ECE 490Introduction to Optimization

Textbooks and references

Official textbook (not required for class)

• Dimitri P. Bertsekas, Nonlinear Programming, 3rd ed., Athena Scientific, 2016.

Primary references (free access to PDF):

• Stephen Boyd and Lieven Vandenberghe, Convex Optimization, Cambridge University Press, 2004.

• Jorge Nocedal and Stephen J. Wright, Numerical Optimization, 2nd ed., Springer, 2006.

Grading, homework, quizzes, and exams

• 0% - Biweekly homework
• 50% - Biweekly quizzes (top 5 out of 6 scores)
• 25% - Midterm exam
• 25% - Final exam

Homework is ungraded and serves as the problem bank for quizzes and exams. Quiz and exam problems are sampled directly from the homework.

Many homework problems are marked (G). These problems are treated differently in the 3-credit and 4-credit sections, as described below.

Quizzes

Each quiz contains 4 problems sampled from the current homework, including 1 problem marked (G). Quizzes last 50 minutes and are held in class approximately biweekly on Tuesdays. The first 30 minutes of class before each quiz are used for review.

For 3-credit students, the three non-(G) problems make up the regular score and the (G) problem is optional bonus. Partial credit on the (G) problem can replace points lost on the regular problems, but the quiz score is capped at 100%.

For 4-credit students, the (G) problem is required and the lowest-scoring non-(G) problem is dropped.

Example quiz

Let P1, P2, P3, P4 denote the normalized score from 0 to 1.

• 3-credit score: min( (P1 + P2 + P3 + P4)*100/3, 100 )
• 4-credit score: ( P4 + sum of the two highest scores among P1, P2, P3 )*100/3

The lowest quiz score is dropped to accommodate travel and other occasional absences. It is in your interest to attend all quizzes because of the make-up policy below.

Midterm exam

The midterm contains 6 problems sampled from the first three homeworks, including 2 problems marked (G). It lasts 80 minutes and is held in class.

For 3-credit students, the exam is graded out of 5 problems. Both (G) problems may be attempted, and all earned credit counts toward the score before it is capped at 100%. In this sense, one (G) problem is optional, but partial credit on it can still improve the score.

For 4-credit students, both (G) problems are required and the lowest-scoring non-(G) problem is dropped.

Let P1, P2, P3, P4 denote the normalized scores on the four non-(G) problems, and G1, G2 the normalized scores on the two (G) problems.

• 3-credit score: min( (P1 + P2 + P3 + P4 + G1 + G2)*100/5, 100 )
• 4-credit score: ( G1 + G2 + sum of the three highest scores among P1, P2, P3, P4 )*100/5

Final exam

The final contains 8 problems sampled from the homework: 6 problems from the last three course blocks and 2 problems from the first three course blocks. Two of the 8 problems are marked (G). The final lasts 180 minutes and is scheduled in the regular classroom.

For 3-credit students, the exam is graded out of 7 problems. Both (G) problems may be attempted, and all earned credit counts toward the score before it is capped at 100%. In this sense, one (G) problem is optional, but partial credit on it can still improve the score.

For 4-credit students, both (G) problems are required and the lowest-scoring non-(G) problem is dropped.

Let P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6 denote the normalized scores on the six non-(G) problems, and G1, G2 the normalized scores on the two (G) problems.

• 3-credit score: min( (P1 + P2 + P3 + P4 + P5 + P6 + G1 + G2)*100/7, 100 )
• 4-credit score: ( G1 + G2 + sum of the five highest scores among P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6 )*100/7

Missed assessments

Exceptional circumstances may necessitate make-up quiz or exam. The reasoning must be consistent with the student code.

Makeup quiz requests will only be considered after a student has been absent for one quiz. If a student has not been absent for a quiz, then the makeup request will be automatically declined.

The student must contact course staff with timestamp no later than 7 days (168 hours, 0 minutes, 0 seconds) before the starting time of the quiz or exam to inquire about make-up assessments.

AI policy

AI tools are strongly encouraged for studying and for working through the ungraded homework. Useful ways to use AI include:

• asking for a different explanation of a theorem or proof;
• requesting a hint when stuck;
• asking AI to identify a gap in an argument;
• checking algebra or intermediate calculations;
• asking why a proposed proof is invalid;
• generating additional problems equivalent to a homework problem;
• asking for a complete solution and then working backward until every step can be reproduced independently.

Illinois students have access to Google Gemini through their University Google accounts. Illinois Google Gemini information

AI systems can make mathematical mistakes. Students remain responsible for checking AI output.

AI may not be used during any quiz or examination.

University policies

Disability-related accommodations

The University provides reasonable academic accommodations to students with disabilities through Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES). Students seeking accommodations should register with DRES and provide their Letter of Academic Accommodations to the instructor as early as possible.

Approved accommodations will be implemented in accordance with Student Code § 1-110. Student Code § 1-110 — Disability accommodations

Religious observances

The University will reasonably accommodate religious beliefs, observances, and practices that conflict with class attendance, quizzes, examinations, or other course requirements.

Students should request accommodation sufficiently far in advance to allow alternate arrangements to be made. See Student Code § 1-107. Student Code § 1-107 — Religious accommodations

Emergency response

Students should familiarize themselves with University emergency procedures and with the evacuation and shelter procedures for ECEB. Instructions from University and emergency personnel should be followed during an emergency.

Other University policies

All applicable University of Illinois policies remain in effect, including policies concerning student privacy, nondiscrimination, community standards, sexual misconduct, student well-being, and military or veteran obligations. Students should consult the current University of Illinois Student Code for the governing policies and procedures.