Desmond Cheong

Coding

Linux Kernel Development

In the summer of 2021, I improved the security of the Linux kernel by debugging a range of subsystems.

This included the graphics stack, the Bluetooth stack, core memory management, multiple file systems, and other device drivers.

Contributions Discussions

Linux Kernel Development

In the summer of 2021, I improved the security of the Linux kernel by debugging a range of subsystems.

This included the graphics stack, the Bluetooth stack, core memory management, multiple file systems, and other device drivers.

Contributions Discussions

BumbleBase

In 2021, I was co-head teaching assistant for CSCI 1270 Database Management Systems at Brown University.

As part of this, I led the development of Brown's first integrated and fully-functioning database system project from scratch, featuring cache management, B+ tree indexing, query processing, transactions, concurrency control, and crash recovery.

Course Website

BumbleBase

In 2021, I was co-head teaching assistant for CSCI 1270 Database Management Systems at Brown University.

Course Website

TRustDB

Metrics collected from microservices-based distributed systems are stored in specialized time series databases that support fast ingestion and querying of high-volume and high-sample-rate data. However, this data tends to have high-cardinality, making them slow to query, and costly to store.

In TRustDB, we tackle these issues using boolean-logic based query optimization, and finite-state transducers for metadata compression.

Codebase Technical Report

TRustDB

In TRustDB, we tackle these issues using boolean-logic based query optimization, and finite-state transducers for metadata compression.

Codebase Technical Report

Who-Dis

Who-Dis is a resolver that we built to better understand DNS. It supports both recursive and non-recursive requests, result caching, and can decode A/AAAA/CNAME records from the wild, with extensibility to support more record types.

Codebase

Who-Dis

Codebase

Immersive 360° Style Transfer

Gatys et al.'s A Neural Algorithm of Artistic Style describes a method to transfer the artistic style of one image onto the contents of another using deep learning.

We extended the algorithm to scale indefinitely even under limited memory constraints, then stylized 360° panoramic images for your viewing pleasure.

View Demo Technical Report

Immersive 360° Style Transfer

Gatys et al.'s A Neural Algorithm of Artistic Style describes a method to transfer the artistic style of one image onto the contents of another using deep learning.

We extended the algorithm to scale indefinitely even under limited memory constraints, then stylized 360° panoramic images for your viewing pleasure.

View Demo Technical Report

Cityscape

Inspired by procedural generation and real-time computer graphics, we created an infinite and stylized city for you to explore.

The buildings are sometimes reminiscent of kaya cake, which is all that my Singaporean heart can ask for.

View Demo Codebase

Cityscape

Inspired by procedural generation and real-time computer graphics, we created an infinite and stylized city for you to explore.

The buildings are sometimes reminiscent of kaya cake, which is all that my Singaporean heart can ask for.

View Demo Codebase

Forecasting a Pandemic

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has affected all of us, and the daily developments seem out of control.

How can we make sense of this mess? Can a model predict future trends so that we can plan accordingly? Potentially. Our team made an attempt at building one.

See the poster

Forecasting a Pandemic

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has affected all of us, and the daily developments seem out of control.

How can we make sense of this mess? Can a model predict future trends so that we can plan accordingly? Potentially. Our team made an attempt at building one.

See the poster

Video Games Visualized

An experimental space for working with D3.js, using a Kaggle dataset of video game sales.

Honestly, I just put this here as an excuse to share this cute little pacman animation.

View Demo

Video Games Visualized

An experimental space for working with D3.js, using a Kaggle dataset of video game sales.

Honestly, I just put this here as an excuse to share this cute little pacman animation.

View Demo

A chart from Johannes Trithemius's Steganographia copied by Dr John Dee in 1591

These Aren't the Secret Messages You're Looking For

Steganography is the art of concealing something in plain sight. Cryptography provides powerful tools to secure information, but as Sun Tzu could have conceivably said: not being attacked is the best defence.

This is a demo for hiding text in lossless images. Using a secret key, you and your recipient can embed hidden messages into pictures and no one will think to check.

View Demo

A chart from Johannes Trithemius's Steganographia copied by Dr John Dee in 1591

These Aren't the Secret Messages You're Looking For

This is a demo for hiding text in lossless images. Using a secret key, you and your recipient can embed hidden messages into pictures and no one will think to check.

View Demo

Monte Carlo Estimation of π

Monte Carlo Methods are algorithms that use probablistic techniques to solve problems that are hard to tackle deterministically.

When someone first told me that you could estimate the value of π by generating a stream of random 1s and 0s, I thought they were joking. So I tried it out for myself.

View Demo

Monte Carlo Estimation of π

Monte Carlo Methods are algorithms that use probablistic techniques to solve problems that are hard to tackle deterministically.

When someone first told me that you could estimate the value of π by generating a stream of random 1s and 0s, I thought they were joking. So I tried it out for myself.

View Demo

Etc.

I build systems.

I wrote an operating system kernel in C, and a ray tracer in C++. An implementation of TCP and IP in Go, and a compiler in OCaml.

If you have ideas for what to build next, I'd love to hear your suggestion!

Reach Out

Etc.

I build systems.

I wrote an operating system kernel in C, and a ray tracer in C++. An implementation of TCP and IP in Go, and a compiler in OCaml.

If you have ideas for what to build next, I'd love to hear your suggestion!

Reach Out

Design

The pieces in this collection span a long timeline. Some pieces were completed weeks ago, and some years ago. These are mainly a sample of various works that I had a lot of fun with over the years. I often prioritize other work over designing, but every time I pick up a pencil, or a drawing tablet, I'm reminded of why I'll always enjoy playing around in a visual medium.

Model of the Row House in Sumiyoshi

This building was an early and characteristic work by the Japanese architect Tadao Ando.

Through this digital model, we explore how the building's form creates a dynamic living environment.

View Flythrough

Model of the Row House in Sumiyoshi

This building was an early and characteristic work by the Japanese architect Tadao Ando.

Through this digital model, we explore how the building's form creates a dynamic living environment.

View Flythrough

Writing

The short stories in this collection, An Inveritable Rojak, are works in various stages of revision. All stories are stand-alone, and all are complete, but some are more complete than others. This just means that I may occasionally update/change the short stories in this collection.

Readers are hereby duly warned that consuming raw or underedited stories may increase your risk of textborne illness, especially if you have certain occupational conditions. This writer is not liable for any potential side-effects from reading/shredding/burning/eating this collection. If in doubt, please consult with your psychiatrist. Or your mother. She knows what's best for you, and it's about time that you gave her a call too.