Wednesday, May 13, 2015

[DMANET] FAU Optimization Challenge

Dear Optimization Community,

The University of Erlangen (FAU), Germany, is organizing an optimization
challenge focussed on optimal train timetables. The task is to come up
with models and algorithms to compute timetables that are minimal with
respect to the resulting energy cost by the operation of the trains. All
researchers (from students up to professors) may participate in teams
between two and five people. The only condition is that at least one
team member is non-German or is affiliated to a non-German university.
Teams affiliated to the University of Erlangen may take part out of
competition.

We especially encourage young scientists to take part. So feel free to
pass this email to your students. The team with the best solutions to
the challenge instances will be invited to Erlangen for one week this
October, all expenses covered. During this time, the winners have the
opportunity to visit our research group on discrete optimization,
discuss their solutions with us, explore possibilities for future
collaboration or career development, get to know the cultural and
culinary highlights of Germany in general and Bavaria in particular, and
finally present their work at the popular science fair "Long Night of
Science".

More information can be found here:
https://openresearchchallenge.org/

Note that the FAU Open Research Challenge comprises three seperate
challenges,
whose topics are digital forensics, discrete optimization, and photonic
technologies.

The homepage of our optimization challenge is here:
https://openresearchchallenge.org/discreteOptimization/ChairofEconomics

The challenge is already online and closes by the end of July.

We look forward to your participation and will be happy to greet the
winners here in Erlangen!

Prof. Dr. Alexander Martin and
Dipl-Math. Andreas Bärmann
Chair of Economics, Discrete Optimization, and Mathematics
FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany


PS: You can ask your questions concerning the rules of the competition
and the functioning of the challenge website here:
openresearchchallenge[at]fau.de

For questions concerning the formation of teams and the optimization
task itself, you can use the challenge forum on the website (preferred)
or directly send them to:
Andreas.Baermann[at]math.uni-erlangen.de

--
Andreas Bärmann
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Department Mathematik
Lehrstuhl für Wirtschaftsmathematik
Cauerstraße 11
91058 Erlangen

E-Mail: Andreas.Baermann[at]math.uni-erlangen.de
Tel.: +49 (9131) 85-67159
**********************************************************
*
* Contributions to be spread via DMANET are submitted to
*
* DMANET@zpr.uni-koeln.de
*
* Replies to a message carried on DMANET should NOT be
* addressed to DMANET but to the original sender. The
* original sender, however, is invited to prepare an
* update of the replies received and to communicate it
* via DMANET.
*
* DISCRETE MATHEMATICS AND ALGORITHMS NETWORK (DMANET)
* http://www.zaik.uni-koeln.de/AFS/publications/dmanet/
*
**********************************************************