People A-Z
Dr. Akshay Gupte
Research Interests
My primary research interests are in theory, algorithms, and applications of nonconvex optimization. On the theoretical side, I work mainly on convexification techniques for mixed-integer and nonlinear (polynomial optimization) problems. I also have secondary research interests in computational discrete mathematics, particularly the structural study of convex polytopes and structural graph theory, and the use of tools from computational algebraic geometry in polynomial optimization. The theoretical results of my research have direct impact on accelerating convergence of global optimization algorithms for nonconvex problems. The motivating applications for my research come from various disciplines, such as chemical engineering, resilient network design, quantitative finance, game theory.
My research has been funded by multiple grants from US federal agencies: National Science Foundation -- Computational Maths 2019-21 (sole PI) and NRT 2016-21 (co-Inv.), Office of Naval Research Mathematical Optimization 2016-20 (co-PI), Dept. Education GAANN 2015-18 (co-PI).
Research Groups
Current and Recent PhD Students
Current: Yiran Zhu, Simay Tekgül (co-advised w/ Alper Yildirim)
Past (Clemson U., USA): Nathan Adelgren (Research Associate at Princeton U.), Yibo Xu (Postdoc at Rensselaer Polytechnic)
Recent Conference and Workshop Involvement
I am an invited speaker at the next Scottish Combinatorics 2023 meeting in Glasgow, May 2023. I am organizing a cluster of sessions on discrete and nonconvex optimization at the next IMA Maths of OR 2023 meeting in Birmingham, contact me if you wish to give a talk. A team of PhD students supervised by me won a maths modelling competition at MOPTA 2021 at Lehigh University, USA.
Upcoming Seminars: Southampton Maths/OR (Dec 2022), LSE Maths/Combinatorics&OR (Feb 2023), KTH Maths/Optimization (Spring 2023)
A listing of some main conferences I have given talks at, and when it was a plenary or a invited talk to a single-track.
Mixed-Integer (Nonlinear) Optimization single-track workshops : ICERM 2023 (Brown U., invited), Imperial College 2021 (plenary), CRM-DIMACS 2019 (U. Montreal, invited), Dagstuhl 2018 (invited), Discrete Geometry 2018 (Tel Aviv U., invited), Oberwolfach 2015 (short talk), MIP 2015 (U. Chicago, invited), Carnegie Mellon 2014 (poster)
Other Optimization meetings : IMA Maths of OR (2021), ICERM 2019 (poster), Oberwolfach 2018 (short talk), ISMP (2018, 2015, 2012), SIAM Optimization (2021, 2017, 2014), INFORMS Optimization (2014, 2016), MOPTA 2016 at Lehigh
Discrete Math meetings: Scottish Combinatorics 2023 (invited), British Combinatorics (2022, 2021), SIAM Discrete Math (2021, 2016)
Others (speaker): AMS Joint Math Meeting 2019, SIAM Algebraic Geometry 2017, INFORMS Annual Meetings (2011 - 2019)
Conference Organisation (major roles only, excludes session chair roles) : MIP2018 (Organizing Chair), ISCO (PC member, 2020, 2018), INFORMS Optimization 2020 (committee member, postponed due to COVID-19), SIAM Optimization (mini symposium chair, 2021, 2017), INFORMS Annual Meetings (cluster chair, 2018 - 21)
Biographical Statement
I am originally from Bombay (Mumbai), India, and after completing my Bachelor's degree, I moved to the USA for higher education. My Ph.D. degree is in Operations Research, with a minor in Mathematics, from Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia. I worked as an Assistant Professor of Mathematical Sciences at Clemson University in USA where I got tenured and promoted to Associate Professor before moving to The University of Edinburgh in January 2020. You can read my academic interview.
Professional Activities
- Chair (2022 - 23) and Vice-Chair (2020 - 21) of the INFORMS Computing Society
- Vice-Chair (2018 - 19) of the INFORMS Optimization Society (responsible for Integer and Discrete Optimization cluster)
- Associate Editor : Optimization & Engineering (area: Mathematics, 2022 - ), Operations Research Forum (2019 - )
School Committees
- MSc programmes in OR : Coordinator of dissertations (2020 - ) and Academic Selector for admissions (2021 - )
Education Background
- Ph.D. in Operations Research (minor: Maths), Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, USA), 2012
- M.S., University of Arizona (Tucson, USA), 2007
- B.E., VJTI (Bombay, India), 2005
Previous Employment
- Clemson University (SC, USA), School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences, Aug 2012 - Dec 2019
joined as Assistant Professor, promoted to Associate Professor with tenure
- Exxon Mobil Research and Engineering (NJ, USA), Intern, May - Aug 2010
- Georgia Tech (USA), Graduate Research Assistant, Aug 2008 - 2012,
- Brunel University (London, UK), Dept. Mathematics, Visiting Researcher, May - Aug 2008