[Opt-net] Announcement CO@Work II at ZIB (from Thorsten Koch <koch@zib.de>)

optnet optnet at uni-trier.de
Mon Mar 23 14:11:19 MET 2009


          Combinatorial Optimization at Work 
           ==================================

                 A course at TU Berlin 
in cooperation with MATHEON and the Berlin Mathematical School
           offered by Prof. Martin Grötschel

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Outline of the Course
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Dates of the course:            September 21 ? October 9, 2009
Course language:                English
Intended audience:              advanced master and PhD students, Post-docs
Location:                       Zuse Institute Berlin
Application deadline:           June 1, 2009
Participation fee:              none
Preparatory material available: End of June 2009
URL (info/application):         http://co-at-work.zib.de
Contact:                        coaw at zib.de

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Contents
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Monday, September 21 
   Welcome and Introduction to CO at W
   Linear and integer programming: an introduction, basics of polyhedral theory,
   the Travelling Salesman Problem and its applications

Tuesday, September 22
   Introduction to the ZIB Optimization Suite
   Data, modelling, and solvers, including Zimpl, Soplex, SCIP, PORTA, Polymake 
   (application cases, e.g., sequencing welding robots)

Wednesday, September 23
   Theory of combinatorial auctions and auction practice (algorithmic game theory)

Thursday, September 24 
   Advanced Linear Programming, Solving LPs in Practice (Lectures by Bob Bixby)

Friday, September 25
   Advanced Mixed Integer Programming, Solving MIPs in Practice (Lectures by Bob Bixby)

Saturday, September 26 (optional)
   Learning/Refreshing C programming in one day

Sunday, September 27 No scientific program

Monday, September 28 
   Programming in SCIP: how to implement components of a B&C Solver 
   (application cases, e.g., solving routing problems)                                         

Tuesday, September 29
   Programming in SCIP: how to implement constraint handlers  
   (application cases, e.g., solving chip verification problems) 

Wednesday, September 30
   Public Transportation: several cases from practice, including vehicle routing, 
   driver assignment. How to implement a column generation procedure in SCIP                     

Thursday, October 01
   Excursion to a company  (various options)

Friday, October 02
   Logistics: several cases from practice, including elevator scheduling, 
   control of stacker cranes, integrated optimization of school starting 
   times and bus transport

Saturday, October 03
   Telecommunication: several cases from practice, including survivable network design, 
   multilayer network design, Internet routing, frequency assignment for GSM mobile phone 
   systems, capacity and coverage planning for the UMTS radio interface

Sunday, October 04 No scientific program 

Monday, October 05
   Canada Day (applications of combinatorial optimization at MITACS), 
   several cases from practice including health care operations research

Tuesday, October 06
   Australia Day (applications of combinatorial optimization at MASCOS)
   Several cases from practice including surface mining operations

Wednesday, October 07
   Written examination, visit of 3D graphics studio DaVinci, visit of Technikmuseum

Thursday, October 08
   Modelling stochastic and nonlinear mixed integer programming problems,
   e.g. designing and operating gas-networks, integrated sheet metal design

Friday, October 09
   Summary of the course, future perspectives (research and practice), 
   results of the examination
                    
Please note that there may be changes in the sequence of the topics.


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Daily Plan
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Each day will consist of a mixture of lectures and exercises with the following schedule:
      
      09:00 ? 10:30 lecture
      11:00 ? 12:30 lecture or exercises
      12:30 ? 14:00 lunch (at the FU Mensa)
      14:00 ? 15:30 lecture
      16.00 ? 17:30 lecture or exercises

The program will be adapted to the daily needs. For all lectures, 
slides will be made available.

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Remarks
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1. In addition to the main lecturer (Martin Grötschel), several international colleagues 
   (including Bob Bixby from Rice University, Houston, and Martin Puterman from UBC, Vancouver) 
   and colleagues from Berlin (including Ralf Borndörfer and Thorsten Koch) will present 
   exciting real world applications of combinatorial optimization and integer programming.
2. This block course targets master students (in their final year), PhD students, and Post-docs 
   interested in the use of combinatorial optimization and mathematical programming techniques 
   in concrete applications from practice.
3. Students are expected to be familiar with the basics of linear, integer, mixed integer and
   combinatorial optimization. Preparatory material covering these basics and various lectures
   to be given will be distributed in June 2009.
4. Students are expected to bring (if possible) a laptop along. We will make first class 
   optimization and other software available and will teach the use of this software using
   real world data from practical problem instances.
5. The number of participants is limited.
6. There will be a test with a certificate of successful participation in the course and the
   exercises. For German students, this is equivalent to a ?Schein zur erfolgreichen 
   Teilnahme an einer vierstündigen Vorlesung und zweistündigen Übungen?.
7. For participants from outside Berlin, we are prepared to offer low-priced accommodation.



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