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Award-Winning Mathematical optimization Tutors

Certified Tutor
6+ years
Irene
Linear programming, gradient descent, and constrained optimization each require translating a real problem into precise mathematical language — then solving it. Irene's background spanning both mathematics and computer science means she tackles optimization from both the theoretical side (convexity,...
University of Patras
Bachelor of Science, Mathematics
University of Illinois at Chicago
Doctor of Philosophy, Mathematics and Computer Science

Certified Tutor
6+ years
Sungae
Sungae's doctoral work in mechanical engineering involved solving constrained optimization problems — linear programming, gradient descent, Lagrange multipliers — as part of actual design processes. She teaches the theory behind objective functions and feasibility regions while showing students how ...
Sungkyunkwan University
Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
Texas Tech University
Doctor of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering

Certified Tutor
5+ years
Andrew
Andrew's graduate work in electrical engineering put him deep into linear programming, constrained optimization, and gradient descent methods — the kind of problems where setting up the objective function correctly matters as much as solving it. He teaches students to translate real-world engineerin...
Washington University in St. Louis
Master of Science, Electrical Engineering
Washington University in St. Louis
Bachelor's in Biomedical Engineering

Certified Tutor
5+ years
Joseph
Linear programming, simplex methods, and constrained optimization problems all require a mix of calculus intuition and algebraic precision. Joseph's math coursework at the University of Chicago, combined with his programming skills in Python and Java, means he can walk through both the theory behind...
University of Chicago
Bachelor of Science, Mathematics

Certified Tutor
5+ years
Arun
Linear programming models, constraint formulation, and objective function analysis are daily tools in industrial management — and Arun's doctorate is specifically in Engineering and Industrial Management. He teaches optimization not as a purely theoretical exercise but as a decision-making framework...
IIT Chennai
Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering
Princeton University
Doctor of Engineering, Engineering and Industrial Management

Certified Tutor
6+ years
A double major in Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics from Notre Dame means Abby spent serious time with the tools underlying optimization — linear algebra, multivariable calculus, and statistical modeling — before applying them to problems like constrained minimization and resource...
University of Notre Dame
Bachelor of Science

Certified Tutor
5+ years
Abhijun
Studying computer engineering at UIUC means Abhijun has tackled optimization from multiple angles — linear programming, gradient descent, constrained minimization, and the numerical methods that make them computationally feasible. He walks through both the theory behind objective functions and const...
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Bachelor of Science, Computer Engineering, General

Certified Tutor
5+ years
Sujana
Chemical engineers optimize processes for a living — minimizing cost, maximizing yield, balancing constraints — so Sujana's degree gave her hands-on fluency with linear programming, Lagrange multipliers, and objective function formulation. She teaches students to translate real-world problems into m...
CUNY City College
Bachelor of Engineering, Chemical Engineering

