Jaakko Astola – författare

Switching theory and logic design provide mathematical foundations and tools for digital system design that is an essential part in the research and development in almost all areas of modern technology. The vast complexity of modern digital systems implies that they can only be handled by computer aided design tools that are built on sophisticated mathematical models. Fundamentals of Switching Theory and Logic Design is aimed at providing an accessible introduction to these mathematical techniques that underlie the design tools and that are necessary for understanding their capabilities and limitations.

As is typical to many disciplines a high level of abstraction enables a unified treatment of many methodologies and techniques as well as provides a deep understanding of the subject in general. The drawback is that without a hands-on touch on the details it is difficult to develop an intuitive understanding of the techniques. We try to combine these views by providing hands-on examples on the techniques while binding these to the more general theory that is developed in parallel. For instance, the use of vector spaces and group theory unifies the spectral (Fourier-like) interpretation of polynomial, and graphic (decision diagrams) representations of logic functions, as well as provides new methods for optimization of logic functions.

Consequently, Fundamentals of Switching Theory and Logic Design discusses the fundamentals of switching theory and logic design from a slightly alternative point of view and also presents links between switching theory and related areas of signal processing and system theory. It also covers the core topics recommended in IEEE/ACM curricula for teaching and study in this area. Further, it contains several elective sections discussing topics for further research work in this area

The majority of publications in spectral techniques consider Fourier transform on Abelian groups. However, non-Abelian groups provide notable advantages in efficient implementations of spectral methods.

Fourier Analysis on Finite Groups with Applications in Signal Processing and System Design examines aspects of Fourier analysis on finite non-Abelian groups and discusses different methods used to determine compact representations for discrete functions providing for their efficient realizations and related applications. Switching functions are included as an example of discrete functions in engineering practice. Additionally, consideration is given to the polynomial expressions and decision diagrams defined in terms of Fourier transform on finite non-Abelian groups.

A solid foundation of this complex topic is provided by beginning with a review of signals and their mathematical models and Fourier analysis. Next, the book examines recent achievements and discoveries in:

Among the highlights is an in-depth coverage of applications of abstract harmonic analysis on finite non-Abelian groups in compact representations of discrete functions and related tasks in signal processing and system design, including logic design. All chapters are self-contained, each with a list of references to facilitate the development of specialized courses or self-study.

With nearly 100 illustrative figures and fifty tables, this is an excellent textbook for graduate-level students and researchers in signal processing, logic design, and system theory-as well as the more general topics of computer science and applied mathematics.

This book discusses in a uniform way binary, ternary, and quaternary bent functions, while most of the existing books on bent functions refer to just binary bent functions. The authors describe the differences between binary and multiple-valued cases and the construction methods for bent functions are focused on the application of two types of permutation matrices. These matrices are derived from a class of differential operators on finite groups and Fast Fourier transform algorithms, respectively. The approach presented is based on the observation that given certain bent functions, many other bent functions can be constructed by manipulating them. Permutations are possible manipulations that are easy to implement. These permutations perform spectral invariant operations which ensure that they preserve bentness.

Universal codes efficiently compress sequences generated by stationary and ergodic sources with unknown statistics, and they were originally designed for lossless data compression. In the meantime, it was realized that they can be used for solving important problems of prediction and statistical analysis of time series, and this book describes recent results in this area.

The first chapter introduces and describes the application of universal codes to prediction and the statistical analysis of time series; the second chapter describes applications of selected statistical methods to cryptography, including attacks on block ciphers; and the third chapter describes a homogeneity test used to determine authorship of literary texts.

The book will be useful for researchers and advanced students in information theory, mathematical statistics, time-series analysis, and cryptography. It is assumed that the reader has some grounding in statistics and in information theory.

Logic networks and automata are facets of digital systems. The change of  the design of logic networks from skills and art into a scientific discipline was possible by the development of the  underlying mathematical theory called the Switching Theory. The fundamentals of this theory come from the attempts towards an algebraic description of laws of thoughts presented  in the works by George J. Boole and  the works on logic by Augustus De Morgan.

As often the case in engineering, when the importance of a problem and the need for solving it reach certain limits, the solutions are searched by many scholars in different parts of the word, simultaneously or at about the same time, however, quite independently and often unaware of  the work by other scholars. The formulation and rise of Switching Theory is such an example.

This book  presents a brief account of the developments of Switching Theory and highlights some less known facts in the history of it.  The readers will find the book a fresh look into the development of the field revealing how difficult it has been to arrive at many of the concepts that we now consider obvious . Researchers in the history or philosophy of computing will find this book a valuable source of information that complements the standard presentations of the topic.