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itNL0306.qxd 3/13/06 11:06 AM Page 1 IEEE Information Theory Society Newsletter Vol. 56, No. 1, March 2006 Editor: Daniela Tuninetti ISSN 1059-2362 President’s Column David L. Neuhoff Among the many things that happen and to permit the Society to be credited for providing this on January 1 of each year is that the content to IEEE Explore. This past year was the first full year Information Theory Society acquires in which we have encouraged authors to submit paper a new president. This year the man- preprints to the arXiv e-print server (http://arxiv.org), in tle has passed to me from the capa- order to foster rapid dissemination of information theory ble hands of Steve McLaughlin. It is results. In response, nearly 400 papers were posted in the indeed an honor to take this respon- information theory category. Finally, we have just begun to sibility. I do so with the knowledge initiate an upgrade of our website. that under his leadership, as well as that of his predecessors, and others With all these good things happening, there do remain some who have contributed so much, our challenges. For one, membership remains an issue. Last year David L. Neuhoff Society is in good shape. the number of IT members declined approximately 8%. This is a smaller decline than the 10 to 12% of the two previous I would like to mention a few of the important things that years. However, it remains a concern. Most puzzling was the happened this past year under Steve’s watch. With the latest 18% decline in student membership. I would like to hear from IEEE formulas for receiving revenues from our publications people who have ideas about the source of the student and for paying infrastructure costs (a kind of overhead decline. Another issue is the IEEE revenue and infrastructure charge), our finances have stabilized in the black. The num- formulas. While the IT Society’s finances have stabilized, it ber of papers published in our transactions continues to grow now appears that the largest IEEE societies, such as the at a rapid rate, while quality remains high. This is a strong Computer Society, are disadvantaged by the present formu- indication of the continued and growing importance of the las. This will likely create the need to reevaluate and, possibly field. Indeed, the transactions is becoming so large that the remake, them. We will need to keep a close eye on these delib- question of splitting it into two publications has arisen. Our erations to see how they might affect us. Also to be monitored annual International Symposium on Information Theory (this are proposed changes to the organization of the IEEE year in Adelaide, Australia) was a big success (thanks to Alex Technical Activities Board (TAB). At present, this organiza- Grant, Rodney Kennedy et al.), as were the two Information tion consists largely of the presidents of IEEE technical soci- Theory Workshops: ITW New Zealand (thanks to Mark eties and councils, who act as one large group to make deci- Titchener et al.) and ITW Japan (thanks to Hideki Imai, sions about new societies and publications, operating rules Yuliang Zheng et al.). A Student Committee, spearheaded by for such and for conferences, and so on. A proposal is now Andrea Goldsmith, was formed to increase the ways that our being considered to reform this into two bodies: a Presidents society can help students with interests in information theo- Council comprising the present members, plus a new TAB, ry. We can expect to see much from this committee in the which is to be a smaller and presumably more agile and effec- future. The IT Society began a process of increasing the num- tive body, chosen from the society presidents, division direc- ber of conferences for which it is a technical cosponsor. The tors, and so on. goals are to allow the proceedings of such conferences to be included in IEEE Explore and, thereby, receive increased I would like to close by wishing everyone a happy and pro- exposure and accessibility to our members as well as others, ductive new year. itNL0306.qxd 3/13/06 11:06 AM Page 2 2 From the Editor Daniela Tuninetti This is my first issue as the editor of the Please help make the Newsletter as interesting and inform- Information Theory Society Newsletter. I ative as possible by offering suggestions and contributing would like to thank my predecessor news. The deadlines for the next issues of the Newsletter are Lance Pérez for his excellent work over as follows: the past five years and his help in getting me started. I will try my best to follow Issue Deadline his example and keep the IT Newsletter June 2006 April 15, 2006 an interesting read. I would also like to September 2006 July 15, 2006 thank the IT Board of Governors for their December 2006 October 15, 2006 trust and the warm welcome. I am look- ing forward to working with every one Electronic submission, especially in ASCII, LaTeX and Word formats, is encouraged. who wants to contribute to the growth of Please keep in mind that any electronic photographs should be high resolution. the Information Theory Society and of this Newsletter in particular. I may be reached at the following address: In this issue, I hope you will enjoy the Daniela Tuninetti column of our President David L. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Neuhoff, as well as Anthony Ephremides’ University of Illinois at Chicago, M/C 154 Historian’s column, and Sol Golomb’s 851 S. Morgan St., puzzle. In addition, there are announce- Chicago, IL, 60607-7053, USA ments of prestigious awards recently Tel. +1.312.413.7431 won by members of our Society, a report Fax: +1.312.996.6465 on the Japan IT workshop, and an update E-mail: [email protected] on the activities of the IT society student committee. Sincerely, Daniela Tuninetti Table of Contents IEEE Information Theory President’s Column . .1 Society Newsletter From the Editor . .2 The Historian’s Column . .3 IEEE Information Theory Society Newsletter IT Society Members Receive Major IEEE Awards . .4 (USPS 360-350) is published quarterly by the IT Society Members Receive Eduard Rhein Award . .4 Information Theory Society of the Institute of IT Society Members Elected to Fellow in 2006 . .5 Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. Golomb’s Puzzle Column: Mini-Sudoku . .6 Headquarters: 3 Park Avenue, 17th Floor, Workshop Report: The 2005 IEEE Information Theory Workshop on Theory New York, NY 10016-5997. and Practice in Information Theoretic Security . .7 A Blurb on the IT-SOC Student Activities . .8 Cost is $1.00 per member per year (included in Society fee) for each member of the Call for Nominations: 2006 IEEE Information Theory Society Paper Award . .8 Information Theory Society. Printed in the Call for Nominations: 2006 Joint Information Theory/Comminications U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid at New York, Society Paper Award . .8 NY and at additional mailing offices. Call for Nominations: 2006 Information Theory Society Aaron D. Wyner Award . .9 Postmaster: Send address changes to IEEE Call for Papers: Special Issue of the IEEE Transactions Information Theory Society Newsletter, on Information Theory on Information Theoretic Security . .9 IEEE, 445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854. Golomb’s Puzzle Column: Simple Probabilities Solution . .10 © 2006 IEEE. Information contained in this Guest Column: From the National Science Foundation . .11 newsletter may be copied without permis- Call for Papers: Special Issue of the IEEE Transactions on Information Theory on sion provided that the copies are not made or distributed for direct commercial advan- Models, Theory, Codes for Relaying and Cooperation in Communication Networks . .13 tage, and the title of the publication and its Call for Papers: 2006 IEEE Information Theory Workshop . .14 date appear. Call for Papers: 2006 ISITA . .15 Conference Calendar . .16 IEEE Information Theory Society Newsletter March 2006 itNL0306.qxd 3/13/06 11:06 AM Page 3 3 The Historian’s Column A. Ephremides It has been more than twenty years since the Information Theory Bob himself admitted in gest on Workshop took place in Cesaria, Israel. It was 1984. The reason another occasion, that nobody this event came to my mind, as I sat to write this column, is would get … on it!), the major twofold. First, world conditions were more benign at that time problems that Communication and there was no reason to worry about safety in holding an Theorists were hired to solve had international meeting in Israel. To be sure, the security meas- disappeared. Indeed, with infinite ures were always extraordinary, but there had not been serious bandwidth and zero noise, capacity terrorist attacks for some time either within or outside Israel. is infinite and everyone can, in the- The only worrisome thing was the value of the Shekel (the ory, transmit at tera-speeds with national currency of Israel) that was spinning almost out of con- pico-power to everyone else. So, trol and was being devalued every day. So much so, that when after carefully developing this theme, Bob concluded that it is Jim Massey offered as an incentive to the speakers in his session us, Communication Theorists, the only ones who need ten thousand shekels to finish their talks on time, he had to clar- Communication Theory! The message was deeply troubling ify whether the payment would be made before or after the talk. and ominous. Under the sugar coat of lightness, Bob was essen- The value of the offer would be different! tially telling us that it was all over for us.