渡大学教授谈如何写一篇好的博士毕业论文.pdfVIP

SOME THOUGHTS ON WHAT IT TAKES TO PRODUCE A GOOD PH.D. THESIS Avi Kak Purdue University December 14, 2012 7:46pm 1 This presentation is dedicated to the fact that in the best of relationships be- tween a professor and a graduate stu- dent, the student strives to show the professor why the professor is not as smart as the professor considers him- self/herself to be, and the professor strives to show the student why the student is actually smarter than the student be- lieves himself/herself to be. 2 DIFFERENT PHASES OF PH.D. RESEARCH • finding a good problem • staying on top of the literature • getting plugged into the broader research community • communication of research results through oral presentations and writing 3 FINDING A GOOD PROBLEM This is probably the most stress inducing phase of the whole program. How does one go about finding a good prob- lem? • Ask your major professor • Ask your office mate • Read the tea leaves • Ask your mom • 4 FINDING A GOOD PROBLEM (contd.) In my mind, the correct answer is: None of the options listed on the previous slide. To appreciate my answer, you have to get to the bottom of what engineering research is fundamentally about. 5 WHAT DOES RESEARCH IN ENGIN