EI2019 Short Course Description


NEW SC05: An Introduction to Blockchain
Sunday 13 January • 8:00 – 10:00 am
Course Length: 2 hours
Course Level: Introductory
Instructor: Gaurav Sharma, University of Rochester
Fee*: Member: $185 / Non-member: $210 / Student: $65 
*after December 18, 2018, members / non-members prices increase by $50, student price increases by $20

This course introduces attendees to blockchains, which have recently emerged as a revolutionary technology that has the potential to disrupt a range of diverse business processes and applications. Using a concrete application setting, the course illustrates the construction of blockchains as a distributed, secure, and tamper-resistant framework for the management of transaction ledgers. Necessary background in the technologies underlying blockchains, including basic cryptographic concepts, are introduced as required. Current and emerging applications of blockchains are surveyed, including those in media security..

Learning Outcomes
  • Explain how the blockchain construction provides resistance against tampering.
  • Distinguish between centralized and distributed ledgers and highlight their pros and cons.
  • Describe the concepts of proof-of-work and proof-of-stake.
  • Explain the utility and applicability of blockchains in diverse applications.
  • Cite example applications of blockchains.
Intended Audience
Engineers, scientists, students, and managers interested in understanding how blockchains are constructed and how they can be useful in a variety of business processes. The course includes an overview of necessary background information, such as cryptographic tools utilized in the blockchain; prior familiarity with these concepts is not required.

Gaurav Sharma is  a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and of Computer Science at the University of Rochester where his research spans signal and image processing, computer vision, color imaging, and bioinformatics. He has extensive experience in media security across diverse application domains. Prior to joining the University of Rochester, he was a Principal Scientist and Project Leader at the Xerox Innovation Group. Additionally, he has consulted for several companies on the development of image processing and computer vision algorithms. He holds 51 issued patents and has authored over a 195 peer-reviewed publications. He is the editor of the "Digital Color Imaging Handbook" published by CRC Press. He is the Editor-in-Chief for the IEEE Transactions on Image Processing and previously served as the Editor-in-Chief for the IS&T/SPIE Journal of Electronic Imaging from 2011 through 2015. Dr. Sharma is a fellow of IS&T, IEEE, and SPIE...

Related EI Conferences
 

Important Dates
Call for Papers Announced 1 Mar 2018
Journal-first Submissions Due 30 Jun 2018
Abstract Submission Site Opens 1 May 2018
Review Abstracts Due (refer to For Authors page
 · Early Decision Ends 30 Jun 2018
· Regular Submission Ends 8 Sept 2018
· Extended Submission Ends 25 Sept 2018
 Final Manuscript Deadlines  
 · Fast Track Manuscripts Due 14 Nov 2018 
 · Final Manuscripts Due 1 Feb 2019 
Registration Opens 23 Oct 2018
Early Registration Ends 18 Dec 2018
Hotel Reservation Deadline 3 Jan 2019
Conference Begins 13 Jan 2019