Certified Tutor
9+ years
Jai
I'm a recent Stanford graduate (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science), and have been working at a major Management Consulting firm for a few years now. I personally scored a 2360 (out of 2400) on the SAT and 35 on the ACT and was successful in gaining admission to several top universities. I'...
Stanford University
Bachelors in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Certified Tutor
I am a licensed physician from Florida who is currently changing careers. I graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009 and have extensive tutoring and editing experience. While a student, I became a certified writing tutor through the Critical Writing Department. Since I completed my writ...
Nova Southeastern University
PHD, Medicine
University of Pennsylvania
Bachelors, History
University of Pennsylvania
undergraduate
Top 20 Math Subjects
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Kate
AP Calculus BC Tutor • +53 Subjects
I'm available to tutor biology, chemistry, physics, math from Algebra up through AP Calculus, SAT test prep, and French. I've been tutoring students in science and math for 7 years. I also spent 8 months working and studying in France, and have tutored high school and adult students in French. When I'm not working or studying, I love playing volleyball (indoors or on the beach!) and spending time outside, canoeing or hiking with my dog. I look forward to meeting and working with you!
Rhea
AP Statistics Tutor • +49 Subjects
I am a current student at the University of Chicago. I am working towards a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, and I am on the pre-medical track. I am extremely passionate about tutoring, and I have several years of experience tutoring students in my high school's learning center in various subjects as well as tutoring private clients in Standardized Test preparation. Given that I graduated high school recently, I have taken several Standardized Tests and high school subjects myself, so I have a comprehensive understanding of not only how to tutor these subjects and exams, but also what it is like to take them. While I have a wide range of interests and am able to tutor various subjects, I am most passionate about tutoring in Standardized Test preparation (including ACT, SAT, SAT Subject Tests, and AP Exams), Biology, Chemistry, Math, and Spanish. I truly believe that students should have the opportunity to learn in the way that works best for them, and I love being able to help them succeed by creating a comfortable tutoring environment in which we can best assess their particular needs and use strategies specific to them. My passion for learning drives everything that I do, and tutoring is the platform that I use to try to spread that passion to others. In my free time, you can find me playing badminton, listening to music, or baking something (hopefully) delicious.
Jeffrey
Pre-Calculus Tutor • +29 Subjects
I am enrolled in the Mechanical Engineering PhD program at Rice University which will begin Fall 2020, and I am hoping to return to academia as a professor after earning my PhD. In the meantime, I am looking to share my passion for gaining knowledge, specifically in STEM, by educating the up and coming members of such a great field. I have experience tutoring both Calculus and Physics at Notre Dame, as well as experience as a Student Assistant for Differential Equations and Mechanics. I believe the key to learning is much deeper than learning to solve problems and that seeking knowledge is one of the best means for personal improvement.
Erika
Pre-Algebra Tutor • +36 Subjects
I am available to tutor middle and high school math, history and test prep. I have tutored math and history in the past and I previously taught a test prep course at a school in Hanoi, Vietnam. I have a lot of experience teaching all the need-to-know tricks to doing great on the SATS/ACTS! When I am not in school myself, I love rowing, equestrian and exploring my new city of Boston! I look forward to meeting and working with you soon!
Charles
AP Calculus AB Tutor • +25 Subjects
I am a junior Mechanical Engineering major at Yale, and I hope to become a Naval Aviator after college. I am also a varsity sailor, and enjoy playing music with friends when I can get some free time. I have been tutoring my fellow students throughout my entire academic career, and I would best describe my tutoring style as one that adapts to each students' needs. For example, I have always tried to frame questions in a different way so that the student can better understand the question. Some students need visual representations of numbers and systems to understand them, and others benefit more by understanding the concepts behind each formula. I prefer to tutor in math and physics, and especially with real world application problems. I hope to help students improve their standardized test scores and their understanding of the math and sciences so that they can achieve their academic goals! Hobbies: art, books, running, reading, music, writing
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Pre-Algebra Tutor • +29 Subjects
I am a graduate of the University of Chicago, and I will be starting a graduate program at Columbia in August. I am about to complete a year of service with City Year, an education non-profit that places young adults into under-served schools. As a City Year member, I worked full-time in the classroom with middle-school students who were in approximately the 10th percentile for math (meaning they score lower than 90% of students). One-fourth of those students were able to grow around 15 percentile points by the end of the year! Hobbies: reading, cooking, gardening, music, art, nature, books, writing
Sami
Pre-Algebra Tutor • +19 Subjects
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Pre-Algebra Tutor • +56 Subjects
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Tony
Calculus Tutor • +28 Subjects
