Acknowledgements

It is a pleasure to thank the many people who made this thesis possible.

It is difficult to overstate my gratitude to my Ph.D. supervisor, Dr. Wang Shir Li. With
her enthusiasm, her inspiration, and her great efforts to explain things clearly and simply.
Throughout my thesis-writing period, she provided encouragement, sound advice, good
teaching, good company, and lots of good ideas. I would have been lost without her.

I would like to thank the many people who have taught me: my high school teachers
(especially Madam Vasantha Ratnavadivel) and my undergraduate lecturers at Sultan Idris
Education University (especially Mr. Salman, Dr. Suzani Samuri, Dr. Khairul, Dr.Amri and
Dr.Ramlah). For their kind assistance with writing task, giving wise advice, helping with
various applications, and so on.

I am indebted to my many student colleagues for providing a stimulating and fun

environment in which to learn and grow. I am especially grateful to Savithri Sithivinayagam,
Teriveena Ramachandran, Nur Minhalina, Chok Lay Teng, Muhammad Helmi, Siti Ainsha
Ismail, Easter Rani and Muhammad Syamil at Sultan Idris Education University.

I wish to thank my best friend in high school (Punitha Selvaraju), my best friend as an
undergraduate (Savithri Sithivinayagam), for helping me get through the difficult times, and
for all the emotional support, comradelier, entertainment, and caring they provided.

I am grateful to the secretaries and librarians in Sultan Idris Education University, for
helping assisting me in many different ways. Mr.Mazlan and Mr.Kamil deserve special
mention.

I wish to thank my entire extended family for providing a loving environment for me.
My brother, my mother, my sister-in-law, my aunties, and cousins and nephews were
particularly supportive.

Lastly, and most importantly, I wish to thank my parents, Murugasu Dorairajoo and
Rajamah Ratnasamy. They bore me, raised me, supported me, taught me, and loved me. To
them I dedicate this thesis.

Though only my name appears on the cover of this Final Year Project report, a great
many people have contributed to its production. I owe my gratitude to all those people who
have made this Final Year Project report possible and because of whom my graduate
experience has been one that I will cherish forever.