ESR presentations

ESR12-Arefeh Kavand

Linh Nguyen ESR presentations 23 September 2019

Nationality: Iranian

POEMA Host Institution: Friedrich-Alexander-Universitaet Erlangen, Germany

Background:

Bachelor's degree holder in Mathematics and Applications from Alzahra University. Master’s degree holder in Numerical Analysis, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Amirkabir University of Technology with the focus on Optimal Control problems.
Master thesis: “Pseudospectral methods for solving integer and fractional time-delay optimal control problems”.

Research interests: Optimization, Numerical Analysis, Optimal Control,

POEMA project: ESR12 (Hosted by FAU, Prof. Michael Stingl):

To develop dedicated algorithms and software for nonlinear convex conic optimization. To analyze and exploit the structure that appears in polynomial optimization problems in order to improve the performance of the Semidefinite Programming solvers and the numerical quality of their solution.
First approach will be based on the existing software PENNON, based on the augmented Lagrangian method and intended for general non-convex problems, The second approach will be based on primal-dual interior point algorithms.

Secondments: A research stay (secondments) at University of Tilburg, Netherlands (Etienne de Klerk) and at University of Birmingham, UK (Mikal Kocvara) and NAG, UK (Mike Dewar).

Supervisors: Michael Stingl, Friedrich-Alexander-Universitaet Erlangen, Germany

Read Arefeh Kavand Blog

ESR10 - Tobias Metzlaff

Linh Nguyen ESR presentations 23 September 2019

Nationality: German

POEMA Host Institution: Inria, Sophia Antipolis, France

Background:

2014-2018: Bachelor of Science at RWTH Aachen University with bachelor thesis “Periodic Linear Discrete Systems and their Canonical Form”
2018-2019: Master of Science at RWTH Aachen University with master thesis “Computational Improvements for Non-Commutative Gröbner Bases over Z/mZ”

Research interests:

I am interested in computer algebra and its applications in polynomial optimization. A great focus lies on finding robust, efficient algorithms for computations in non-monomial bases with group theoretic techniques to gain symmetry and nicely behaved moment matrices. Other interests are Groebner bases, autonomy/controllability of abstract linear systems and geometric properties corresponding to representations and functors.

POEMA project: Group theoretic polynomial bases for global optimization

Supervisors: Evelyne Hubert, Inria, Sophia Antipolis, France

Read Tobias Metzlaff Blog

ESR2 -Andrew Ferguson

Linh Nguyen ESR presentations 19 September 2019

Nationality: British

POEMA Host Institution: Sorbonne Universite (SU)

Background: MSc Mathematics with Study Abroad – University of Bristol

Master’s Project: On Toric Ideals and Polyhedral Geometry

(Supervisor: Fatemeh Mohammadi)

Research interests: Combinatorial Commutative Algebra, Gröbner Bases and their applications, Algebraic Geometry, Algebraic Topology

POEMA project: Exact algorithms for structured polynomial optimization

Goals:

generalising critical point method algorithms to the semi-algebraic set case
obtain variants of Ehresmann’s fibration theorem for non-proper situations and using this result to design algorithms deciding the existence of an infimum

Secondments: UNIFI: M26-28, IBM: M37-39

Supervisors: Mohab Safey el Din, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France

Read Andrew Ferguson Blog

ESR6- Andries Steenkamp

Linh Nguyen ESR presentations 23 September 2019

Nationality: South African.

POEMA Host Institution: CWI, the Netherlands

Background: BSc. Math. University of Pretoria, BSc. Math. (Hons.) University of Pretoria, MSc. Math ETHZ.

Research Interests: Combinatorial optimization, Graph Theory and the Moment Problem.

POEMA project: Approximation hierarchies for (non-)commutative polynomial optimization.

Future Results:

Convergence analysis of the approximation hierarchies;
Genericity of finite convergence and optimality certificates;
Exploring techniques (like sparsity and using appropriate polynomial bases) to make the computation of the non-commutative hierarchies more efficient.

Planned secondments. a Research stay at CNRS-LAAS in Toulouse, France (Didier Henrion) and with the Numerical Algorithms Group (NAG), Oxford, UK (Mike Dewar).

Supervisors: Monique Laurent, NWO-I/CWI, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Read Andries Steenkamp Blog

ESR11-Sebastian Debus

Linh Nguyen ESR presentations 16 September 2019

Nationality: German

POEMA Host Institution: Univ. of Tromsoe, Norway

Background: MSc in Mathematics at the University of Vienna, Master thesis title: “Non-negativity vs. sums of squares in equivariant situations”.

Research interests: Real algebra, convex geometry and intersections with optimization. I am interested in problems where symmetry can be exploited to reduce the complexity and sums of squares techniques can be applied.

POEMA project: “Numerical cubature with symmetry and applications to polynomial optimization”, I am looking forward to the secondments at the University of Konstanz where I will work with Prof. Schweighofer, at INRIA Méditerranée with Senior Research Scientist Evelyne Hubert and at Artelys in Paris.

Supervisors: Cordian Riener, Univ. of Tromsoe, Norway

Read Sebastian Debus Blog