Description

Dutch Seminar on Optimization (online series) with Jasper van Doornmalen (TU/e) and Daniel Brosch (Tilburg University)

The Dutch Seminar on Optimization is an initiative to bring together researchers from the Netherlands and beyond, with topics that are centered around Optimization in a broad sense. We would like to invite all researchers, especially also PhD students, who are working on related topics to join the events. We hereby announce the following two talks, given by PhD-students:

Speaker: Jasper van Doornmalen (TU/e)
Title: Symmetry handling in binary programs through propagation
Date: Tuesday 24th May, 4:00pm CET

Abstract:
Symmetries of binary programs are known to dramatically slow down branch-and-bound procedures. A classical approach to handle permutation symmetries is to enforce that only one representative of equivalent (symmetric) solutions can be computed. In classical integer programming literature, among others, this is established by introducing symmetry handling constraints. This way, solutions that are not lexicographically maximal among the permuted solutions are cut off.

We present a propagation-based symmetry handling technique. Given a set of fixed variables (e.g., due to branching decisions), this technique identifies further variables that can be fixed to ensure that only lexicographically maximal solutions are computed. We present efficient algorithms to find such additional symmetry-based variable fixings for arbitrary sets of permutations and cyclic groups. In particular, for cyclic groups, we show that all possible fixings can be found in polynomial time even if the cyclic group has exponential order.

Our methods are implemented as a plugin in the academic integer programming solver SCIP, and we discuss the effectiveness of these methods on various symmetrical instances.

Speaker: Daniel Brosch (Tilburg University)
Title: The Symmetries of Flag-Algebras
Date: Tuesday 24th May, 4:30pm CET

Abstract:
Flag-Algebras, first introduced by Razborov in 2007, remain one of the most powerful tools in extremal combinatorics.  Recently a connection to polynomial optimization was discovered: We can recover Flag-Sums-of-Squares hierarchies by partially exploiting the symmetries of a polynomial optimization hierarchy. We continue from there and fully exploit the symmetries in this polynomial setting for two different hierarchies, one focusing on a low number of edges, and another focusing on a low number of vertices of appearing Flags. For the first, due to the high initial dimension of the hierarchy, a novel algorithm was needed to decompose modules of the symmetric group into irreducible submodules. We apply the reduced hierarchies to obtain outer approximations of graph-profiles, which model various open problems from extremal combinatorics.

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• Email: Daniel Dadush and Sven Polak
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N&O seminar: Stefan Schmid (TU Berlin)

Everyone is welcome to attend the next N&O seminar with Stefan Schmid with the title 'Self-Adjusting Networks'.

The talk will take place in L017 at CWI, along with zoom support for remote participants. For more information and registration to get the Zoom link via e-mail, please contact Willem Feijen (willem.feijen at cwi.nl), Samarth Tiwari (samarth.tiwari at cwi.nl) or Sven Polak (sven.polak at cwi.nl).

Abstract: This talk will present the vision of self-adjusting networks: communication networks whose physical topology adapts to the traffic pattern it serves, in a demand-aware manner. Such networks are enabled by emerging reconfigurable optical technologies. It will be shown that the benefit of self-adjusting networks depends on the amount of “structure” there is in the demand, and an information-theoretical approach to measure the complexity of traffic traces will be presented to derive entropy-based metrics accordingly. Optimal offline and online algorithms to design self-adjusting networks whose performance matches the derived metrics asymptotically will be discussed.

• Web
• Email: Willem Feijen, Samarth Tiwari and Sven Polak
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Dutch Seminar on Optimization (online series) with Vera Traub (ETH Zürich)

Speaker: Vera Traub (ETH Zürich)

Title:

Better-Than-2 Approximations for Weighted Tree Augmentation and Forest Augmentation

Zoom link: 

https://cwi-nl.zoom.us/j/84909645595?pwd=b1M4QnNKVzNMdmNSVFNaZUJmR1kvUT09
(Meeting ID: 849 0964 5595, Passcode: 772448)

Abstract:

• Web
• Email: Daniel Dadush and Sven Polak
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Workshop on Semidefinite and Polynomial Optimization (Semester Programme)

This workshop is dedicated to recent developments in semidefinite and polynomial optimization, and their applications in combinatorial and continuous optimization, discrete geometry and quantum information. The program (under construction) will consist of invited lectures by experts in the field. It will also feature lectures by younger researchers and ample time will be left for free discussions.

This workshop is co-orgnized by Jop Briët and Monique Laurent.

Here you can find more information on the program of CWI's Semidefinite and Polynomial Optimization Workshop.

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Workshop on Solving Polynomial Equations and Applications (Semester Programme)

Polynomial equations are at the heart of many problems in pure and applied mathematics. They form a powerful tool for modelling nonlinear phenomena in the sciences. Application areas range from robotics, chemistry and computer vision to quantum physics and statistics. Recent progress has made it possible to reliably solve challenging polynomial equations arising in such practical contexts. This workshop will feature a friendly introduction to existing methods, presentations of the latest software tools and research talks by experts in the field. The focus will be on new trends and methodology, as well as applications in the sciences.

This workshop is co-organized by Monique Laurent and Simon Telen.

Here you can find more information on the program of CWI's Solving Polynomial Equations and Applications workshop.

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Workshop on Polynomial Optimization and Applications in Control and Energy (Semester Programme)

This workshop is devoted to the application of polynomial optimization methods in the analysis and control of dynamical systems and energy networks. The polynomial optimization approach offers a powerful framework to model hard nonconvex, nonlinear control problems as infinite dimensional linear optimization problems over measure spaces. The rich interplay between functional analysis and operator theory, and real algebraic geometry, underlies the nowadays well-known moment/sum-of-squares hierarchy of relaxations, that allows to efficiently obtain converging sequences of bounds. This approach has also been recently developed to attack large optimal power flow problems in large electrical networks. The program (under construction) will feature lectures by experts in the field and ample time will be left for discussions.

This workshop is co-organized by Monique Laurent and Bert Zwart.

Here you can find more information on the program of CWI's Polynomial Optimization and Applications in Control and Energy workshop.

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