Richard Oberdieck

Back from the summer break 😎 with a new edition of the optimization roundtable. Come by and talk optimization and other fun things in life over a beer 🍻 Looking forward to see you!

📍Hos Rune, Vesterbro, CPH
⏱️24th of September, 19-21

www.linkedin.com/events/optim...

New week, a new blog post about optimization. This time about a new modeling framework in Python called "pyOptInterface". Is it any good? Where does it fall short? Let's find out!

oberdieck.dk/2025/05/25/p...

#modeling #optimization #pyoptinterface #pyomo #blog

Been a long time, but better late than never they say. Here is a short new blog post about #pydantic, which does not always do what it says it does.

oberdieck.dk/2025/04/25/p...

Also, I moved to mkdocs-material for the blog, let me know what you think!

#python #pydantic

It's a fascinating story. I can recommend the book "Prisoner's Dilemma", where this is covered in some detail. An autobiography of von Neumann I read last year also covered it. Interestingly, many of the great minds of the time (incl. von Neumann) advocated for bombing UDSSR before it got the bomb.

DORS Tutorial: Testing Optimisation Code, by Richard Oberdieck | Dors An introductory tutorial on testing optimisation code

Work in optimization or operations research? Are in Copenhagen on Thursday? Then you might like this tutorial on "Testing Optimization Code":

www.dorsnet.dk/events-1/dor...

We'll do a deep dive on what it means to test .... optimization code (surprised pikachu face :) ). And there will be cake :)

I wasn't aware Gurobi offered WLS licenses to academics. Good to know!

A few comments from me: I use pyproject.toml rather than requirements, then hatch for the python project management. Also, I would use 'uv python install' rather than sudo apt-get to install the standalone python versions, it makes it very clean.

Correct. I'm aware of the "shortage" of MIP devs, but I also know that it's not good to have too many cooks in the kitchen, so to speak. So because you do this, it must mean that it is really hard to find "ready" MIP devs, but you feel you need to train talented people for 2 years.

Link to job posting: jobs.lever.co/GurobiOptimi...

This job post from @gurobioptimization.bsky.social just popped up for me: A "Gurobi Development Scholar", who will go through a 2-year period to become a Gurobi developer. The only plausible explanation for this is that apparently they cannot find existing MIP devs but have to train them? Really??

Ok, so they remove the DEI committee, and replace it with an ad-hoc committee, which just is not called DEI but maybe somehow should do the same? What exactly is changing? The part I find most questionable is to "be sunsetting [...] its related statements". Why do you feel the need specify that?

No longer an INFORMS member, so I didn't get the email. Would you mind sharing the full email? Kinda curious what it said.

I guess the expectation is that most universities provide a VPN. Did you try talking to Gurobi Support? Could you not find a workaround?

Fact of the day: the term "Prisoner's dilemma" was coined by none other than Alan Tucker, the "T" in the KKT conditions. The world sometimes is very, very small...

Source: William Poundstone: "Prisoner's Dilemma"

Optimization Roundtable (Stammtisch) | LinkedIn The new edition of our Optimization Roundtable. It is a relaxed get-together of optimization people over a beer and chat away about optimization, life, and whatever else comes up. No speakers or agend...

If you happen to be in #CPH next Friday (31st of January), feel free to join our Optimization Roundtable ("Stammtisch") at a cozy beer place called Hos Rune. I'll be there from 7pm, hope to see a lot of you there :)

www.linkedin.com/events/optim...

#optimization #roundtable #beer

Hope you like the chapter! Let me know if you have feedback!

Unfortunately all communication went directly through Springer. However, if you drop me a DM with your email I can share the copy I have received.

Tutorial: Testing Optimisation Code - register now! The DORS Tutorial on Testing Optimisation Code by Richard Oberdieck is now open for registration!When: 13 March 2025, 13:00-17:00Where: IT University Copenhagen, Room 2A08, Rued Langgaards Vej 7, 2300 København, DenmarkTo do optimization is to code. In this tutorial, we will dive into approaches on how to test that code for correctness and performance, using an array cable layout problem from the offshore wind industry written in Python. It will be accessible to all levels, however a certain fam

How do you test optimization code? I'll look at this favorite question of mine in a tutorial on the 13th of March at ITU in Copenhagen! Come by!

www.dorsnet.dk/post/dors-tu...

#optimization #or #tutorial #cph

Optimization Roundtable (Stammtisch) | LinkedIn The new edition of our Optimization Roundtable. It is a relaxed get-together of optimization people over a beer and chat away about optimization, life, and whatever else comes up. No speakers or agend...

Optimization Roundtable in Copenhagen! On the 31st of January, at Hos Rune from 7pm, we'll have a relaxed get-together for optimization people over a beer and chat optimization, life and whatever else :) Hope to see you there!

www.linkedin.com/events/optim...

#optimization #or #cph

On Building Git for Lawyers Over this past weekend, Twitter discovered the problem that I have dedicated the past four years of my life to solving. Why don't lawyers and other non-coders use git?

This is a really fun read: jordanbryan.substack.com/p/on-buildin...

Of course a plug of their own business, but I have wondered the same when it comes to redlining. Nice to see that this is getting some attention.

Although I do agree: just use a different file format...

LLM-ify me - Optimization edition LLMs are everywhere nowadays. But how do they fit into the optimization landscape?

A new blog post! This time about LLMs in optimization:

oberdieck.dk/p/llm-in-opt...

This is the first time I am writing something a bit longer, so please let me know what you think. I was seriously considering splitting this into three parts, but hey, maybe someone enjoys this :)

This is actually really nice. With a bit more intro this would make a really good blog post I think, because it is probably something that a lot of people wonder about!

Yeah, I played with that one already, although I am not quite sure yet what the exact differentiator (from a usage standpoint) of the two GPTs is. Will play a bit more with it to find out.

So I've seen the #Gurobi Gurobot GPT, and I've seen the launch video of #Quantagonia for their DecisionAI. Is there any other LLM-based initiative in the OR space that I am not aware of?
#OR #LLM #optimization