1st April

Mid-Term Momentum: VCG Mechanisms, CUDA, and Westeros

Term 6 is officially in full swing. Following up on my initial thoughts from mid-February, the theoretical foundations have quickly transitioned into heavy practical applications. Here is a look at what has been occupying my time over the past month and a half.

Moving from Theory to Application

In Game Theory (40.316), we have moved beyond analyzing standard matrices. My team is currently tackling a project titled “The Capstone Lab Dilemma.” We are proposing a Vickrey-Clarke-Groves (VCG) mechanism to handle resource allocation. It is fascinating to apply mechanism design to a highly relatable scenario.

Meanwhile, in Statistical and Machine Learning (40.319), I recently put together a lesson plan and presentation focused on Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL). Diving into how multiple autonomous agents interact and learn within a shared environment was a fantastic challenge.

Gearing Up for the Real World

To support the increasingly heavy computational work, especially for neural networks, I completely overhauled my development environment. I am now running Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) with an Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble) setup. I also configured my Zsh shell for TensorFlow and CUDA to ensure I have proper GPU acceleration.

Alongside the technical upgrades, I have been actively preparing for my next professional steps. I am aiming for Data Analyst or Data Scientist roles, so I have been refining my interview responses. A big part of this involves articulating the value of my past experiences, particularly my time as a co-founder of GenEd and serving as the Fundraising Committee Director for the ‘What The Hack’ 2025 hackathon.

Grounding the Capstone

Outside of the core modules, Kinetic 104 is steadily taking shape. My Entrepreneurship Capstone team (Geoffrey, Hazim, Daryl, and Luyuan) and I are building assistive health technology for seniors. To make sure we are building something that truly addresses real needs, we have been volunteering at the Watchman Home. Getting close to the seniors and understanding their daily friction points firsthand has been invaluable for our design process.

Disconnecting

When I need a break from high-dimensional data and allocation mechanisms, I have been retreating into Westeros. I am making steady progress through the A Song of Ice and Fire series on my Kindle Colorsoft. Keeping an eye on those page counts is a nice, low-stakes metric compared to everything else right now.

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