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  • Apr
    21

    IEMS Seminar: Data Centers, Energy, and Online Optimization

    Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences

    11:00 AM M228 Technological Institute

    EVENT DETAILS

    Adam Wierman

    Caltech

    Abstract: This talk will tell two parallel stories, one about designing sustainable data centers and one about the underlying algorithmic challenges, which fall into the context of online convex optimization. Story 1: The typical story surrounding data centers and energy is an extremely negative one: Data centers are energy hogs. This message is pervasive in both the popular press and academia, and it certainly rings true. However, the view of data centers as energy hogs is too simplistic. One goal of this talk is to highlight that, yes, data centers use a lot of energy, but data centers can also be a huge benefit in terms of integrating renewable energy into the grid and thus play a crucial role in improving the sustainability of our energy landscape. In particular, I will highlight a powerful alternative view: data centers as demand response opportunities. Story 2: Typically in online convex optimization it is enough to exhibit an algorithm with low (sub-linear) regret, which implies that the algorithm can match the performance of the best static solution in retrospect. However, what if one additionally wants to maintain performance that is nearly as good as the dynamic optimal, i.e., a good competitive ratio? In this talk, I'll highlight that it is impossible for an online algorithm to simultaneously achieve these goals. Luckily though, in practical settings (like data centers), noisy predictions about the future are often available, and I will show that, under a general model of prediction noise, even very limited predictions about the future are enough to overcome the impossibility result.
    Biography: Adam Wierman is a Professor in the Department of Computing and Mathematical Sciences at the California Institute of Technology, where he is a founding member of the Rigorous Systems Research Group (RSRG) and maintains a popular blog called Rigor + Relevance. He received his Ph.D., M.Sc. and B.Sc. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University in 2007, 2004, and 2001, respectively. His research interests center around resource allocation and scheduling decisions in computer systems and services. More specifically, his work focuses both on developing analytic techniques in stochastic modeling, queueing theory, scheduling theory, and game theory, and applying these techniques to application domains such as energy-efficient computing, data centers, social networks, and electricity markets.

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    TIME Tuesday, April 21, 2015 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    LOCATION M228 Technological Institute    map it

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    CONTACT Agnes Kaminski    a-kaminski@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences

  • Apr
    30

    Learning and Information Aggregation in Dynamic Games

    Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences (IEMS)

    11:00 AM ITW 1.350, Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center

    EVENT DETAILS

    TIME Tuesday, April 30, 2024 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

    LOCATION ITW 1.350, Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center    map it

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    CONTACT Kendall Minta    kendall.minta@gmail.com EMAIL

    CALENDAR Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences (IEMS)

  • May
    8

    Extending Care: A Conversation about Conservation and Futurity

    Block Museum of Art

    6:00 PM Block Museum of Art, Mary and Leigh

    EVENT DETAILSmore info

    TIME Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

    LOCATION Block Museum of Art, Mary and Leigh    map it

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    CONTACT Block Museum of Art    block-museum@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR Block Museum of Art

  • Jun
    10

    Northwestern Engineering PhD Hooding and Master's Degree Recognition Ceremony

    McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

    9:00 AM Welsh-Ryan Arena

    EVENT DETAILSmore info

    TIME Monday, June 10, 2024 at 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

    LOCATION Welsh-Ryan Arena   

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    CONTACT Amy Pokrass    amy.pokrass@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

  • Jun
    10

    Northwestern Engineering Undergraduate Convocation

    McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

    2:00 PM Welsh-Ryan Arena

    EVENT DETAILSmore info

    TIME Monday, June 10, 2024 at 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

    LOCATION Welsh-Ryan Arena   

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    CONTACT Amy Pokrass    amy.pokrass@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

  • Aug
    14

    Undergraduate Quantum Summer School

    McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

    All Day Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center

    EVENT DETAILSmore info

    TIME Wednesday, August 14, 2024

    LOCATION Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center    map it

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    CONTACT Dongyang Li    lidongyang@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

  • Aug
    15

    Undergraduate Quantum Summer School

    McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

    All Day Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center

    EVENT DETAILSmore info

    TIME Thursday, August 15, 2024

    LOCATION Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center    map it

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    CONTACT Dongyang Li    lidongyang@northwestern.edu EMAIL

    CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science