Here is the last mail bag video summarizing the entire class and post-course survey. Highlights include,

• A final review of the points plot
• Stats on assignment submissions and difficulty
• Stats on which lecture materials were applied to the assignments
• Your thoughts on the course based on the post-course survey

Until the next session starts, we will be posting Discrete Optimization updates on the Facebook and Twitter.

Discrete Optimization Team, signing out.

Wed 28 Aug 2013 4:57 AM CEST

No mail bag this week while we prepare the certificates and such. A final mail bag will go out next week summarizing the class.

Wed 21 Aug 2013 7:05 AM CEST

Just a reminder, please take the Post-Course Survey. It will help us to correctly prioritize our efforts in improving the course in the future.

Sun 18 Aug 2013 3:12 AM CEST

As this session of Discrete Optimization comes to a close, we would like to give a BIG Thank You to everyone who participated. This has been an incredible experience and we could not be happier with the quality of work and dedication you have demonstrated.

In the last week of the class, we would like to bring your attention to the following key announcements, which are covered in the most recent mail bag.

• Share your thoughts about the course in the post-course survey.


• Consider continuing your education in Optimization with us via an internship, masters, or PhD degree.


• Commemorate your Discrete Optimization experience with a class t-shirt.


• Shape the future of Discrete Optimization by joining the TA program.

Great work and thank you,
The Discrete Optimization Team

Thu 15 Aug 2013 3:58 AM CEST

No mail bag this week, but stay tuned for lots of updates next week.

Sat 10 Aug 2013 5:53 AM CEST

Here is the latest mail bag video summarizing the sixth week of class. Highlights include,

• class participation levels
• points required for certificates of accomplishment

Continue the great work on the remaining assignments.

Thu 1 Aug 2013 6:07 AM CEST

Here is the latest mail bag video summarizing the fifth week of class. Highlights include,

• class participation levels
• results of the mid-course survey
• updates to the assignment deadlines

Continue the great work on the remaining assignments.

Thu 25 Jul 2013 1:43 PM CEST

In the past week, we continue to see fantastic optimization. Over 170,000 assignment submissions have been graded at this point in the course.

We have prepared another mail bag video summarizing the fourth week of class. Highlights include,

• class participation levels
• reminder of the mid-course survey
• updates to the VRP assignment
• live updates on our dream for this class

The solutions on the graph coloring problem and TSP are simply fantastic! Time to start thinking about the warehouse location assignment.

Thu 18 Jul 2013 6:46 AM CEST

In the past week, we continue to see fantastic optimization. Over 120,000 assignment submissions have been graded at this point in the course.

We have prepared another mail bag video summarizing the third week of class. Highlights include,

• class participation levels
• release of the mid-course survey
• our dream for this class
• a one week extension to the suggested deadline for the Traveling Salesman
• extending all assignment deadlines by one week

The solutions on the graph coloring problem are simply fantastic! Take some time to breath and enjoy an extra week on the Traveling Salesman assignment.

Wed 10 Jul 2013 1:27 PM CEST

In the past week, we continue to see fantastic optimization. Around 1,000 students are active in the Graph Coloring assignment and over 40,000 new assignment submissions have been graded.

We have prepared another mail bag video summarizing the second week of class. Highlights include,

• class participation levels and programming language experience
• answers to some common questions in the forums
• Introduction of three new lectures, Greedy 1, Greedy 2, and Assignment Getting Started
• discussion of what's next (moving on to the Traveling Salesman assignment)

Great work on the graph coloring problem! We hope you enjoy this week's suggested assignment Traveling Salesman.

Wed 3 Jul 2013 9:21 AM CEST

In the past week, we have seen some fantastic optimization. Over 2,000 students are active in the Knapsack assignment and over 50,000 assignment submissions have been graded.

We have prepared a short mail bag video summarizing the first week of class. Highlights include,

• class participation levels and location demographics
• answers to some common questions in the forums
• discussion of what's next (moving on to the graph coloring assignment)

Great work on the knapsack problem! We hope you enjoy this week's suggested assignment graph coloring.

Wed 26 Jun 2013 6:39 AM CEST

Thank you for showing up to class! We are very excited to have the opportunity to share the science of discrete optimization with you. The next seven weeks are sure to be an exciting learning experience for all of us. We hope you will find this course just as fun, challenging, and rewarding as we did in preparing it.

This course assumes you are comfortable writing computer programs and has no other prerequisites. That said, we expect a typical student to require 10 hours of work on each assignment in order to succeed in this course. Such a major commitment may be daunting, but we think you will find the learning process of doing the assignment very rewarding. Earning a certificate in this course demonstrates you have truly learned the foundations of discrete optimization. We will also provide a certificate with distinction for students who truly excel in the assignments.

This course is distinctive, in that you are free to explore the material in any order you like, but to get off to a good start we recommend you begin the class with the following tasks:

• Watching the introductory videos (Motivation, Introduction, Knapsack 1, Knapsack 2)
• Watch the first two assignment videos (Screen Name and Knapsack)
• Review the Syllabus
• Take the pre-course survey (Optional)

After that, the rest is up to you!

Have fun and never hesitate to ask questions. We are all here to help you.

The Discrete Optimization Team

Tue 18 Jun 2013 11:00 AM CEST