Author | Lightnews

Jannis Kurtz @jannisku.bsky.social · 6d

We show that for integer problems calculating optimal CEs is Sigma_2^p-hard and provide solution algorithms which are able to solve instances in small dimension.

Jannis Kurtz @jannisku.bsky.social · 6d

Essentially a counterfactual question applied to optimization problems asks: what is the minimal change in the problem parameters which would lead to a different but favored optimal solution?

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Jannis Kurtz @jannisku.bsky.social · 6d

Counterfactual explanations (CE) recently received increasing attention as a tool to provide explanations for the decisions of optimization problems; see e.g. Kurtz et al. (2025).

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Jannis Kurtz @jannisku.bsky.social · 6d

In our new work we study #counterfactual #explanations for linear #integer #optimization problems:

optimization-online.org/2025/10/coun...

This is joint work with Felix Engelhardt, Ilker Birbil and Ted Ralphs

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Jannis Kurtz @jannisku.bsky.social · 7d

I think no real mathematician should ever be asked to come up with an application for their math. There should be a human right for this

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Reposted by Jannis Kurtz

Thiago Serra @thserra.bsky.social · 9d

@jannisku.bsky.social is giving a very interesting talk on explainable (integer) optimization at the @euroorml.bsky.social seminar, highlighting counterfactual explanations before diving on new work with Coherent Local Explanations for Mathematical Optimization (CLEMO): arxiv.org/abs/2502.04840

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Jannis Kurtz @jannisku.bsky.social · 11d

Meanwhile on LinkedIn: „Academic operations research is useless since papers don’t study what is useful for Amazon“

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Reposted by Jannis Kurtz

Sophie Huiberts @sophie.huiberts.me · 12d

we need more anti capitalist operations research

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Jannis Kurtz @jannisku.bsky.social · 12d

We recently set up a new webpage where we want to collect all advances in the newly emerging field of #explainable #optimization

www.expopt.org

Our webpage collects publications, events and software packages related to the topic. If you want your work to be added please use our contact page:

Explainable Optimization

Managed by XOpt Team @ UvA. A websited dedicated to collect and promote the recent research on explainable optimization (XOpt).

www.expopt.org

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Jannis Kurtz @jannisku.bsky.social · 15d

I will give a talk about our newest work in #Explainable #Optimization in the EURO OSS. You are welcome to join!

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Jannis Kurtz @jannisku.bsky.social · 21d

But to be fair, this type of buzz-word repetition you also find at business schools without LLM use 😆

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Jannis Kurtz @jannisku.bsky.social · 22d

Join us for the next Robust Optimization Webinar (ROW) this Friday, October 3, at 17:00 (CET) (please note the changed time).

Speaker: Paul Grigas (University of California, Berkeley)
Title: Parametric Optimization Beyond Discretization

More info on our webpage: sites.google.com/view/row-ser...

Jannis Kurtz @jannisku.bsky.social · Sep 3

In collaboration with University of Amsterdam, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital we developed a heuristic algorithm for the k-adaptability approach applied to #robust treatment planning in radiation therapy.

Paper link: arxiv.org/abs/2508.07368

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Jannis Kurtz @jannisku.bsky.social · Sep 1

More information on our webpage: sites.google.com/view/row-ser...

Robust Optimization Webinar

The Robust Optimization Webinar (ROW) is a bi-weekly online seminar covering presentations of international researchers related to the topic of robust optimization. The seminar covers presentations on...

sites.google.com

Jannis Kurtz @jannisku.bsky.social · Sep 1

The Robust Optimization Webinar (ROW) is back from the summer break! We will have our first seminar this Friday, September 5 at 15:00 (CET).

Speaker: Alexander Shapiro (Georgia Institute of Technology)

Title: Rectangularity and Duality of Distributionally Robust Markov Decision Processes

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Jannis Kurtz @jannisku.bsky.social · Aug 20

But I mean the leading academics in the field are frequently debating the impact of AI (see e.g. www.youtube.com/watch?v=144u...). We can discuss how realistic or smart some arguments are but at least there is a discussion. Never saw anything coming close to this in OR.

Munk Debate on Artificial Intelligence | Bengio & Tegmark vs. Mitchell & LeCun

YouTube video by Policy-Relevant Science & Technology

www.youtube.com

Jannis Kurtz @jannisku.bsky.social · Aug 19

Very true, although at least in AI research people are more aware of societal/political consequences of their works. In OR people had some discussions in the 80s and after the neoliberal agenda took over it feels there is no discussion about the inherent OR ideology anymore..

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Jannis Kurtz @jannisku.bsky.social · Jul 21

Our paper on #CounterfactualExplanations for #LinearOptimization Problems is now published and open accessible at European Journal of Operational Research:

doi.org/10.1016/j.ej...

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Jannis Kurtz @jannisku.bsky.social · Jul 8

The Robust Optimization Webinar (#ROW) will be back in September with Season 6. Meanwhile, to properly enjoy the summer, you can watch all presentations of our past speakers on our Youtube channel:

Youtube: youtube.com/@robustoptim...

Webpage: sites.google.com/view/row-ser...

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Jannis Kurtz @jannisku.bsky.social · Jun 24

The last #ROW of this season takes place Friday, June 27, at 15:00 (CET). We will be back with our 6th season beginning of September.

Speaker 1: Taylan Kargin (Caltech)

Speaker 2: Zihang Qiu (University of Amsterdam)

More information on our webpage: sites.google.com/view/row-ser...

Jannis Kurtz @jannisku.bsky.social · Jun 14

Perfect showcase that for this type of problems using an LLM to search over the space of algorithms instead of smartly searching over the solution space is a complete waste of resources.

Austin Buchanan @austinlbuchanan.bsky.social · Jun 14

Timo Berthold has a post called “FICO Xpress Optimization Surpasses AlphaEvolve’s Achievements” www.fico.com/blogs/best-g... #orms

FICO Xpress Optimization Surpasses AlphaEvolve’s Achievements

FICO’s global optimization solver outperforms Gemini AI-powered AlphaEvolve coding agent by improving solutions for complex, constrained math problems

www.fico.com

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Reposted by Jannis Kurtz

Austin Buchanan @austinlbuchanan.bsky.social · Jun 14

Timo Berthold has a post called “FICO Xpress Optimization Surpasses AlphaEvolve’s Achievements” www.fico.com/blogs/best-g... #orms

FICO Xpress Optimization Surpasses AlphaEvolve’s Achievements

FICO’s global optimization solver outperforms Gemini AI-powered AlphaEvolve coding agent by improving solutions for complex, constrained math problems

www.fico.com

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Reposted by Jannis Kurtz

Tim van Erven @timvanerven.nl · Jun 13

4th AI & Mathematics in NL workshop in Tilburg.

Many cool presentations: aimath.nl/index.php/20...

And great people:

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Jannis Kurtz @jannisku.bsky.social · Jun 10

Join us for the next Robust Optimization Webinar (#ROW), this Friday, June 13, at 15:00 (CET):

Speaker: Ian Yihang Zhu (NUS Business School)

Title: Network Flow Models for Robust Binary Optimization with Selective Adaptability

More information on our webpage: sites.google.com/view/row-ser...

Jannis Kurtz @jannisku.bsky.social · Jun 10

Ok these algorithm abbreviations are getting out of hand 😂