Course title
M20930002
Introduction to Information Processing

PHAN XUAN TAN
Middle-level Diploma Policy (mDP)
Program / Major mDP Goals
先進国際課程 A-1 A-1 Students shall obtain basic and advanced knowledge and skills in mathematics, natural and computer sciences as well as presentation skills to communicate on their knowledge with scholars from various fields.
(改組前)先進国際課程 A-1 A-1 Students shall obtain basic and advanced knowledge and skills in mathematics, natural and computer sciences as well as presentation skills to communicate on their knowledge with scholars from various fields.
Purpose of class
Students are expected to learn the fundamental knowledge of information theory to apply to a range of relevant real situations.
Course description
This course delves into the measurement, representation, and communication of information, situating information theory as a critical subset of communication theory. At the heart of communication theory lie two fundamental questions that information theory seeks to answer: What is the limit of data compression, and what is the maximum transmission rate of communication? To address these queries, the course will cover essential topics in information theory, including information measures, lossless and lossy data compression, channel coding, and the theory’s connections to and implications for other fields such as machine learning.
Goals and objectives
  1. The students can explain the core concepts in information theory (e.g., entropy, mutual information, relative entropy, etc.)
  2. The students can explain the real-world integration of information theory in data compression, machine learning, etc.
  3. The student can apply what they learnt for tackling the challenges in their own researches or in practical applications.
Relationship between 'Goals and Objectives' and 'Course Outcomes'

Mid-term Exam Final Exam Assignments Total.
1. 10% 25% 10% 45%
2. 10% 15% 5% 30%
3. 10% 10% 5% 25%
Total. 30% 50% 20% -
Evaluation method and criteria
Grading Criteria:

- Midterm Exam: 30%
- Final Exam: 50%
- Assignment: 20%
- A total score of more than 60% is required to earn course credit.

<Note>:
- Students will be marked absent if they arrive more than 10 minutes late to class.
- If students arrive late (by less than 5 minutes) twice, it will be counted as one absence
- If a student is absent for more than one-third of the total number of classes, it means that they do not obtain sufficient knowledge to pass this course.
As the result, they will not be eligible to receive course credit.
- Student cannot use smart phone or PC during the exam.
Language
English
Class schedule

Class schedule HW assignments (Including preparation and review of the class.) Amount of Time Required
1. Introduction to Information quantification and probability & statistic Review what you learnt and do the assignments 190minutes
2. Entropy, Joint entropy and conditional entropy Review what you learnt and do the assignments 190minutes
3. Relative Entropy and Mutual Entropy Review what you learnt and do the assignments 190minutes
4. Data processing inequality, sufficient statistic and Fano’s inequality Review what you learnt and do the assignments 190minutes
5. Asymptotic Equipartition Property Review what you learnt and do the assignments 190minutes
6. Entropy Rate of a stochastic process Review what you learnt and do the assignments 190minutes
7. Mid-term exam and discussions on the solutions Review all previous lessons and prepare for mid-term exam 190minutes
8. Data compression (I) Review what you learnt and do the assignments 190minutes
9. Data compression (II) Review what you learnt and do the assignments 190minutes
10. Data compression (III) Review what you learnt and do the assignments 190minutes
11. Channel Capacity (I) Review what you learnt and do the assignments 190minutes
12. Channel Capacity (II) Review what you learnt and do the assignments 190minutes
13. Rate distortion theory Review what you learnt and do the assignments 190minutes
14. Final exam and discussions on the solutions Review all lessons and prepare for final exam 190minutes
Total. - - 2660minutes
Feedback on exams, assignments, etc.
ways of feedback specific contents about "Other"
Feedback in the class Feedback on exams, assignment, etc will be done either in class or via scomb, email, etc.
Textbooks and reference materials
Elements of information theory - 2nd edition, Thomas M. Cover, Joy A. Thomas, 2006
Prerequisites
Probability and statistics
Linear Algebra
Calculus I, II
Office hours and How to contact professors for questions
  • Contact professor Phan Xuan Tan based on the appointments via email: tanpx@shibaura-it.ac.jp
Regionally-oriented
Non-regionally-oriented course
Development of social and professional independence
  • Course that cultivates an ability for utilizing knowledge
Active-learning course
Most classes are interactive
Course by professor with work experience
Work experience Work experience and relevance to the course content if applicable
N/A N/A
Education related SDGs:the Sustainable Development Goals
  • 9.INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Last modified : Sat Mar 14 13:40:43 JST 2026