Review by

Sravan Patchala. Feel free to contact him at sravps7@gmail.com

Review

The best course to start off with, if you want to pursue this minor. It builds from the linear algebra everyone studied in MA 106 to solve linear convex optimisation problems.

The course moves at a very steady pace. The first half of the semester covers the formulation and modelling of a given problem as a linear convex optimisation problem. This formulation and modelling is something that is repeatedly used in most courses of the minor. So it might seem trivial at first, but time spent here is very valuable.

Techniques to solve the optimisation problems are covered in the second half of the semester. Important concepts of Duality and Simplex method are taught here, which are the basics to solving most of the optimisation problems. And not to forget, the instructor does throw in real-world examples throughout the course, to help the student to appreciate the concepts better.

The exams are on the easier side, with the endsem being an exception. The course might have (coding) assignments depending upon the instructor. On the whole, getting a decent grade should not be a problem with average efforts.