AdONE Seminar - Monday, May 4, 2026: Prof. Marc Goerigk (University of Passau)

Sorting Objective Values: The Ordered Weighted Averaging Approach and Extensions

When trying to solve an optimization problem with multiple scenarios for the objective function, it is not clear what a ``best'' solution means. Different criteria and approaches exist, such as trying to find all Pareto-efficient solutions, or a solution that performs best in the worst case over all scenarios. Optimization criteria based on sorting the objective values achieved over the scenarios, known as ordered weighted averaging (OWA), have been known for decades, but has seen a rise in recent interest. In this talk, I discuss the OWA operator, relate it to multi-criteria and robust optimization, and discuss recent progress regarding approximability and extensions to other types of uncertainty sets.

Date: May 4, 2026

Time: 5 pm, s.t.

Place: Arcisstr. 21, room Z534/Z536 (0505.Z1.534Z/0505.Z1.536Z)

 

AdONE Seminar - Monday, May 18, 2026: Prof. Giovanni Pantuso (University of Copenhagen)

Solution of arbitrary stochastic programs with decision-dependent uncertainty by discretization

In this talk we discuss stochastic programs with decision-dependent uncertainty. Unlike classical stochastic programs, here the distribution of the uncertain parameters depends on the decision vector through an arbitrary distribution map. Problems of this type are notoriously challenging. We show that solutions to such problems, within arbitrary precision, can be obtained by means of (sequences of) piecewise-constant approximations constructed on partitions of the feasibility set. In particular, optimal objective values and solutions emerge in the limit as the resolution of the partition is refined. The concept is illustrated through numerical examples. 

Date: May 18, 2026

Time: 5 pm, s.t.

Place: online 

 

AdONE Seminar - Monday, June 8, 2026: Speaker tba

Title: tba

Date: June 8, 2026

Time: 5 pm, s.t.

Place: tba

 

AdONE Seminar - Monday, June 15, 2026: Prof. Fabrizio Maria Maggi (Free University of Bozen-Bolzano)

Title: tba

Date: June 15, 2026

Time: 5 pm, s.t.

Place: Boltzmannstr. 3, 85748 Garching, room MI 01.10.011

 

AdONE Seminar - Monday, June 22, 2026: Prof. Christina Imdahl (TU Eindhoven)

Title: How to Account for Behavioral Newsvendors: The Robust Buyback Contract to Address Response Uncertainty

Normative (expected-profit-maximizing) theory assumes that decision-makers are fully rational, but in reality, they deviate from the optimal response. In contract negotiations, contract parameters are often optimized based on the assumption of rational behavior. Deviations from rational behavior can lead to significant costs for all parties involved. To address this, we propose robust optimization to obtain contract parameters that account for deviations from rational behavior. We apply this optimization approach to obtain the robustly optimal contract parameters for the buyback contract when there is limited knowledge of the buyers' responses. We develop a parameterization of the robust contract, called the naive robust contract, that is based on the pull-to-center effect.  We compare the naive robust contract to the normative, the naive robust and various behavioral contracts based on established behavioral response models in a lab experiment. The results show that a robust contract, built on simple assumptions, yields higher average supply chain profits than the normative contract. The robust contract also weakly dominates all other behavioral contracts, meaning that it significantly outperforms them in either average supply chain profit or risk. This approach offers a practical way to set contract parameters without relying on assumptions about the distribution of responses, except for the support.

Date: June 22, 2026

Time: 5 pm, s.t.

Place: Arcisstr. 21, room Z534/Z536 (0505.Z1.534Z/0505.Z1.536Z)

 

AdONE Seminar - Monday, July 6, 2026: Speaker tba

Title: tba

Date: July 6, 2026

Time: 5 pm, s.t.

Place: tba