Through complex work with computers, Mayank Lahiri ’05 (Muscat, Oman) has been researching a class of problem-solving techniques called “genetic algorithms.”
“These techniques are used for solving, among other things, very complex engineering problems that cannot be solved satisfactorily with regular mathematics,” says Lahiri, a double major in physics and computer science. “The basic idea behind genetic algorithms is to apply concepts from biology to problem-solving.”
“Pools of randomly-guessed, ‘possible’ solutions to a given problem are maintained digitally,” he explains. “These solutions are, in a mathematical way, ‘mated’ with each other to produce ‘children’ solutions that are better than their parents. Mating continues until the children are good enough to satisfactorily solve the problem.”
Lahiri is working alongside Chun Wai Liew, assistant professor of computer science, to improve the workings of genetic algorithms to produce the best possible solutions.
The two are collaborating as part of Lafayette’s distinctive EXCEL Scholars program, in which students assist faculty with research while earning a stipend. Lafayette is a national leader in undergraduate research. Many of the more than 160 students who participate in EXCEL each year go on to publish papers in scholarly journals and/or present their research at conferences.
A former programmer and software developer at several companies, Liew is coauthor of MHDL, a computer language for describing and specifying microwave systems. He regularly shares his research at conferences in his field, and was published in the Proceedings of Artificial Intelligence in Education last year.
“Professor Liew is a very unconventional professor. When I first asked him where we were heading with our research, his reply was a confident ‘I don’t know’,” Lahiri says. “He’s introduced me to real-world artificial intelligence research, in which the problems themselves may not be well-defined.”
“He’s a bright kid,” says Liew about his student. “The research is going fine.”
Lahiri has benefited from the collaboration.
“I’ve developed a critical eye for reading the computer science research literature and gained a lot of experience towards starting an independent research project myself [this semester],” he says. “I’ve been told that these skills are usually acquired in the first year of graduate school. Professor Liew has been extremely gracious by letting me use this project as a stepping stone to developing my own.”
“I’ve been given a lot of intellectual freedom on this project,” he adds. “Professor Liew gives me a broad outline of the problem and lets me come up with systems to solve it. I am responsible for actually implementing the systems and techniques we’ve discussed and evaluating the results before presenting them. Professor Liew is always open to suggestions.”
“Mayank is learning what research is like, and what it takes,” says Liew. “He’s thinking about grad school, so this will likely be useful for him.”
“The EXCEL program has been a defining part of my undergraduate education,” Lahiri says. “Without it I might find myself completely lost in graduate school. It’s not always easy, but Professor Liew provides just the right amount of guidance to allow me to figure out the answers myself.”
Over the summer, Lahiri learned a new computer scripting language called Perl and used it to write new systems for the research and integrate existing systems.
“Giving an undergraduate complete control of running experiments can require a leap of faith on the part of a professor,” Lahiri says, “and I appreciate the fact that Professor Liew has put that faith in me.”
Lahiri was also an EXCEL Scholar in summer 2002 with Andrew Dougherty, associate professor of physics, in a study of the early stages of crystal growth, which involved both his majors.
“I can’t imagine opportunities like this in larger institutions,” he says. “Even a single undergrad research project is unheard of in larger institutions, much less two in separate departments!”
“The EXCEL Scholars program is very different from classroom work,” says Liew. “Students can say they have an interest in doing research, but without having done it they cannot know what they are talking about.”
Lahiri has been pleased with the opportunities provided at Lafayette.
“I think a key element in Lafayette’s undergraduate program is the small class size,” he says. “This enables professors to really get to know students and build a working relationship with them even if they’re not engaged in research. It also makes it easier for students to find out about extra-curricular opportunities like conferences and competitions, all of which make for a more well-rounded education.”
Following graduation, Lahiri plans on pursuing a Ph.D. in computer science.
“Lafayette has done an amazing job in providing opportunities to those who intend to go to grad school,” he says. “The combination of an incredibly motivated faculty and small department sizes makes Lafayette an ideal place for research projects like this.”
A resident adviser for two years, Lahiri serves as the lab manager for the music department and is a Writing Associate with the College Writing Program. He is a member of the International Students Association, for which he once served as travel coordinator, and participates in intramural sports.
As a national leader in undergraduate research, Lafayette sends one of the largest contingents to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research each year. Over the past five years, more than 130 Lafayette students have presented results from research conducted with faculty mentors, or under their guidance, at the conference. Forty-two Lafayette students have had their proposals accepted for presentation at the next annual conference in April.