Professor Erlikhman is honestly one of the best professors I've had at UCLA. This class doesn't have the most intrinsically fun or interesting information, but he makes it fun and interesting, which is the mark of a great teacher. He is very helpful, always available and happy to help via office hours or email, and most importantly he is excited about the topics which makes the class way more enjoyable. I would take any class taught by him!

As for the logistics of the class, it starts off very slow and relaxed, but requires a lot of hard work towards the end of the quarter, as you have to complete a group research project in just a couple of weeks at the end of the class. Pick a good research group because we all know how group projects can be if you get stuck with the wrong people :-) There is also no midterm, so the only test you have to worry about is at the end of the class as well. As long as you don't fall behind in understanding the material in the beginning, however, it's easily doable. He doesn't really *require* the textbook but I strongly recommend getting it - it wasn't too expensive, it gives great examples, and it is a lifesaver when doing homework!