Upcoming Seminars

Speaker

Dr. Xi Ye, Amii Fellow and Assistant Professor in the Department of Computing Science at the University of Alberta

Title

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Abstract

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Bio

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Website

Xi Ye

Timing & Location

Amii HQ, 2nd floor event space (10065 Jasper Ave)

pizza from 11:30, seminar from noon to 1

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Speaker

Isaac Stone, PhD student at the University of Alberta, supervised by Dr. Nathan Sturtevant and Dr. Jonathan Schaeffer

Title

Computer Bridge: Steps Toward a World-Championship Program

Abstract

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Bio

Isaac Stone is a current PhD student in the department, supervised by AMII fellow Nathan R. Sturtevant and Prof. Emeritus Jonathan Schaeffer.  His research focuses on search algorithms, with a keen interest in understanding the challenges that — to-date — have prevented computers from achieving performance comparable to top human players in the card game Bridge.

Timing & Location

Amii HQ, 2nd floor event space (10065 Jasper Ave)

pizza from 11:30, seminar from noon to 1

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Speaker

Owen Randal, PhD candidate at the University of Alberta, supervised by Dr. Martin Muller

Title

Astrus: AlphaGo-Inspired Search and Learning for Physics-Aware Chip Design

Abstract

AMS (analog mixed-signal) layout is the art of arranging transistors and wires for a chip’s most performance-critical parts. Every placement and routing decision can profoundly impact performance, which is why engineers spend weeks hand-tuning transistor placement and routing, through intuition and painstaking trial and error to meet performance requirements in circuit simulation. Although AMS circuits occupy only a small fraction of a sophisticated chip like a GPU, they can account for a disproportionate share of the manual design effort and cost.

Like AlphaGo, we use search as the engine for discovering novel configurations. A physics-based evaluation engine measures the physical properties of each layout, allowing us to trade off among many competing design objectives. Predictive neural network models approximate complex routing and computationally expensive evaluation to accelerate search, while generative models distill the results to guide future exploration. Together, these techniques allow us to discover layouts that satisfy stringent physical constraints and satisfy user-specified performance objectives.

Bio

Owen Randall is a current PhD candidate at the University of Alberta and former CMPUT 455 instructor, supervised by AMII fellow Martin Müller. His research is primarily concerned with search algorithms and combinatorial optimization. He is doing research at Astrus, a Toronto based startup using AI and search to automate and optimize analog chip layouts.

Website

Astrus AI

Timing & Location IN-PERSON ONLY

UComm Seminar Room 2-108

pizza from 11:30, seminar from noon to 1

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NO SEMINARS - Winter Closure