Optimisation in Practice

Professor Ryan Loxton
School of Electrical Engineering, Computing, and Mathematical Sciences, Curtin University

6:00 ᴘᴍ on Tuesday 10^th November 2020
Kim E. Beazley Lecture Theatre
Murdoch University, Western Australia

Visitors are welcome to attend this branch meeting.

Abstract

Optimisation has numerous applications in business and industry, but there is a big mismatch between the optimisation problems studied in academia (which tend to be highly structured problems) and those encountered in practice (which are non-standard and highly unstructured). Real-world optimisation problems are typically enormous in scale, with hundreds of thousands of inter-related variables and constraints, multiple conflicting objectives, and numerous candidate solutions that can easily exceed the total number of atoms in the solar system. This talk gives an overview of the presenter’s experiences in building optimisation models and practical algorithms in the oil and gas, mining, and agriculture sectors. Some of this work has led to journal articles that bridge the gap between industry and academia.

About the Speaker

Ryan Loxton is an ARC Future Fellow in the School of Electrical Engineering, Computing, and Mathematical Sciences at Curtin University. Ryan has co-authored over 60 journal papers in the areas of optimisation, operations research, and control theory, and he has led mathematical research projects with many companies including Woodside Energy, Vekta Automation, Fleetcare, and Global Grain Handling Solutions. Most recently, Ryan helped establish the ARC Industry Training Centre for Transforming Maintenance through Data Science, which is hosted by Curtin University and is co-funded by the federal government and industry partners Alcoa, BHP Billiton, and Roy Hill. Ryan was a joint winner of this year’s Christopher Heyde Medal from the Australian Academy of Sciences.Ryan Loxton is an ARC Future Fellow in the School of Electrical Engineering, Computing, and Mathematical Sciences at Curtin University.  

Refreshments and Dinner

Members and guests are invited to mingle over wine and cheese from 5:30 ᴘᴍ onwards in the Kim E. Beazley Lecture Theatre. Following the meeting you are invited to dine with fellow attendees the Bull Creek Tavern; please RSVP for dinner to Brenton Clarke B.Clarke@murdoch.edu.au by 11 am Tuesday 10th November. Directions to Bull Creek Tavern (52-54 Benningfield Rd, Bull Creek WA 6149): from Murdoch University travel East on South Street through a few sets of lights, then turn left into Benningfield Road at the lights just at Red Rooster. Turn left into the car park at Dan Murphy’s and the Bull Creek Tavern is right next door.

Meeting directions

Parking is free at the Murdoch University campus after 5:00 ᴘᴍ in the red and green zones (avoid the reserved and service bays). We suggest parking in Car Park 3 (searchable in Google Maps) that can be entered from campus entrance B or C on South St; those parking here should walk south-west towards Bush court then up the stairs when seen.

The Kim E. Beazley Lecture theatre entrance with glass doors is on the south side of Bush Court. The approximate location can be seen at this Google Maps link.

Alternatively VIEWING OPTIONS

This seminar will also be available over Zoom. Please register for this meeting for the details. This seminar will not be recorded.

For further information please contact the Branch Secretary, Rick Tankard, Murdoch University.
He can be reached by email at rick.tankard@murdoch.edu.au or by phone at (08) 9360 2820.