"Blockchain: Basics, Myths, and Opportunities"

ABSTRACT

A blockchain is a distributed database that maintains a dynamic list of records, secured against tampering and revision. The main hypothesis is that the blockchain establishes a system of creating a distributed consensus in the digital online world. This allows participating entities to know for certain that a digital event happened by creating an incorruptible record in a public ledger. It opens the door for developing an open and scalable digital economy from a centralized one. Blockchain has caught most its attention from cryptocurrency. However, the technology is now beyond this specific application. In this talk, we will (1) give a brief introduction of blockchain, how people misunderstand it, and the potential applications of blockchain technology; and (2) talk about our lab's efforts in studying and designing blockchain systems. There will be time for questions and discussions. This talk was previously given at the President’s Colloquia at Purdue in September 2018.

BIO

Prof Hong Wan is Associate Professor in the School of Industrial Engineering at Purdue University. Her research interests include design and analysis of complex simulation models, blockchain simulation, data analysis, and mechanism design, applied statistics, quality management, and healthcare engineering. She is a member of INFORMS and IEEE.

Reception following.