Michael Ferris

University of Wisconsin

Title: Fish, cows, fields of fuel and optimization

Abstract:We explore the use of optimization for decision making in several agricultural areas. The underlying models are complex large scale optimization and complementarity problems, and these models interact with collections of decision makers or gaming environments. Specific problems include probability chain models for fish barrier removal, sustainable models for nutrient management, separation and crop practice, and automated bot design for computer gaming applications. Some interactive demonstrations will be given as part of the presentation. Bio: Michael C. Ferris is Professor of Computer Sciences and leads the Optimization Group within the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA. He received his PhD from the University of Cambridge, England in 1989. Dr. Ferris' research is concerned with algorithmic and interface development for large scale problems in mathematical programming, including links to the GAMS and AMPL modeling languages, and general purpose software such as PATH, NLPEC and EMP. He has worked on several applications of both optimization and complementarity, including cancer treatment plan development, radiation therapy, video-on-demand data delivery, economic and traffic equilibria, structural and mechanical engineering. Ferris is a SIAM fellow, an INFORMS fellow, received the Beale-Orchard-Hays prize from the Mathematical Programming Society and is a past recipient of a NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. He serves on the editorial boards of Mathematical Programming, SIAM Journal on Optimization, Transactions of Mathematical Software, and Optimization Methods and Software.