Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering Merrill Engineering Bldg., #2260 University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT-84112 Ph: (801)-587-7617 Email: KALLA@ece.utah.edu
Education:
Ph.D., University of Massachusetts at Amherst, 2002. M.S., University of Massachusetts at Amherst, 1998. B.E., Birla Vishvakarma Mahavidyala, 1993.
Research Interests
My area of work is related to automated synthesis and optimization, validation and verification of digital VLSI systems:
- Formal Verification of Hardware Implementations of Cryptography Primitives
- Verification over Galois Fields using Computer Algebra and Algebraic Geometry
- Canonical Word-Level Polynomial Abstractions of Bit-Vector Arithmetic using Groebner Bases
- Application of Finite Ring Algebra to Synthesis and Verification of Arithmetic Datapaths with Finite Word-Length Operands:
- Modeling Bit-Vector Arithmetic as Polynomial Functions over Finite Integer Rings
- Decision Procedures based on Algorithmic Analysis of Polynomial Ideals and their Varieties
- Design Automation for Optic/Photonic Logic
- Logic Design and Synthesis in Si-Photonics
- Physical Design Automation for Si-Photonics Integration
- Thermal issues in Si-Photonics Design Automation
- Formal Verification of RTL descriptions
- Equivalence Checks, RTL-Satisfiability, Assertion Checking.
- New Techniques to Guide CNF-SAT Search:
- Static and Dynamic Variable Orderings, Constraint Partitioning
- Proving UNSAT by Directly Searching for UNSAT Cores.
- Using Groebner's Proof Systems for Simplification of Design Verification and SAT solving.
Funding for our Research
Graduate Students
Haden Ondricek, PhD student. Custom Synthesis of Homomorphic Encryption.
Pratishtha Agnihotri, PhD student.
Bailey Martin, BS/MS student. Former Students
Vikas Rao, PhD completed Summer 2021. Currently working at Synopsys as Staff R&D Engineer, VC Formal Group.
- Dissertation Title: Rectification of Arithmetic Circuits using Computer Algebra Techniques.
Utkarsh Gupta - PhD completed Spring 2020. Currently working at Apple, as Formal Verification Engineer.
- Dissertation title: Rectification of Finite Field Arithmetic Circuits with Craig Interpolation using Algebraic Geometry
Arpitha Rao, MS thesis completed Summer 2019. Currently working as Product Engineer at Micron Emerging Memory Group.
Xiaojun Sun - PhD completed Spring 2017. Currently working at Candence Design Systems in San Jose, CA.
- Formal Verification of Sequential Arithmetic Circuits.
Tim Pruss - PhD Completed Summer 2015. Currently working at Apple as Formal Verification Engineer in Cupertino, CA. Dissertation Title: Word-Level Abstraction from Combinational Circuits using Algebraic Geometry.
Lawrence Schlitt - MS Thesis completed May 2013. Currently working at Northrup Grumman.
- Thesis Title: Thermal Characterization Abstraction for Integrated Optoelectronics.
Chris Condrat: PhD completed Dec 2013, BS/MS 2007. Currently working at Calypto Design Systems, Catapult-C High-Level Synthesis Group, Portland, OR.
- Dissertation Title: Design Automation for Integrated Optics.
Jinpeng Lv: PhD completed July 2012. Currently working at Cadence, Conformal Verification Group.
- Dissertation Title: Scalable Formal Verification of Finite Field Arithmetic Circuits using Computer Algebra Techniques
Sivaram Gopalakrishnan - MS 2004, PhD Summer 2008. Senior R & D Engineer, Synopsys, Formality Group, Hillsboro, OR. Dissertation Title: High-Level Synthesis of Polynomial Datapaths using Finite Integer Algebras.
Namrata Shekhar - PhD, Completed Aug 2007. Senior R & D Engineer, Synopsys, Formality Group, Marlborough, MA. Dissertation Title: Equivalence Verification of Arithmetic Datapaths using Finite Ring Algebra.
Vijay Durairaj - ME 2004, PhD summer 2008. Senior R & D Engineer, Synopsys ESP Group . Dissertation topic: Improving SAT Solving by Analyzing Constraint-Variable Dependencies.
Publications and Presentations
Teaching:
- Fall 2021: ECE/CS 5745/6745: Testing and Verification of Digital Circuits
- Subtitle: Hardware Verification using Symbolic Computation
- Class Webpage
- Spring 2020: ECE/CS 3700: Fundamentals of Digital System Design
- Spring 2019: ECE/CS 5740/6740: CAD of Digital Circuits --- Logic Synthesis and Optimization
- Fall 2018: ECE/CS 3710: Computer Design Lab
- Spring 2014: ECE/CS 5740/6740: CAD of Digital Circuits
- Fundamental CAD Techniques for Physical Design Automation
- Class Webpage
- Fall 2012: ECE/CS 5745/6745: Testing and Verification of Digital Circuits
- This version covered topics in SAT, BDDs, ATPG, DFT, and Equivalence Checking.
- Fall 2010: Computer Algebra for Electrical Engineers and Computer Scientists
- ECE 5960-001, ECE 6962, CS 5960, CS 6962
My Recent Conference and Service Activities
If you would like to boost/deflate my ego, please (do not?) hesistate to send me Email at: KALLA@ece.utah.edu
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