Alan G. Konheim

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Department of Computer Science
University of California at Santa Barbara

Telephone: (805) 893-3560
Internet: konheim@cs.ucsb. edu

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Dr. Konheim received the B.E.E. and M.S. (Mathematics) from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in 1955 and 1957, respectively. He was awarded the Ph.D. (Mathematics) from Cornell University in 1960.

While a Research Staff Member in the Mathematical Sciences Department at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights (1960-82), he was a visiting Fellow in Mathematics at the California Institute of Technology (1962), a Senior Fulbright Scholar at the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics at the University of Heidelberg (1966) and a Visiting Lecturer at the Technion (1972).

Dr. Konheim's professional interests span several areas in Computer Science. His early work at IBM was related to the application of neural-like networks (Perceptrons) to pattern-recognition problems and the analysis of computer algorithms for improving the efficiency of storage schema (hashing, padded lists, sparse tables and disk access).

IBM's Liberty Banking Systems included a cryptographic function based on the LUCIFER algorithm developed by his group at the Yorktown Research Center. This work led to the Data Encryption Standard (DES) which was evaluated by his Yorktown Probability and Cryptography Group. DES was certified as a National Standard in the 1970's. Dr. Konheim continues to consult the government in the area of cryptanalysis.

In 1970, he began to study the performance of computer communication systems while on sabbatical at the IBM Zurich Laboratory. In connection with the design of IBM's digital PBX, mathematical techniques for modeling loop systems and multiplexing by polling were developed.

His current research interests include

  • (i) input rate control for B-ISDN,

  • (ii) estimation of rates with heterogeneous ATM traffic at the UNI,

  • (iii) enhancing the thruput in fast packet switches,

  • (iv) the sensitivity of performance to network parameters and

  • (v) numerical analysis of queueing models.

    Dr. Konheim has held adjunct positions at the Balfour School of Science (Yeshiva University), CCNY Graduate Center, Courant Institute (New York University), and The Technion (Israel).

    He is a member of the MAA, ACM, SIAM and a Senior Member of the IEEE and on the editorial board of The Mathematical Scientist and the Telecommunications Research Journal.

    He is the inventor on four U.S. Patents.

    Recent Publications:

    1. with Gísli Hjálmtysson, "The Sticky Buffer: Flow Control for the ATM," Performance Evaluation, 26, pp. 269-420, 1996.

    2. with Gísli Hjálmtysson, "A Two-Stage Entry Monitor - A Sticky Buffer in Tandem with a Spacer," ICCN, San Francisco, 1994; Journal of Telecommunications Research, 6, Numbers 3-4, pp.261-288, February 1997.

    3. with Gísli Hjálmtysson, "Analyzing a Two-Stage Entry Monitor for High-Speed Networks," IEEE INFOCOM `97;

    4. with Shyi-Shan Bor, "A Uniqueness Theorem for Buffer Allocation," invited paper (Special Issue on "Teletraffic Theory and Engineering" in honor of Felix Pollaczek), Achiv für Elecktronic and Übertragungstechnik, 47, No. 4/5, pp. 390-396, 1993.

    5. with S. Chan, A. Guillaume and R. Warfield, "Estimating the Rates of Mixed ATM Traffic," Proceedings of the 14th International Teletraffic Conference.

    6. with H. Levy, "Efficient Analysis of Poling Systems," IEEE INFOCOM '91, Florence (Italy), Vol. 3, pp. 2325-30.

    7. with H. Levy and M. Srinivasan, "Descendant Set: An Efficient Approach for the Analysis of Polling Systems," IEEE Transactions on Communications , COM-42, February-April 1994, pp. 1245-1253.

    8. with H.R. Gail, S.L. Hantler and B.A. Taylor, "An Analysis of a Class of Telecommunication Models," Performance Evaluation, 21, pp. 151-161, 1994.

    9. Denis A. Khotimsky and Alan G. Konheim, "Estimating the Rates of Heterogeneous ATM Traffic," IEEE Workshop, Duck Key (Florida).