KEYNOTE SPEAKERS LIST
Michel Gendreau, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Canada
Title: Metaheuristics in Vehicle Routing
Dominique de Werra, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
Title: Some Graph Problems Arising in Elementary Robotics
Begoña Vitoriano, Complutense University, Spain
Title: Decision Aid Models for Disasters Management
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Michel Gendreau École Polytechnique de Montréal Canada |
Brief Bio
Michel Gendreau is Professor of Operations Research at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Industrial Engineering of École Polytechnique de Montréal (Canada), where he holds the NSERC/Hydro-Québec Chair on the Stochastic Optimization of Electricity Generation. He received his Ph.D. from University of Montreal in 1984. From 1999 to 2007, he was the Director of the Centre for Research on Transportation. His main research area is the application of operations research to energy, transportation and telecommunication planning. Dr. Gendreau has published more than 200 papers on these topics in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. He is the Editor in chief of Transportation Science and member of several other editorial boards. Dr. Gendreau has received several research grants and awards, including the Merit and the Service Award of the Canadian Operational Research Society.
Abstract
During the last two decades, metaheuristics have become the most popular method for tackling vehicle routing problems (VRP) encountered in a wide range of applications. In spite of recent advances in the area of exact solution procedures for routing problems, metaheuristics remain the preferred method for solving large instances or in real-time settings. It is also interesting to note that widely different metaheuristics have been applied with great success to the classical VRP and a large number of its variants.
In this talk, after providing a brief historical overview of the application of metaheuristics to routing problems, we will examine in more detail three families of methods that have proved extremely successful over time:
- Tabu search approaches, based on the ideas first developed in TABUROUTE in the early '90's;
- Genetic algorithms, based on solution representation without trip delimiters;
- Adaptive Large Neighborhood Search approaches.
We will conclude the talk with an attempt to provide some reasons that explain why these techniques have been successful while others have proved disappointing.
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Dominique de Werra École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) Switzerland |
Brief Bio
Dominique de Werra is an emeritus professor of Operations Research at EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne) in Switzerland. His research fields include Combinatorial Optimization, Graph Theory, Scheduling and Timetabling. After spending a few years as an assistant professor in Management Sciences at the University of Waterloo (Canada) he joined the Math Department of EPFL. He conducted a collection of Operational Research projects (applied as well as theoretical) with a number of industrial partners.
He is an associate editor of Discrete Applied Mathematics, Discrete Mathematics, Annals of Operations Research and a member of a dozen of editorial boards of international journals.
From 1990 to 2000 Dominique de Werra was the Vice-President of EPFL; he was in charge of the international relations and represented his institution in many academy networks in Europe (like the CLUSTER network of excellence which he chaired). He was also in charge of all education programs of EPFL.
He is President of IFORS (the International Federation of Operational Research Societies) from 2010 to 2012.
In 1995 he was the laureate of the EURO GOLD He has obtained Honorary Degrees from the University of Paris , the Technical University of Poznan
(Poland) and the University of Fribourg. He published over 200 papers in international scientific journals. He also wrote and edited several books.
He was member of many committees in various countries of Europe and America (evaluation of institutions, accreditation, strategic orientation, etc.)
Abstract
Variations and extensions of coloring models have been introduced by many authors. We will show how simple situations in robotics may generate the need for involved graph coloring models. The case of robots moving in a storage corridor will in particular lead to a few types of problems of chromatic scheduling which are also interesting from a theoretical point of view. We will discuss some of these problems and present some approximability and complexity issues. Open questions will finally be introduced with some tracks for further research leading to new chromatic scheduling problems.
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Begoña Vitoriano Complutense University Spain |
Brief Bio
Begoña Vitoriano is Associate Professor at the Department of Statistics and Operational Research, Faculty of Mathematics, Complutense University of Madrid (Spain), where she obtained her Ph.D. degree in Mathematics (Operational Research). She also was a lecturer at the Department of Industrial Organisation and researcher of the Technological Research Institute in the Pontificia Comillas University of Madrid. Currently, she is also coordinator of the Master in Mathematical Engineering of the Complutense University.
Begoña Vitoriano has been involved in research and development projects all along her career, especially in technology transferring taking part and leading quite a number of research projects. She is author of numerous research papers.
Her areas of interest are Mathematical Programming (Integer and Stochastic Programming), Simulation, Game Theory and Multicriteria Decision Making, mostly focused on developing Decision Support Systems for planning and operation for several industrial sectors (e.g. power systems generation, railways transport, agricultural planning, disasters management and humanitarian logistics). It is in this sector of humanitarian logistics for disasters management where she is focusing currently her research, leading a team at the Complutense University with an international recognition. Besides she has got a big experience in Development Cooperation, leading several projects for El Salvador, Peru and Mozambique, and taking part of different Committees for Developing Countries (European Mathematical Society, IFORS, SEIO, CE-MAT...).
Abstract
Providing emergency relief and supplies to the victims of natural disasters is a hugely complex process fraught with many challenging aspects. These include multiple uncertainties, little reliable information, precariousness of transport links and scarcity of resources, a variety of involved entities, and a fast flow of goods moving through the supply chain, among others. To be able to respond to disasters effectively, it is critical for local institutions and International Humanitarian Organizations (IHO) to jointly consider all these aspects while making decisions for designing preparedness plans and relief supply chains, and for performing relief operations after disasters.
Nowadays there is a wealth of information that could be used to improve decision making in disaster management, but this information is usually not available at the right moment in the right way and is partially known.
Developing systems to manage this information and support decisions in the context of disasters management is a growing area of research, whose special characteristics prevent from using tools developed for other areas of logistics.
