THE ORDINAL OPTIMIZATION TEACHING MODULE

I. OO LECTURES

1. Overview
2. Optimization Goals (Re-visited)
3. Universal Alignment Probability
4. Concept of PDF and OPC
5. What OO means to DES?
6. Example Applications
7. Relationship to Ranking and Selection
8. Relationship to Fuzzy Logic
9. Relationship to Genetic Algorithms
10. Sampling Representation:
    • the LQG Problem;
    • the Witsenhausen Problem; and
    • the Problem of Large Search Space
11. Summary
12. Annotated Bibliography

II. SIMPLE EXPLANATIONS OF KEY IDEAS IN ORDINAL OPTIMIZATION

1. What and Why of Ordinal Optimization in Less than 200 Words
2. Some notations and Concepts of Ordinal Optimization
3. The Chernoff Bound
4. The Importance of Representation in Searches
5. On Search in the Strategy Space

III. REVIEW QUESTIONS & HOME WORK PROBLEMS

1. Review questions to test understanding of Ordinal Optimization
2. Homework Problems
   • Blind Pick Alignment Probability problem
   • A Life-or Death Decision Problem
   • An Wrong Classification Problem
   • Seeing is Believing
   • Goal Softening (1)
   • Goal Softening (2)
   • Spread Sheet Exercise
   • Goal Softening (3)
   • Goal Softening (4)
   • Sample Size

IV. HOW TO PRACTICE ORDINAL OPTIMIZATION IN REAL PROBLEMS

V. NEW DEVELOPMENTS ON ORDINAL OPTIMIZATION

VI. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ON ORDINAL OPTIMIZATION

VII. OO DEMO

1. Ordinal Optimization Demo