Pattern of PhD admission written test and Syllabus

The PhD admission written test for Electrical Engineering will be

conducted on 5th December 2013. Candidates are to assemble at Lecture
Hall Complex in Hall 2 at 8.30 am sharp.
The total duration of the written test will be three hours. The written test
will comprise of two parts- Part A and Part B. The duration of Part A will be
one hour. Part A will be common across all specializations and will have to
be answered by all the candidates. The duration of Part B will be two
hours. There are five specializations and Question paper for Part B will be
different for each specialization. Candidates will choose any one of the
following five specializations for answering Part B.
EE1: Communication and Signal Processing
EE2: Control and Computing
EE3: Power Electronics and Power Systems
EE4: Microelectronics
EE5: Electronic Systems
The syllabus for this written test is as follows. Candidates are requested to
review
this carefully to make an informed decision about the
specialization for Part B.
Part A:
This part deals with general mathematical ability for Ph.D. level research in Electrical
Engineering. Some topics that could be tested are: Principles of Calculus: Maxima/minima,
derivative, integral, elementary multivariate calculus. Basic Transform Theory: Laplace and
Fourier transforms. Elementary Linear Algebra and Matrix Theory. Basic probability theory.
Basic differential equations.
Vector analysis and vector calculus: divergence, gradient, curl. Complex analysis.
Basic Series expansions: Taylor series. In addition, mathematical principles learned at high
school and in the first couple of years in an Undergraduate Degree, could be tested.
Part B:
EE1 Communication and Signal Processing:
Signals and Systems:
- Continuous-time and discrete-time signals and systems
- LTI systems and representations
- Sampling and reconstruction
- Transform domain analysis (Fourier, Laplace, and Z-transforms),
- Discrete Fourier transforms (DFT)
- Basics of filter design
Probability and Random Processes:
- Random variables, Expectation Theory, Generating functions,
- Cumulative distribution functions (CDFs), Probability density functions

(PDFs), conditional CDFs and PDFs, conditional expectation, functions of

one and two random variables
- Probability inequalities (e.g., Markov, Chebyshev, Chernoff, Schwartz)
- Random vectors, Joint CDFs and PDFs, Joint moments, Joint characteristic
functions
- Laws of large numbers, Central limit theorem
- Gaussian processes, Power spectral density
- Basics of detection and estimation.
Analog and Digital communication:
- Modulation techniques, Signal representation, Quantization,
- Power and bandwidth considerations
- Noise in communication systems
- Entropy and mutual information, Data compression techniques
- Probability of error in digital communications
EE2 (Control and Computing):
Maxima/minima, polynomials, roots, Routh Hurwitz criteria Linear algebra:
rank, vector space, basis, solution to Ax=b, eigenvalues, eigenvectors.
Transfer functions, impulse/step response, poles/zeros, root-locus,Bodeplots, Gain/phase margins, low-pass/high-pass characteristics, Nyquist
plots, Nyquist criterion for stability.
State space systems, controllability/observability: definition and tests,
pole-placement using state-feedback, PBH test. Controller synthesis for
reduced steady state error, faster transients:
PD, PID, lead, lag compensators.
EE3 (Power Electronics and Power Systems):
Electric machines, power systems, control theory and Power Electronics of
senior undergraduate level.
EE4 (Microelectronics):
Electrons in solids, Energy band theory, Charge carriers in
semiconductors, Drift-diffusion theory, P-n junctions, Field-effect
transistors, Bipolar junction transistors, Optoelectronic and photovoltaic
devices, Digital and analog circuits, Digital systems
EE5 (Electronic Systems):
Basic Electric circuits and networks; Analog and Digital Circuits - Analysis
and Synthesis; Elements of Signals, Systems and Signal Processing;
Digital Signal Processing - principles, algorithms and
elementary
architectures; hardware system design, integration and verification some basic tools and techniques; electronic instrumentation
- principles and practices.