Mathematical Theories of Communication - Old and New

Explore the evolution and modern applications of communication theories in this 52-minute Simons Institute Open Lecture by Madhu Sudan from Harvard University. Delve into the fundamentals of communication, examining both classical and contemporary approaches. Investigate Shannon's groundbreaking theory from 1948, including his theorem and significant contributions to the field. Discover interactive coding schemes and their relevance in error-prone communication channels. Analyze modern theories such as Yao's Communication Complexity and their practical applications in everyday scenarios like buying air tickets. Examine the interplay between communication and computation, and explore semantic and goal-oriented communication. Gain insights into the role of context in communication and the challenges posed by uncertainty. Conclude with a comprehensive overview of the current state and future directions in mathematical theories of communication.

Intro
Communication = What?
Theory = Why?
Old? New?
Reliable Communication?
Reliability by Repetition
Shannon's Theory [1948]
Shannon's Theorem
Shannon's contributions
Aside: "Series of approx. to English"
Interaction + Errors: Schulman '92
Interactive Coding Schemes
Modern Theories
Communication Complexity: Yao
Some short protocols!
Application to Buying Air Tickets?
Communication vs. Computation
Semantic/Goal-oriented Communication
Context in communication
Communication with Uncertainty - II
Conclusions