FromSolvingHomeworkProblems

to
SolvingResearchProblems
to
SolvingReal-WorldProblems
Minh N. Do
AssociateProfessorofElectricalandComputerEngineering
UniversityofIllinoisatUrbana-Champaign
Co-founderandCTO,NuvixaInc.
1
Introduction
Transitionfromanundergraduatestudenttoagraduatestudent
andthenaftergraduation

Beforegraduateschool:
Mostlytrainedtosolvehomeworkproblems

Ingraduateschool:
Abilitytosolveresearchproblemsisthekeyforsuccess

Aftergraduation,inindustryandentrepreneurship:
Mustsolvereal-worldproblems

2
SolvingHomeworkProblems
Example:Provethat
isanorthogonalbasisforbandlimitedfunctions

Requiredskillsforsolvinghomeworkproblems:
Knowledge
Creativity
Persistence

Typical:ProblemSolution
Problemiswelldefined
Knowthatasolutionexists!
3
SolvingResearchProblems
Example:Canwerecoverafunctionfromitssamples?

Researchproblemsaretypicalfuzzyandopenended
Problemsarenotclearandwell-defined
Problemsarenotevenexistbefore

Key:beingabletoasktherightquestionsandrefinethem

Weneednotjusttosolvetheproblembutalsoconvincethe
worldthatweactuallysolveit!
Performexperimentstoconfirmthetheory
Demonstratetheimpactsinrealapplicationsandtechnology
4
SolvingReal-WorldProblems
Examples:Apple,Google,Facebook

Keyistofindaproduct/marketfit,orfiguretherightthingtobuild
-thethingcustomerswantandwillpayfor

Require:
Understandcustomersandmarket
Identifythevalueproposition
Getproductoutquickly:minimumviableproduct
Iterate:build,measure,learn(repeat)
Knowhowtosell

5
ResearchModel

Mostadvancesaremadeinresponsetoaneed,sothatitis
necessarytohavesomesortofpracticalgoalinmindwhilethe
basicresearchisbeingdone;otherwiseitmaybeoflittlevalue.

JohnBardeen
UniversityofIllinoisProfessorin
ElectricalEngineeringandPhysics
Two-timeNobelPrizewinnerinPhysics

6
BaardensCriteriaforChoosingResearch
Theresearchproblemhastobestronginallfollowing3criteria:

1. Thesupportingtechnologymustbeready
CanNOTbepieonthesky

2. Theresearchmustbeintellectuallychallenging
CanNOTjustbeonabackofanenvelop

3. Theoutcomesoftheresearchmusthelpthesociety

7
FiveStepsinSolvingaResearchProblem
Step1:Definetheproblem(scope,area,)
Reviewliterature(lotofreading,butnottoomuch)
Gaindeepunderstandingbydoing(implement,experiment,)
Step2:Formulatetheproblem(intoahomeworkproblem)
Findtherightmodel,setup
Introduceassumptionstosimplifytheproblem
Step3:Solvetheproblem(likesolvingahomeworkproblem)
Manytimesneedtovalidatewithexperiments,applications
Step4:Interpretthesolution
Gobacktotheoriginalproblem:newinsights,newmethods,
Step5:Disseminatetheresults
Papers,presentations,patents,
8
Therearemanythingsonedoesntunderstandandtherefore,
weaskthemwhydontyoujustgoaheadandtakeaction,tryto
dosomething?Yourealizehowlittleyouknowandyouface
yourownfailuresandyousimplycancorrectthosefailuresand
redoitagainandatthesecondtrialyourealizeanothermistake
oranotherthingyoudidntlikesoyoucanredoitonceagain.So
byconstantimprovement,orshouldIsay,theimprovement
baseduponaction,onecanrisetoahigherlevelofpracticeand
knowledge.

FujioCho(PresidentofToyota)

LeanProcess
9
IntroducedbyToyotaforleanproduction
PopularizedbyEricRiesforleanstartup[seefigurebelow]
Researchshouldfollowthesameprocess:leanresearch

10
Define/FormulateaResearchProblem
Fact:Mostofengineeringproblemsareill-posed!

Oftenweneedtoredefine/reformulatetheproblemtomakeit
solvable
Imposingrealisticassumptions
Addconstraints
Simplifytheproblemormodel

Engineers:Weareallowedtochangetheproblem!

