This is part of my broader Non-Linear Optimization Notion.

Non-Linear Optimization (CS 726) was the second formal math class I took$^1$ in college — the first being Calculus 2 (note: I had self-taught intermediate courses). It took me a bit of catching up on background concepts (mostly around proofs and analysis) to get up to speed, then it took me a bit longer to abstract away the complex math to understand how to think about and approach these difficult problems.

This is what I wish I knew from the start of the course — it would have saved me a lot of time and headaches if I understood this bigger picture earlier on.

While this is relevant to higher-level math, I believe this is broadly applicable to advanced courses, research, and general problem-solving.

$^1 :$ Technically I audited this course — I was a temporary student at UW Madison prior to starting my MSCS at UCSD.