computer science

SIGCOMM

SIGCOMM is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand SIGCOMM rather than just read about it. In short: SIGCOMM is the Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on Data Communications, which specializes in the field of communication and computer networks. It is also the name of an annual 'flagship' conference, organized by SIGCOMM, which is considered to be the leading conference in data communications and networking in the world.

Key takeaways

SIGCOMM belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect SIGCOMM to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of SIGCOMM from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

SIGCOMM is the Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on Data Communications, which specializes in the field of communication and computer networks. It is also the name of an annual 'flagship' conference, organized by SIGCOMM, which is considered to be the leading conference in data communications and networking in the world. Known to have an extremely low acceptance rate (~10%), many of the landmark works in Networking and Communications have been published through it. Of late, a number of workshops related to networking are also co-located with the SIGCOMM conference. These include Workshop on Challenged Networks (CHANTS), Internet Network Management (INM), Large Scale Attack Defense (LSAD) and Mining Network Data (MineNet). SIGCOMM also produces a quarterly magazine, Computer Communication Review, with both peer-reviewed and editorial (non-peer reviewed) content, and a bi-monthly refereed journal IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking, co-sponsored with IEEE. SIGCOMM hands out the following awards on an annual basis

The SIGCOMM Award, for outstanding lifetime technical achievement in the fields of data and computer communications The Rising Star Award, for a young research under the age of 35 who has made outstanding contributions during this early part of their career. The Test of Time Award recognizes papers published 10 to 12 years in the past in a SIGCOMM sponsored or co-sponsored venue whose contents still represent a vibrant, useful contribution. Best Paper Award and the Best Student Paper Award at that year's conference. The SIGCOMM Doctoral Dissertation Award recognizes excellent thesis research by doctoral candidates in the field of computer networking and data communication. The SIGCOMM Networking Systems Award recognizes the development of a networking system that has had a significant impact on the world of computer networking.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with SIGCOMM

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what SIGCOMM claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to SIGCOMM before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about SIGCOMM ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of SIGCOMM

In research: SIGCOMM appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses SIGCOMM in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: SIGCOMM is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Groups, Computer conference stubs, Computer network stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for SIGCOMM outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study SIGCOMM in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what SIGCOMM means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain SIGCOMM out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is SIGCOMM in simple terms?

Why does SIGCOMM matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study SIGCOMM?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on SIGCOMM.