Regina Cai, 2015, Operations Research and Financial Engineering

Regina Cai ’15

In Beijing this summer, I sought to gain a holistic understanding of China’s energy production and consumption from an academic viewpoint. I mapped out two mathematics- and statistics-based projects, while networking and leveraging my work to seek out opportunities at Tsinghua University that would allow me to explore and pursue my academic interests in applied mathematics and economics. In one project, I devised multiple potential goodness-of-fit tests as variations on the least-squares method of curve fitting. While I recognized some limitations of my math and statistical skills, my interest in these subjects led me to learn about machine learning and MATLAB. I then incorporated my new knowledge and skills into my tests. I also analyzed supercycles in commodity prices, developing my economic research skills by finding relevant data online and putting it in the context of literature from textbooks and journals. I juxtaposed papers from academic and financial institutions to create a project plan with potential for future work at Princeton. Overall, I challenged myself by asking difficult questions, sifting through relevant resources, and finding new ways to tie ideas together.