ESE 4150
Optimization
Optimization problems with and without constraints. The projection theorem. Notions of convexity. Lagrange multipliers and Kuhn-Tucker-type conditions. Duality. Computational methods. Applications of optimization in engineering.
Instructors
Ben Wormleighton, Ilker Tunay, Jr-Shin Li, Shen Shen Zeng, Ulugbek Kamilov, Xian-Zhong Guo
Reviews
His way of teaching is very engaging and effective! I'd also add that he uses homework sets in a very smart way to supplement the topics covered in class versus the homework sets just being some annoying chore that doesn't facilitate learning and just eats up time!
1/20/2025
Like many have already commented, he explains things very well. But he is also an incredibly understanding professor! Whenever people in the class were facing challenges that impacted learning, he was very responsive in providing accommodations and genuinely wanted to help.
12/19/2024
The way the prof laid out the material blows my mind. The clarity is insane and tricky topics suddenly felt trivial! Two semesters ago I took 415 with a different instructor and back then I felt getting hammered nonstop with unimportant details that only distracted from the core topics. I'm glad I dropped the course back then to retake it with him
12/13/2024
This prof has an amazing ability to prepare very tough course material in a way where learning feels easy and even fun. Ngl he appeared scary in the beginning with his extensive knowledge of engineering and math topics, but you will be in for a treat when you start to see how personable and witty he is. He is kind of a comedian lol
12/11/2024
I really enjoy lectures. But grading is too friendly. We should have curves to deflate the GPA, something like only 10% A/A+, 20% A-, 20% B+. And we should increase percentage of exams in final grades. I'd prefer 80% exams in final grades, 40% for midterm and 40% for finals. Many students should just fail. They know nothing about what they learned.
5/13/2024
I think he must be much busier than before. Which means he always seems unprepared for the class. Also, he is reluctant to give credits to the students who struggle. I got A Level in another math class much harder than optimization, so I believe this is not my problem finding this course is really hard to learn. Good luck guys, things are changed.
11/2/2022
Professor Li often repeats himself on difficult-to-understand topics which was very helpful. He cares about his students and really wants them to succeed. The final exam schedule was made last minute, which was a bit stressful.
1/13/2021
Professor Li was great at explaining things and was usually very organized in class, making sure to cover all of the necessary background information before diving right into the more rigorous optimization content. The material was interesting, the workload was manageable, and there was even opportunities to make up for missed points.
1/9/2021
Li really knows his material and is very mathematical. You will struggle but learn to appreciate optimization.
4/20/2018
Impossible to understand and only writes in math shorthand.
4/7/2010