15.053  Optimization Methods in Management Science

Error in Problem 2 in the practice problem set

In problem 2 in the practice problem set, the problem is phrased incorrectly. The correct phrasing is

"For series that are hits, the pilots are hits with probability p. For series that are failures, the pilots are failures with probability q."

It is only with this phrasing that one can construct a probability table. Here is the logic for the first entries of the table.

SS = series succeeds
SF = series fails
PS = pilot succeeds
PF = pilot fails
Prob(SS and PS) = Prob(SS) Prob(PS | SS) = .3 x .95 = .285
Prob(SF and PF) = Prob(SF) Prob(PF | SF) = .7 x .9 = .63

Sorry for any confusion that this error caused.

-- Jim Orlin

P.S. Thanks to Steven Gan for catching this error.

Announced on 16 May 2010  6:07  p.m. by James B Orlin

Final Midterm is 2 hours long

Hi,

As mentioned in class, the final midterm will be two hours long. As such, it will end at 3:30 PM on Tuesday. I mention this for your planning purposes.

-- Jim Orlin

Announced on 16 May 2010  5:54  p.m. by James B Orlin

optimization courses at MIT/Harvard

Hi,

Here is a link that may be of interest to some of you. It's webpage, developed by the Operations Research Center, which collects information of optimization courses given in different departments at MIT and Harvard. It also provides information on faculty members in the field of optimization, and other resources.

http://optimization.mit.edu/index.php

Best,

Andy

Announced on 11 May 2010  8:21  p.m. by Xu Sun

optimization courses at MIT/Harvard

Hi,

Here is a link that may be of interest to some of you. It's webpage, developed by the Operations Research Center, which collects information of optimization courses given in different departments at MIT and Harvard. It also provides information on faculty members in the field of optimization, and other resources.

http://optimization.mit.edu/index.php

Best,

Andy

Announced on 11 May 2010  8:21  p.m. by Xu Sun

Office hours on Monday, No Recitations on Friday

Dear all,

We have office hours on Monday 3-6pm in the same room. This will be the last office hours for this term. On Friday, there will be no recitations as the semester officially ends on Thursday.

Good luck to your study for the third midterm and all your final exams!

Andy

Announced on 08 May 2010  5:46  p.m. by Xu Sun