CS 281A / Stat 241A, Fall 2009:

Statistical Learning Theory

Projects

Topic

The project needs to be related to the content of the course, but otherwise you have a lot of freedom in choosing a topic. It could be

a survey of several research papers on a topic of interest.
an applications research project, involving the methods we've studied in the course in some application area of interest.
a theoretical or methodological research project.

Expectations are somewhat lower for a project at the research end of the spectrum than at the survey end. Make sure you work in stages so that you will have something to show by the end.

Evaluation

Proposal (Due Friday, October 30): One or two paragraphs (no more than a page) explaining the topic you intend to pursue and why it is interesting. This has two aims: to ensure that you get started early, and to check that the project you have in mind is appropriate. Feel free to discuss topics with me by email or during office hours.
Report (Due Monday, November 30): The report should be aimed at a general audience; think of the reader as someone else taking the class who hasn't looked into your topic. I would expect most reports would be between 5 and 20 pages, but there is no prescribed length. Make sure your report includes a description of the context of your problem, past work, and a conclusions section indicating potential future directions.
Presentation: Everyone will present their projects in two poster sessions; see the web page for the schedule.

Collaboration

You can work individually or in groups of up to three. I expect that most projects will be done individually. If you want to work as a group, please explain why in your proposal. Posters can be presented as a group if you wish, but reports will need to be submitted individually.

Past Projects

You can get a taste of projects from previous years on this page.