News Mathematics Archive – Page 10 of 12

5th Alpen-Adria-Workshop on Optimization (December 6 to 9, 2017)

From December 6 to 9, 2017 26 scientists from Germany, Italy, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Austria gathered in Klagenfurt to present and discuss latest results on various combinatorial optimization problems.

The plenary lectures were given by Frank Vallentin and Gerhard Woeginger.

Frank Vallentin talked about colourings of infinite graphs, where harmonic analysis and convex optimization is used to obtain bounds. In Gerhard Woeginger’s we learned about hard voting problems.

The program consisted also of an open problem session where many of us posted and discussed questions they are currently working on. 13 speakers contributed to the workshop program by presenting their work on topics like bundle methods, matrix factorization ranks, or several types of quadratic problems.

Socializing, discussing problems and optimizing also took place beyond the lecture halls: at dinners we had together, with the hot wine punch at the Christkindlmarkt, during a boat trip at lake Wörthersee and during a hike through a winter wonderland to the top of Pyramidenkogel.

More information: https://aawo2017.aau.at

Prof. Bruno Buchberger visits “Algebraic Methods for Discrete Optimization” (taught by Visiting Fulbright Professor Susan Margulies)

The distinguished mathematician Bruno Buchberger was a key note speaker in the workshop “Mind, Culture and Behavior in the Digital Age” conducted in Klagenfurt last week. Despite his busy schedule, he accepted Susan Margulies’ invitation to attend the last day of her class, and listen to the students present their final projects.

Groebner Bases (discovered by Buchberger, but named after his thesis advisor Wolfgang Groebner) and Buchberger’s Algorithm were principal topics in the course “Algebraic Methods for Discrete Optimization”. The final student presentations included topics such as “Improvements to Buchberger’s Algorithm”, “Set Cover and Groebner Bases”, “Hamiltonian Cycle and Groebner bases”, and “A Bridge between the Ideal World and the SDP World”.

Vom Außen aufs Innere schließen: Inverse Probleme in der Mathematik ermöglichen neue Einblicke

Inverse Probleme in der Mathematik bestimmen die Ursachen für Effekte: Beispielsweise kann man über das Messen von Spannungsverteilung an der Körperoberfläche auf die Beschaffenheit des Gewebes im Körper schließen. Die Lösung solcher Probleme ist derzeit häufig sehr rechenzeitintensiv. Barbara Kaltenbacher arbeitet daher nun in einem FWF-Projekt an neuen Rechenverfahren für allgemeine inverse Probleme.

Supermarket Home Delivery Efficiency Increased by 10 Per Cent

Delivery services by supermarket chains are on the fast track, with retail customers readily taking advantage of the option to have their everyday grocery needs delivered to their home within a defined time slot. For the chain stores, online retail activities involve a vast effort in terms of logistics, with much to lose, but also much to gain. A team of mathematicians at the Alpen-Adria-Universität, assembled by optimisation expert Philipp Hungerländer, has succeeded in increasing the efficiency of the delivery routes of a global retail brand in England by more than 10 per cent. As a result, the corporation has reduced its costs by several million Euros per year.