Professor: Cohen Course format: Lecture Number of respondents: 6 Total Enrollment: 12 Class Composition: Froshs: 0 Sophs: 2 Jrs: 3 Srs: 4 Concs: 4 Non-Concs: 2 Don't Know: 0

Instructor Average: 1.71 Course Average: 1.72

“Operations Research: Probabilistic Models” is all about using basic probabilistic problems in operations research and management science. Although the reviewers noted that no formal prerequisites were necessary, the consensus was that any basic knowledge of probability would aid greatly in understanding the material.

Professor Cohen’s lecturing style was in general appreciated by his students – he explained everything very clearly and made sure to write everything important on the board. On top of this, he was also very organized and his lectures were straightforward and easy to follow. Some complained that he sometimes covered material too slowly, but most had no issues at all with his lectures. He also took care to provide enough office hours that everyone could have any and all questions answered.

Weekly problem sets were assigned, in addition to a midterm and a final examination. No one saw these as unfair, and the reviewers seemed satisfied with the work load as a whole. On the other hand, the class also agreed almost unanimously that the textbook was a complete waste – the lectures far outdid everything the book covered, and the book’s lack of proper wording and examples left many wondering why they needed a text in the first place.

Students spent anywhere from four to six hours working on this course outside of class every week, an amount which matched their initial expectations. Although some of the reviewers argued that there were better classes one could take in the Applied Math department, most agreed that this class was very worthwhile. If you come to the class with a desire to learn the material, then you will find this class both profitable and fun.

View AM/0120 in the Brown Online Course Announcement.