I am a recent graduate of Yale University and incoming first year medical student at Columbia University. Originally from the DC area, I have always had a passion for science and medicine and pursued a degree in Biology while at Yale. During the 2008-2009 academic year, I tutored science, math, English, history, and Mandarin Chinese part-time with a DC-based tutoring company. At Yale, I worked as a freshman counselor to provide academic and career advice to incoming freshmen. I have taken both SAT and MCAT test prep classes and am familiar with both tests as well as the preparation necessary to score well. My personal career goals include attending medical school to pursue either immunology/infectious diseases or psych/neurology, teaching biology at the university level, and working in public/global health with either the CDC or the WHO.
Annie
Pre-Algebra Tutor • +28 Subjects
I am currently a second year medical student. I was a Physiological Sciences major at UCLA (class of 2015), and pursued research during my gap year between undergrad and medical school.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Mathematical optimization is the study of finding the best possible solution to a problem within given constraints—whether that's maximizing profit, minimizing cost, or optimizing resource allocation. It's a powerful tool used across engineering, economics, logistics, data science, and machine learning.
Understanding optimization helps students develop critical thinking skills and see how mathematics applies to real-world decision-making. It bridges procedural calculations and conceptual problem-solving, requiring students to not just perform operations but also understand trade-offs and why certain solutions work better than others.
Many students struggle with translating real-world scenarios into mathematical models—turning a word problem into equations and constraints. Others find it difficult to visualize optimization problems graphically, especially when working in multiple dimensions.
Additionally, students often feel overwhelmed by the abstract nature of proving why a solution is optimal, or frustrated when calculus-based methods (like Lagrange multipliers) feel disconnected from intuition. Personalized tutoring helps by breaking down the translation process step-by-step, building visual understanding before introducing formal proofs, and connecting methods back to the underlying concepts.
Many students learn calculus procedures (finding derivatives, setting them to zero) without grasping why these steps actually find optimal solutions. A skilled tutor helps make this connection explicit by showing how derivatives represent rates of change and how critical points reveal where values stop increasing or decreasing.
Tutors can use multiple approaches—graphing functions to see peaks and valleys, working through verbal descriptions before introducing equations, and repeatedly showing how the algebra connects back to the geometry. This conceptual understanding makes it easier to apply optimization techniques in new contexts rather than just memorizing formulas.
Linear programming deals with maximizing or minimizing a linear objective function subject to linear constraints—often visualized as finding the optimal corner point of a polygon. Nonlinear optimization involves curved objective functions or constraints, which requires calculus-based methods and is generally more complex.
The approach differs: linear programming often uses graphical methods or the simplex algorithm, while nonlinear optimization typically requires calculus (finding gradients and Hessians) or numerical methods. A tutor can help you recognize which type of problem you're facing, choose the right technique, and understand why different methods work for different situations.
The key is practicing a systematic translation process: identify what you're trying to optimize (your objective function), list all constraints and limitations, define your variables clearly, and then write out the mathematical model in symbols. Many students skip these steps and jump straight to equations, which creates confusion.
Tutoring helps by having you practice this translation repeatedly with different types of problems—whether it's a production/cost scenario, a resource allocation problem, or a geometry-based optimization challenge. Tutors also teach you to sanity-check your model by asking: "Does this equation actually capture what the problem is asking?" and "Do my constraints make sense?" This builds confidence and reduces the abstraction anxiety many students feel.
Look for a tutor who can explain not just how to solve problems, but why methods work. They should be comfortable with multiple approaches (graphical, algebraic, calculus-based, numerical) and able to choose the clearest one for your learning style.
The best tutors also ask questions that help you think through problems rather than just showing you solutions. They should be patient with the frustration that comes with abstract thinking, help you build connections between concepts, and give you strategies for checking your work and catching errors. Experience with your specific curriculum or exam (like optimization problems in AP Calculus or linear algebra courses) is also valuable.
Start by working with concrete, visual problems where you can graph the objective function and constraints. Seeing the feasible region and optimal point graphically makes the concept much less abstract than just manipulating equations. Practice showing your work at every step, even when it feels tedious—this helps you catch mistakes and builds a clearer understanding.
Work through progressively harder problems rather than jumping to complex ones, and regularly go back to simpler examples to reinforce core concepts. Tutoring helps by pacing your learning carefully, celebrating small wins, and repeatedly showing you that optimization is just logical problem-solving with mathematics as the tool. Many students' anxiety decreases significantly once they see patterns and realize they can solve these problems systematically.
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