Carl Lian

5331/2 are Phd Qual, so I suspect he treated 5331 with a rather strict, German-style. After some feedbacks, he has adjusted his grading policy and most people got A level. For math, he provided enough discrete examples and wrote note this time. If you check Kerr's note, you will find Carl's is more friendly. Overall, 5332 is a good experience.

5/8/2026

As previous comments mentioned, this class has around 16 students, only 3 of whom were in A range. He didn't curve anyone. He didn't care about his students at all.

12/22/2025

Imagine a course where ambiguity is the curriculum: stakes high, and you're guilty until proven otherwise. You learn resilience and self-study because lecture rarely yields clarity. Exams read like another class; grading is strict and partial credit is metaphysical. If you already know the material, you'll do fine. By definition, this is Carl Lian.

12/22/2025

Carl did this thing where he tried to write on the board as fast as he possibly could and also never stop for questions. He told me that "you aren't meant to be able to solve all of the homework problems" and that "In Germany they just take one exam per year but if you fail its ok because university is free." We unfortunately don't live in Germany.

12/22/2025

As the previous comment mentioned, if you haven't taken this course before, earning an A is nearly impossible. Even some students in the top 25% of the class would not have received an A-, much less an A. The grading criteria are unclear, and the workload is heavy even compared to other graduate courses.

12/21/2025

He's the worst professor in this department. He used other professor's notes but didn't follow the order and even notations. It's impossible for you to get an A in his course if you've not been familiar with the subject before.

12/19/2025

I've been studying here for over three years. Based on my experience, I'd suggest avoiding him. He's been the worst professor I've dealt with in our math department.

12/19/2025