representation, sampling, coding and error detection, modulation, OSI network architecture, network protocols, delay models of performance, routing and flowcontrol. 3ES. P, SIE 321, SIE 340.

SIE 474. Decision Support Systems (3)I Building, testing and evaluating expert systems, computer systems thatemulate the human and draw conclusions based on incomplete or inaccurate data.Each student will build a decision support system using commercially available expert system shells. Students will use many tools to test and validate their systems. 1ES, 2ED. P, familiarity with computers. May be convened with SIE 574.

SIE 475. Computational Methods for Games, Decisions, and Artificial Intelligence (3) II An introduction to automata, computer representation and optimal solution of games and decision problems. Principles of heuristic programming and machine learning. A programming project is to be selected fromareas such as game strategies, graphics, recreational mathematics, and manufacturing simulation. Microcomputer experience is emphasized. 1.5 ES, 1.5ED. May be convened with SIE 575.

SIE 485. Robotics and Automation (3)I Methods of design and operation of general purpose and industrial manipulation systems. Kinematic and dynamic models of mechanical manipulators,trajectory planning, manipulator control, robotic vision and other sensing techniques.2ES, 1ED. P, SIE 350 or equivalent. May be convened with SIE 585.

SIE 495S. Senior Colloquium (1)I P, senior status. Open to majors only.

SIE 498. Senior Capstone (1-3)I II

SIE 498H. Honors Thesis (3)[Rpt./ 2] I II

SIE 499. Independent Study (1-3)[Rpt./]

SIE 499H. Honors Independent Study (3)[Rpt./] I II

SIE 522. Engineering Decision Making Under Uncertainty (3) I For a description of course topics see SIE 422.Graduate-level requirements include a semester research project. May beconvened with SIE 422.

SIE 531. Simulation Modeling and Analysis (3) I II For a description of course topics see SIE 431.Graduate-level requirements include a library research report. May be convenedwith SIE 431.

SIE 536. Experiment Design and Regression (3) II Planning and designing experiments with an emphasis on factorial layout. Includes analysis of experimental and observational data with multiple linear regression and analysis of variance. P, SIE 530.

SIE 541. Dynamic Programming (3)II Modeling of stochastic dynamic systems and the application of dynamic programming techniques to optimal decision and control problems. Topics include inventory control, admission and flow control in queuing systems, stochastic scheduling, dynamic portfolio analysis and computational methods. P, SIE 321,SIE 340.

SIE 558. Fuzzy Sets in Systems Analysis and Decision Making (3) I Fuzzy numbers' definition, operations; fuzzy regression,interpolation and reliability, fuzzy logic, optimization and control; fuzzy events and decision-making applications in areas such as systems, civil,industrial, electrical, computer engineering and water management.

SIE 565. Financial and Investment Engineering (3) I For a description of course topics see SIE 465.Graduate-level requirements include solving an additional problem of a moreadvanced nature on each of two midterm examinations. Additionally, they will beexpected to submit a project with a summary report. May be convened with SIE465.

SIE 570. Real- Time Embedded Systems (4) Task allocation, task scheduling, remote programmable field units, real-time operating systems, application specific operating systems, applications in industrialprocess control, robotics and automation, intelligent vehicles. 3R, 3L. 1ES, 2ED. P,SIE 370, SIE 450.    

SIE573. Concepts in Information and Communication Systems (3)II Graduate-level requirements include a course project in the subject area.

SIE 575. Computational Methods for Games, Decisions, and Artificial Intelligence (3) II For a description of course topics see SIE 475.Graduate level requirements include a comprehensive and intensive programming project. May be convened with SIE 475.

SIE 583. Computer Integrated Manufacturing Systems (3) I Modern manufacturing systems with emphasis on information requirements and data management. Includes CAD, CAM, CAPP, real time scheduling, networking and system justification. P, real time scheduling, networking and system justification.

SIE 584. Manufacturing Automation (3)II Current topics in hardware for automation, selecting and implementing robots, part orientation, computer vision, automated warehousing and material handling, programmable controllers, NC machining, on-line computer control. Laboratory projects.

SIE 585. Robotics and Automation (3)I For a description of course topics see SIE 485. Graduate-level requirements include two research projects. May be convened with SIE 485.

SIE 599. Independent Study (1-5)[Rpt./]

SIE631. Digital Systems Simulation (3) II Emphasis on current research problems including random variate generation, modeling, language development and statistical analysis of output. P, SIE 431or MIS 521A or MIS 521B.

SIE 653. Selected Topics in Intelligent Control (3)II Selected topics covering recent advances in intelligentcontrol, to be chosen from a list including architectures, processes,algorithms, and applications for intelligent control and systems. P, SIE 453, SIE558, SIE 575.

SIE 685. Advanced Topics in Roboticsand Automation (3) II Selected topics covering recent advances in robotics andautomation, to be chosen from a list including applications, kinematics,dynamics, tactile sensing, vision and intelligent systems. P, SIE 585.

SIE 695A. Colloquium (1-3)[Rpt./ 12 units] I II P, consult department before enrolling.

SIE 699. Independent Study (1-6)

SIE 900. Research (2-8)[Rpt./]

SIE 909. Master's Report (1-6)[Rpt./]

SIE 910. Thesis (1-6)[Rpt./]

SIE 920. Dissertation (1-9)[Rpt./]