Dauwels J.H.G. On graphical models for communications and machine learning: algorithms, bounds, and analog implementation

ETH Zürich, 2006. — 523 p.This dissertation is about a specific problem and about general methods.
The specific problem is carrier-phase synchronization, which appears in the context of digital communications. The general methods are message-
passing algorithms operating on graphical models, in particular, factor graphs. We consider applications of such algorithms in the context of statistical inference (as in communications, signal processing, and machine learning), statistics, information theory, and the theory of dynamical systems (such as analog electronic circuits). The primary motivation for this work was (1) to analyze the degradation of digital communications systems due to oscillator non-idealities; (2) the development of synchronization algorithms that minimize this performance degradation.