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About the lecture

Convex sets, from Platonic solids to norm balls, abound in mathematics. The problem of optimising a linear function over a convex set is a fundamental (and universal) problem in mathematical optimisation. In order to solve such computational problems involving convex sets, we need to deal with a more basic issue: When can we describe convex sets in a way that is useful for computation?

In this special lecture, James will discuss two related ways tailored to optimisation to describe convex sets and measure their complexity. Remarkably, they are not fully understood even for regular polygons! The talk will provide an overview of old and new results and questions in the area, with the aim of illustrating a variety of mathematical ideas that have been used to study the existence (or otherwise) of low-complexity descriptions of convex sets.

About the speaker

James Saunderson is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering at Monash University. He received a PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT (2015), and undergraduate degrees in Mathematics and Electrical Engineering from the University of Melbourne (2008). With Hamza Fawzi and Pablo Parrilo, he was awarded the 2020 SIAM Activity Group on Optimization Best Paper Prize, and was the recipient of an Australian Research Council Discovery Early-Career Researcher Award (DECRA). His research interests lie in mathematical optimisation and its applications.

Schedule

4-5pm: Presentation by Dr James Saunderson in Room 4082/3 of the Anita B. Lawrence Centre, ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼÇ
5-7±è³¾:ÌýReception in Room 3082, Anita B. Lawrence Centre, ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼÇ

Venue

Please enter the Anita B. Lawrence Centre building via the Centre Wing or East Wing entrances of the School of Mathematics and Statistics (ref: ).

*Please note that the School of Mathematics and Statistics is not accessible via the West Wing of the building.

Accessibility

Please note that the Anita B. Lawrence Building rooms 3082 and 4082 are wheelchair accessible. When you register, please indicate if you have any accessibility requirements and we will get in touch with you to ensure they can be accommodated.

Frontiers in Fundamental Mathematics Research Nexus

This event is presented by the ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç School of Mathematics and Statistics and is part of our Frontiers in Fundamental Mathematics Research Nexus series, which aims to highlight fundamental research in the mathematical sciences, with an emphasis on the significance and impact of fundamental mathematics to a diverse range of areas within mathematics and beyond.
Learn more about the Nexus Program.

Enquiries

Please contact Jan Lin if you have any enquiries about this event (j.lin@unsw.edu.au).