TITLE: Center-points: A link between discrete geometry and optimization

SPEAKER:  Timm Oertel

ABSTRACT:

n this talk, I will consider mixed-integer convex minimization problems. First, I will present optimality conditions for this class of optimization problems. Then, I will introduce the concept of center-points, a generalization of the median from the one dimensional space to vector spaces. Through the theory of center-points I will show how to extend the general cutting plane scheme from the continuous setting to the mixed-integer setting. Further, I will present several properties of center-points and how to compute them approximately.

Timm's webpage: http://www.ifor.math.ethz.ch/staff/toertel