Arab Academy for Banking & Financial Sciences
Faculty of Information Systems & Technology
PhD. CIS
Comprehensive Exam Topics
Old plan
April 2007
1
Advance Topics in Electronic Business
Book1:
E-Business and E-Commerce, 2/E, Dave Chaffey, Prentice Hall,
Topics
E-Business Infrastructure
E-Environment
E-Business Strategy
Supply Chain Management
E-procurement
E-Marketing
Customer Relationship Management
Changer Management
Chapters
3+4+5
6+7+8
9+10
Book2:
Electronic Commerce: A Managerial Perspective, E. Turban, D. King, J. Lee,
and D. Viehland, Prentice Hall, 2004.
Topics
Chapter
Overview of E-Business
1 and 2
E-Supply Chains (E-Supply Chains, Collaborative
8
Commerce, and Intra-business EC)
E-Supply Chains (E-Supply Chains, Collaborative
15 and 16
Commerce, and Intrabusiness EC)
2
Advanced Topics in Simulations and Modeling
Text and other reading materials
1- Law, Averill M and W. David Kelton, Simulation Modeling and Analysis, 3rd ed.,
McGraw Hill, Boston Burr Ridge, IL, 2000.
2- Ray Paul and David Balmer “ Simulation Modeling”, Second edition.
3- Michael Pidd, “ Computer Simulation in Management Sciences,” fourth edition.
Topic
Introduction: definition of system, model, and
simulation; model and simulation types; benefits
and drawbacks; application, examples on discrete
(Monte Carlo) and system simulation, process.
Probability and statistics: random variables and their
properties simulation output data and stochastic
processes.
Modelling Approaches of Complex Systems: time
handling, next-event driven, stochastic and
deterministic. General Modelling and simulation
approaches.
Building System simulation models: Activity Cycle
Diagram methods (ACD’s), Three phase manual
methods.
Building System simulation models: Snap-shots for
single queue –single server. Sampling methods,
Testing and validation methods, Inspection method.
Input distribution selection methods, Chi-square
test.
Random Number Generators: Mid-square,
congruence, testing random-number generators
(empirical and theoretical), in programming
languages.
Queuing Theory: MM-1, MM-S, MG-1: derivations,
applications, case studies.
Output Data analysis: transient and steady state,
statistical analysis for terminating and steady-state.
Source
(Book …, chapter…)
Pidd, chapters 1,2,3
Averill chapters 1,2,3
+Notes
Averill, chapter 3 +Notes
Averill Chapter 1,2+ Pidd
chapter 1,2 + Notes
Pidd Chapter 2,3 + Notes
Averill chapter 1,2 + Averill
page 440+ Notes+
Averill pages 283-287+
Notes
Averill chapter 6 + Notes
Hand outs + Notes
Hand outs +Notes
Avrill page 499 + Notes
3
Advanced Topics in Knowledge Based Systems
Text and other reading materials
o A.J. Gonzalez & D.D.Dankel, The Engineering of knowledge-based systems,
Prentice Hall.
o D.Partridge, K.M. Hussain, Knowledge-based information systems, McGraw Hill.
o Guus Schreiber, Hans Akkermans, Knowledge engineering and management.
o Peter Jakson, introduction to expert systems, Addison-Wesley.
o Artificial Intelligence, Elane Rich.
o Fundamental of Artificial Neural Networks, Mohammad Hassoun, MIT Press.
o George F. Luger, William Astubblefield, Artificial intelligence, structures and
strategies for complex problem solving, Addison-Wisley.
Topics
1- Advanced Search Techniques:
- Simulated Annealing.
- Genetic Algorithms.
- Ant Colony Optimization.
Source
(Book.., chapter..)
Notes + Hand out
Elaine Rich (pages 70-73),
Mitchell chapter 1.
.
2- Genetic Based Machine Learning:
- Classifier Systems
- Reinforcement Algorithms.
- Applications.
- Research Directions.
3- Neural Networks:
- Feed forward Neural Networks.
- LMS Algorithm, Error Back
Propagation Algorithm.
- Unsupervised Learning; SOM
networks, LVQ networks.
4- Fuzzy Logic:
- Fuzzy set theory.
- Membership functions,
“Fuzzfiction”, “Defuzzifiction”.
- Applications.
- Research Directions.
Notes+Hand out
Notes+ Hand out
Notes + Handout
4
Advance Topics in Software Engineering
Either:
Questions are related to material from the book Using Z, as well as exercises from
the book or the web site of the book. Some trivial problem solving questions (for 1
hour duration) may also be asked.
Concerning the book (Using Z) as well as the web site of the book only material
from the following chapters is requested: chapter4, chapter5, chapter6, chapter7,
chapter8, chapter9, chapter10, chapter11, and chapter12.
Or:
Software Engineering: A Practitioner’s Approach, R. S. Pressman, 6th edition,
Addison-Wesley, 2005.
Topic
Software Engineering concepts
Prescriptive and Agile process models
SE practice
Requirements engineering
Analysis modeling
Design engineering
Architectural design
SW testing
Web engineering
Quality management
Chapter
1, 2
3,4
5
7
8
9
10
13
16
26
5
Advance Topics in Distributed Information Systems
Book:
Distributed Systems Concepts and Design, George Coulouris, Jean Dollimore, Tim
Kindberg, Addison Wesley, Third Edition.
Topics
Distributed systems
Applications of DSs
Synchronous and asynchronous distributed systems
Performance
Loosely-coupled systems and tightly-coupled
Models of distributed systems.
Embedded Systems
Communication in Distributed Systems:
Challenges in the design of distributed systems
Transparencies of DS
Mobile Code and Mobile Agent
Failure models, their causes, and their classification in
DS
Masking failures and tolerating failures
Classification of the IP addresses and subnetting
Virtual Private Network
6