Manytimes,beingabletodefine/formulatearesearchproblem
ishalfofthework!
11
SomeTechniquesinFormulatingProblems
Keepsimplifyingtheproblemuntilitissolvable(e.g.toaspecial
case)andthentrytogeneralize/extendthesolution
Simpleproblemoftengivesclearinsightandintuition
Ifwecannotsolveasimpleversionoftheproblemthen
wealsocannotsolvethecomplexversion
Multiresolutiontechnique:startwithacoarseandsolvable
problemandsuccessivelyextendittomakeitmorerealistic
Asktheconversequestions
Example:weknowthatbandlimitednessleadstosamplable;
butwhatareothersamplablesignals?
Sometimeneedtobuild
Lookatthedata!

12
QuestioningAttitude
Questioningattitudeisoneofthemostimportantqualitiesofa
creativeperson
Mistake:aquestionisanadmissionfornotknowingsomething

Acreativepersonshouldhaveahealthyskepticismabout
existinganswers,techniques,andapproaches
Questioningattitudehelpstosensetheproblemandleadto
creativesolution

Primaryqualityofcreativeproblem-solver:constantlydeveloping
ConstructiveDiscontent

Themostadmiredoneatmeetingsisthepenetratingquestioner
13
ThePowerofFiguresandLists
Figuresareverypowerfulforvisualthinkinganddeveloping
intuition
Trytodrawfiguresofwhatyouarethinkingorpresenting
Figuresofresultswithsignalsandimagesoftenleadtotheright
intuition

Listseffectivelyfocusconceptualenergyandproducewritten
recordoftheoutput
Keepanotebookthatlistallofthethoughtsthathaveoccurred
Makealistduringbrainstormingsessions:ideasleadtoideas
Listtheattributes.Beloweachattribute,listmanyalternates
Considerdifferentcombinations.
Use checklistsuchasoneinHowtoSolveItbyPolya

14
UsingOtherPeoplesIdeas
Anespeciallypowerfulwayofincreasingcreativityistointeract
withotherpeople,especiallyiftheythinkdifferentlythanyou
Dohomeworktogether
Takecoursesoutsideyourtraditionalareas
Askforideasonyourproblemfromalargenumberofpeople
Bounceideasoffofapeerorgroupofpeople

Themaindistinctionofstarperformersistheyhaveareliable
networkofinformation/adviceproviders
[fromastudyofBellLabsresearchersin1992]

Muchcreativitynowistakingplacebetweendisciplines
LookatData
Getinsightfromdataandexperiments
Ifyoufindaninterestingalgorithmormethod,goaheadand
implementitandtestitonyourdata

Printouttheresults,stuckthemonthewall,staredatthem

Eventuallyideasforimprovementsandnovelmethodscameup

Usemetricsonobtaineddatatotrackyourprogress

Talkandseekcomments/feedbackfromotherpeople
15
16
RequiredSkillsforSolvingResearchProb
Knowledge(muchwider)
Creativity
Persistence(muchmore)
Ifwekeeptryinghard,somethinggoodwillcomeout

Askgoodquestions
Faith(thisproblemcanbesolved!)
Flexibility(ifnot,howcanIreformulateittobesolvable!)
Communicationskillsfordisseminatingresults
Seethethebigpicture
Organized,motivated,andhaveasenseofpurpose

17
KeyFeaturesofU.S.EngineeringEducation
1.Emphasisondoing
Clearlystatedincourseobjectives
Weeklyhomeworkandprojects
Donotjustprovideinformation
butinsteadfocusonlearningtolearn

2.Immersion
Teachknowledgeincontextofproblems,issues,andquestions
Iterate:learn-do-learn-do-
Hand-ondesignprojectsthroughoutthe4yearsofstudy

Thegreataimofeducationisnotknowledgebutaction
HerbertSpencer(1820-1903)
TheFlyingWheel
18
Confidence Effort
Potential Result
19
EngineeringintheRealWorld
People
Problem
Market
Product
Design
Prototype
Concept
Specification
Traditional scope
of Engineering
Education
20

Yourworkisgoingtofillalargepartofyourlife,andtheonly
waytobetrulysatisfiedistodowhatyoubelieveisgreatwork.
Andtheonlywaytodogreatworkistolovewhatyoudo.Ifyou
haven'tfoundityet,keeplooking.Don'tsettle.

SteveJobs(CEOofAppleComputer)