[3][11] Boyd's primary research interests are convex optimization, especially applications in control, signal processing, machine learning, and finance.
[14] In 1994, Boyd and Laurent El Ghaoui, Eric Feron, and Ragu Balakrishnan authored the book Linear Matrix Inequalities in System & Control Theory.
[13] In 2005 he and Michael Grant developed the MATLAB open source software package CVX, which makes it easy to specify and solve convex optimization problems.
[17] In 2012 he and Jacob Mattingley developed CVXGEN, which generates fast custom code for small, quadratic-programming-representable convex optimization problems, using an online interface.
[18] Open-source software packages developed by his research group are widely used and include: Boyd is ranked top 10 scientist in the field of Engineering and Technology.
[22] Boyd co-founded and served as chief scientist of analog synthesis and intellectual property provider Barcelona Design, from its 1999 founding until it folded in 2005.