Academic Exchange

On May 6th, the fifth lecture of the public science series on big data, titled "The Introduction to Mathematical Optimization," was held on Longgang Campus of Shenzhen Middle School, with nearly 1,200 first- and second-year students and teachers participating both online and in person. The guest speaker for this session was Dr. Wang Akang, Research Scientist at our institute’s General Solver Laboratory. 

Dr. Wang began by using the topic of "student activity time allocation" as an entry point, introducing key concepts such as "decision variables," "constraints," and "objective functions." He guided the students in understanding how mathematical optimization can be used to maximize the overall utility of time in daily life, providing a foundation for explaining the definition of mathematical optimization and sparking students’ interest in its real-life applications.

He then introduced the origins of mathematical optimization and its development in China in a simple and accessible way. Using real-world examples such as metro operations, power grids, and rocket recovery, Dr. Wang interacted with the students to demonstrate the practical applications of mathematical optimization in decision-making processes. This sparked widespread discussion and deeper reflection among the students.

During the Q&A session, the students showed great enthusiasm for learning, asking Dr. Wang exploratory questions such as "What is the intrinsic connection between mathematical optimization, linear algebra, and calculus?", "What core courses should be taken in university for a focus on mathematical optimization?", and "What are the key factors considered in the optimal solution obtained through mathematical optimization?" Dr. Wang provided detailed and insightful answers to each question, and he commended the students for their active thinking and willingness to ask questions.