New computational algorithms make it possible to build neural networks with many input nodes and many layers, and distinguish "deep learning" of these networks from previous work on artificial neural nets.
Maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) is a statistical method used to estimate the parameters of a probability distribution that best explain the observed data.
Convex optimization problems with staged structure appear in several contexts, including optimal control, verification of deep neural networks, and isotonic regression. Off-the-shelf solvers can solve these problems but may scale poorly.