Thesis (Ph. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2005. / "September 1, 2005"--T.p. Title taken from PDF title screen (viewed September 10, 2007). Includes bibliographical references and appendices.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--RAND Graduate School, 2006. / Title taken from title screen (viewed March 6, 2007). Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis describes a divide-and-conquer algorithm to improve the 3D boundary element method (BEM) for capacitance extraction. We divide large interconnect structures into small sections, set new boundary conditions using the borderfor each section, solve each section, and then combine the results to derive the capacitance. The target application is critical nets where 3D accuracy is required. The new algorithm is a significant improvement over the traditional BEMs and their enhancements, such as the "window" method where conductors far away are dropped, and the "shield" method where conductors hidden behind other conductors are dropped. Experimental results show that our algorithm is 25 times faster than the traditional BEM and 5 times faster than the window+shield method, for medium to large structures. The error of the capacitance computed by the new algorithm is within 2% for self capacitance and 7% for coupling capacitance, compared with the results obtained by solving the entire system using BEM. Furthermore, our algorithms gives accurate distributed RC, where none of the previous 3D BEM algorithms and their enhancements can.

This thesis describes a divide-and-conquer algorithm to improve the 3D boundary element method (BEM) for capacitance extraction. We divide large interconnect structures into small sections, set new boundary conditions using the borderfor each section, solve each section, and then combine the results to derive the capacitance. The target application is critical nets where 3D accuracy is required. The new algorithm is a significant improvement over the traditional BEMs and their enhancements, such as the "window" method where conductors far away are dropped, and the "shield" method where conductors hidden behind other conductors are dropped. Experimental results show that our algorithm is 25 times faster than the traditional BEM and 5 times faster than the window+shield method, for medium to large structures. The error of the capacitance computed by the new algorithm is within 2% for self capacitance and 7% for coupling capacitance, compared with the results obtained by solving the entire system using BEM. Furthermore, our algorithms gives accurate distributed RC, where none of the previous 3D BEM algorithms and their enhancements can.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 121-126).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Washington State University, August 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 93-106).

In today's knowledge-based economy, issues concerning equitable access to telecommunication services and their quality remain an important public policy focus. Wireline broadband Internet brings a significant expense of installation and maintenance, especially in less densely populated rural and remote areas. The rural, sparsely populated areas of southern Illinois are considered the broadband periphery and are underserved in terms of equitable access to high speed Internet. This study explores utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a tool to identify relevant local obstructions ("clutter") in the development of a more reliable, cost effective metrics for the deployment of wireless towers. After performing extensive quality control on tower coordinates obtained from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which were only 47% accurate, a spatial model to represent and analyze wireless broadband infrastructure and demand in the twenty-one county southern Illinois study region was developed. The key factors extracted for wireless broadband propagation are the land cover surrounding the tower, elevation and slope of the terrain, and tower height. Geographically weighted regression analysis was used to determine typical characteristics of users of wireless technology, with income, age, and education having the most significant effect. According to Census data for the year 2000, 33,910 of the 174,959 households in southern Illinois have poor or no wireless coverage. Based on the results of the study and policy recommendations, wireless broadband technologies are viable solutions to help bridge the broadband gap in southern Illinois and rural America.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 34-37). / The digital divide is largely seen as the main problem that developing economies and societies must overcome to gain economic productivity and social welfare. In this document we state that modern western perception of the digital divide lured advancement of lCT into developing countries especially in Africa. lCT must not be seen as a goal in itself but as a means to service human needs. This study attempts to analyze the willingness of people to adopt existing lCT infrastructures and the factors impeding its use in the DRC's cities of Kinshasa and Kananga.

Does a Digital Divide exist between African and European American-owned small businesses in the South? There is no inferential statistical research literature on this subject. The literature available are usually conjectures made by small business observers who are quoting results from descriptive statistical reports whose samples originate from cities and states in the North. Research indicates that Northern businesses have vastly different racial, gender, educational, and economic characteristics than Southern businesses. Therefore, it is unlikely that business technology data generated from these locations are generalizable to cities in the South. Research also suggests that a technologically urbane small business environment in a given area can economically uplift its inhabitants. Considering that southern states?particularly regions in the ?Deep South? like Alabama and Mississippi?have some of the highest poverty levels in the United States for its African American population, a detail analysis is needed to determine whether a technological chasm exists between African and European American-owned small businesses in the above states. A potential technology chasm might be the reason for the poverty that characterizes the lives of the South?s African American population. The purpose of this study was to use a Multivariate Analysis of Variance to determine if a Digital Divide existed in both the access and the use of telephone, computer, and Internet technology when comparing small businesses owned by African and European Americans in Mississippi. The primary cities under analysis were Jackson and Gulfport?the two largest urban areas in the state. The results indicated that there was not a Digital Divide between these two groups?both were technologically lacking. However, the owners of these businesses did view technology positively?a factor that might ease future technology adoption.

