USC Viterbi News: Chasing the Viterbi Algorithm

September 1, 2018

Graduate student Laksh Matai (left) with Dr. Andrew Viterbi at the annual Viterbi Lecture Series. PHOTO CREDIT: USC Viterbi
Graduate student Laksh Matai (left) with Dr. Andrew Viterbi at the annual Viterbi Lecture Series. PHOTO CREDIT: USC Viterbi

By Laksh Matai

Two years ago, as a humble undergraduate student in Western India, I never imagined that I would one day be at USC shaking hands with Andrew Viterbi, the inventor of the Viterbi algorithm, founder of Qualcomm, and the namesake of the USC engineering school. Dr. Viterbi was one of the first people to be awarded a PhD in Electrical Engineering from USC and I was just a first year Masters student in the same field. How did I get so lucky?

You may already know that in India, many students feel pressure from family and society to go into engineering. But for me, computers were everything I loved about engineering: The power to create something and to solve a problem with that creation. I was introduced to Mobile Application Development in college and I fell in love with it. I have always loved animals too, and my first app was designed to help kids connect with nature. It taught them facts about animals and I named it “Zoo Trip.”

One of my first classes as an undergrad in India was on information theory. It was here that I first learned about the Viterbi algorithm. Although I benefit from this algorithm every day, I had never heard of it before. I was amazed to find out just how much of modern communication relies on this one amazing breakthrough. It was then that I realized the impact engineers can really have in changing the world.

And then, before I even knew it, I had graduated from college and did what most young Indian students are expected to do – I got a job.

For a year I worked as a web developer. I learned a lot and I was comfortable. And yet, I found myself constantly thinking back to my time in school. More specifically, I found myself thinking about the Viterbi Algorithm. How could one seemingly simple line of math change the entire world? How could I learn more??

Laksh (right) as an undergrad at a Microsoft UX design workshop at the University of Pune in western India. PHOTO CREDIT: Laksh Matai
Laksh (right) as an undergrad at a Microsoft UX design workshop at the University of Pune in western India. PHOTO CREDIT: Laksh Matai

My time here at USC has made me appreciate other things as well. I joined a research lab named the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society under Prof. Milind Tambe. I’ve been working here full time for the summer and I’m fortunate to be surrounded by such brilliant minds. The work in the lab matches my philosophy of solving problems in the world. I’ve been working on a project in which we help conserve wildlife by predicting poaching activities. Working on this project, I’m reminded of the first app I built as an undergraduate student to educate students about animals.

The PhDs and post-docs have actually motivated me to consider pursuing a Ph.D. and involve myself even more in research. Along with the other students, I presented my project in front of USC faculty and people from Microsoft AI for Earth and Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority. This presentation gave me a glimpse of what my future as a Ph.D. student could look like. I would encourage more graduate and even undergraduate students to get involved in research as well, so they can see this side of engineering.

Today, I’m getting ready to start my second semester in the Data Informatics Master’s Program. The thing that has surprised me the most hasn’t been the technical knowledge I’ve gained (though of course that has been great!). Instead, it’s been how much my mind has been opened to new possibilities and exposed to a community full of support and ideas I never would have imagined. I had always thought the most impressive thing about Dr. Viterbi was his algorithm, but actually, it’s the amazing place he has helped build here.

Laksh Matai is a second-year graduate student in the Data Informatics program. He also is a member of the Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society (CAIS) where he conducts research to help combat animal poaching in Africa. 

Laksh, with his work at CAIS’s Summer Fellows Final Presentation event. PHOTO CREDIT: Laksh Matai

Read USC Viterbi News article

USC Viterbi News, September 2018: Chasing the Viterbi Algorithm344 KB
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