Awakening Elementary School System in University

"You mentioned that at decision point k, the system’s state is the posterior distribution π_k. But this posterior distribution usually exists in an extremely high-dimensional parameter space, and it changes dynamically with the addition of each new piece of data.

Trying to solve for a standard dynamic programming solution on such a high-dimensional, continuous state space... the computational load is unbearable, almost infeasible."

Lv Yi had barely finished speaking when the PhD student next to him, You Lie, seamlessly added, "Exactly. And what’s even trickier than the state space is handling the global constraints."

You Lie’s voice was louder than Lv Yi’s, carrying an unquestionable confidence. He also pushed up his glasses, his gaze burning as he looked at Shen Yan.

"Ensuring the final statistical analysis meets the constraints for Type I and Type II error rates is a global outcome that can only be verified at the end of the entire dynamic decision-making process. So, how do you design the local decision rule τ_k at each step to guarantee this final, global objective can be achieved?

This requires an extremely clever theoretical design, for example, using martingale theory or the spending function method to construct boundaries. A single misstep in any decision could render all previous efforts useless. That is the core challenge of this problem!"

Professor Gongtan sat to the side, watching his two prized students who were suddenly so eager to perform, and felt a bit strange.

’These two kids... I’ve never seen them so proactive and eager to speak up during their usual project reports. What’s gotten into them today?’

He followed their gazes across the table, and when he saw Shen Yan, dressed in a sharp business suit with a cool yet intellectual air, he instantly understood.

’Ah, so that’s what this is all about. They’re trying to show off their academic prowess in front of a pretty girl.’

Professor Gongtan sighed to himself and shook his head.

’Young people... still so green.’

However, Yan Feifei and Zhu Jianqing, who were sitting nearby, showed looks of approval at the two PhD students’ remarks.

"Well said!" Yan Feifei praised them sincerely. "You two brilliant students have an incredibly precise perspective. You’ve hit the nail on the head regarding the biggest obstacle our team is currently facing in our theoretical derivations.

How to handle high-dimensional states and global constraints is indeed one of the most cutting-edge research topics in the interdisciplinary field of computational statistics and operations research."

Zhu Jianqing was even more satisfied, nodding with a smile on his face.

When he organized this meeting today, he wasn’t expecting to get a perfect, final answer in one go.

For him, being able to invite top experts from different backgrounds like this, to have everyone sit together and brainstorm from various angles—even if it just sparked some new inspiration and ideas—already made it all worthwhile.

Thanks to the brilliant remarks from the two Science and Technology University PhD students, the atmosphere in the conference room had become lively and professional.

Shen Yan had been keeping her head down, scribbling furiously as she tried to keep up with the pace of the discussion.

But when You Lie mentioned using "martingale theory or the spending function method to construct boundaries," her note-taking hand paused for a moment.

This topic was beyond the current scope of her studies.

She subconsciously lifted her head, her clear eyes holding a trace of curiosity and confusion. Leaning slightly toward Chen Lin beside her, she whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "That spending function method... how exactly is it applied here?"

Chen Lin turned his head, his warm breath almost brushing against the shell of her ear as he also explained in a low, concise voice.

"...You can think of it as a ’risk budget.’ With every decision you make, you use up a portion of the budget. As long as you ensure there’s still some budget left at the end, the global constraint won’t be broken."

This intimate interaction, as if no one else was around, naturally caught the eyes of a few people sitting nearby.

The older attendees like Zhu Jianqing and Yan Feifei just shared a knowing smile, not minding it at all.

But in the eyes of You Lie and Lv Yi, it felt completely different.

An indescribable, sour feeling instantly welled up from the bottom of their hearts.

While their earlier remarks were certainly meant to showcase their academic foundations, they also harbored the ulterior motive of showing off in front of Shen Yan, a beauty with exceptional poise.

And the result?

She didn’t even give them a proper glance. Instead, she turned to consult with President Chen next to her, who looked even younger than they were!

The two exchanged a look, and each saw a trace of indignation in the other’s eyes.

Of course, they had also seen the video of Chen Lin instantly solving the problem posed by their academic forefather, Academician Liang Tianshi, at the modeling competition.

To be honest, they had been truly stunned at the time, thinking this young man was exceptionally gifted.

But in a discipline like mathematics, talent alone isn’t enough!

Especially for an industry-level problem of this magnitude, what’s required is a deep accumulation of theoretical knowledge and the comprehensive ability to integrate various advanced tools to form a viable solution.

These are things that are simply impossible to possess without having reached the graduate or even doctoral level and undergone systematic research training!

In their view, Chen Lin probably wouldn’t have any chance to shine today.

Hadn’t they noticed that even their own mentor, Professor Gongtan, hadn’t spoken up yet? That alone was enough to show just how thorny this problem was, and how difficult it was to offer a decent solution!

However, just then, Chairman Zhu Jianqing, seated at the head of the table, suddenly turned his gaze to Chen Lin, who had been silent the entire time.

To be honest, Zhu Jianqing’s curiosity about Chen Lin was about to overflow.

Initially, Peng Yifeng from Tiansheng Investment had recommended him with high praise, even sending over that video that had gone viral online.

But that wasn’t enough to completely win Zhu Jianqing over.

He himself had a doctorate in a STEM field and had a solid understanding of mathematics. He knew that solving the kind of problem in the video tested one’s talent and mental flexibility more than anything.

But when faced with a truly complex engineering problem, a young undergraduate’s accumulated knowledge and practical experience were highly questionable.

So, initially, when his subordinate reported that Yanhai Company was willing to send someone for an in-person discussion, he had agreed with a "let’s just give it a try" attitude.

What truly surprised him was the attitude of his old friend, Professor Gongtan.

When Gongtan heard that Chen Lin would also be coming, not only did he show no disdain, but he expressed great interest. He even half-jokingly asked him where he had managed to invite such a heavy hitter from.

After they met, Gongtan’s unconcealed high regard and admiration for Chen Lin only deepened Zhu Jianqing’s interest in the young man’s true abilities.

He knew his old friend all too well.

On the surface, Gongtan was cheerful with everyone, but in academic matters, his standards were sky-high. The number of people he truly respected could be counted on one hand.

’Just what kind of magic did this young man named Chen Lin possess?’