Στην Εργασία αυτή γίνεται μια προσπάθεια παρουσίασης του φαινομένου. Αναφέρονται οι ορισμοί και οι δείκτες μέτρησης που χρησιμοποιούνται, καθώς και τα είδη του ψηφιακού χάσματος, κάτι που είναι απαραίτητο για να προχωρήσομε και να αναλύσομε τις αιτίες που δημιούργησαν το φαινόμενο αυτό. Το ψηφιακό χάσμα είναι ένα θέμα αρκετά πολύπλοκο, η εξάπλωση του οποίου επηρεάζει την παγκόσμια οικονομία ,γιαυτό και δεν είναι τυχαίο που διοργανώνονται σύνοδοι σε παγκόσμιο επίπεδο όπου εκφράζονται απόψεις και σκέψεις για την αντιμετώπιση του προβλήματος. Οι θέσεις , οι στόχοι και οι ενέργειες που πρέπει να γίνουν ,και που συζητήθηκαν στις συνόδους Πληροφορικής ,παρουσιάζονται στην εργασία αυτή. Ιδιαίτερη σημασία δόθηκε στο ρόλο της εκπαίδευσης καθώς και στις αλλαγές που χρειάζεται να γίνουν προκειμένου όλοι οι άνθρωποι σε όλον τον πλανήτη να έχουν ίσες δυνατότητες και ευκαιρίες στον νέο ψηφιακό κόσμο. Ένας άλλος σημαντικός παράγοντας στην προσπάθεια εύρεσης οριστικής λύσης στο πρόβλημα του ψηφιακού χάσματος είναι και η αποτελεσματική χρήση των νέων τεχνολογιών η οποία σε συνδυασμό με την πρόσβαση και την κατάλληλη εκπαίδευση θα μπορέσει να βοηθήσει στην ενσωμάτωση των νέων τεχνολογιών στην ζωή των πολιτών όλου του κόσμου. Από τεχνολογικής πλευράς παρουσιάστηκε η ανάγκη επέκτασης των ευρυζωνικών υπηρεσιών . Σε ειδικό κεφάλαιο γίνεται μια προσπάθεια παρουσίασης των λόγων για τους οποίους το ψηφιακό χάσμα απέκτησε τόσο μεγάλη σημασία και απέσπασε την προσοχή από άλλα προβλήματα του αναπτυσσόμενου κόσμου επίσης σημαντικά ,όπως η πείνα , η υγεία ,ο αναλφαβητισμός, οι συνθήκες εργασίας κλπ. Τέλος με την βοήθεια στοιχείων από την Eurostat , αλλά και από τα Ηνωμένα Έθνη, παρουσιάζονται κάποια διαγράμματα που απεικονίζουν την σημερινή κατάσταση τόσο στο κόσμο και στην Ευρώπη όσο και στην χώρα μας. / This study is an effort to present the digital divide.There are reported the definitions and the indicators of measurement that are used, as well as the types of digital divide, something that is essential in order to analyse this phenomenon and the causes that created it. The digital divide is an enough complicated subject, the spread of which influences the world economy, that’s why it is not accidental that some summits are organised in world level, where opinions and thoughts are expressed for the confrontation of the problem.The objectives and the energies that should take place, and which were discussed in these summits of Information technology, are presented in this study. Particular importance was given in the role of education as well as in the changes that need to be made in order that all the persons all over the planet have equal possibilities and occasions in the new digital world. Another important factor in the effort of finding a solution in the problem of digital gap, is the effective use of new technologies, which in combination with the access and the suitable education might help in the incorporation of new technologies in the lives of citizens of all world. From technological side, the need of extension of broadband services was presented. In a special chapter there is a presentation of the reasons for which the digital gap acquired so much big importance and extracted the attention from other problems of developing world, also considerable, as hunger, health, illiteracy, work conditions etc. Finaly there are some diagrams that portray the current situation in the world, in Europe as well as in Greece.The elements that are used in these diagrams were taken from the EUROSTAT and the United Nations statistics.