Many challenging applications in Science and Industry can be formulated as optimization problems. Due to their complexity and hardness often they cannot be solved in an exact manner within a reasonable time; thus approximate algorithms become the main alternatives to solve them thanks to their ability to efficiently explore large search spaces.
Metaheuristics are successful techniques able to solve such complex and hard optimization problems that arise in human activities, such as economics, industry, or engineering, and constitute a highly diverse family of optimization algorithms, each of which shows individual properties, and different strengths.
The first international Metaheuristics Summer School – MESS 2018 – is aimed at qualified and strongly motivated MSc and PhD students; post-docs; young researchers, and both academic and industrial professionals to provide an overview on the several metaheuristics techniques, and an in-depth analysis of the state-of-the-art. As first edition, MESS 2018 wants to analyze all metaheuristics from its designing to its implementation. In particular, in MESS 2018 will be analyzed modern heuristic methods for search and optimization problems, as well as the classical exact optimization methods, seen also in the metaheuristics context. Problem characteristics that favor a heuristic approach will be discussed.
The courses will be held by world renowned experts in the field, and will be inspected practical aspects on complex combinatorial optimization problems, as well as examples of their successful real-world applications. The participants will have plenty of opportunities for debate and work with leaders in the field, benefiting from direct interaction and discussions in a stimulating environment. They will also have the possibility to present their recently results and/or their working in progress through oral or poster presentations, and interact with their scientific peers, in a friendly and constructive environment.
All students of the school will be invited to the “Metaheuristics Competition”, where each of them, divided in working groups, will develop a metaheuristic solution on a given problem.
MESS 2018 will involve a total of 36-40 hours of lectures, therefore in according to the academic system, all PhD and master students attending to the summer school will may get 8 ECTS points. Further, during the summer school the students will tackle homeworks, or project development.
– Single-solution based Metaheuristics
– Population-based Metaheuristics
– Continuous, Discrete & Mixed Optimization
– Multi-Objective Optimization
– Metaheuristics in Machine Learning
– Metaheuristics in Data Analytics & Big Data
– Metaheuristics; Mathematical Programming; Exact Methods
– Metaheuristics in Dynamic Environments
– Metaheuristics in Uncertainty Management
– Parallel Metaheuristics
– Hybrid Metaheuristics
– Interactive Evolutionary Multiobjective Optimization
July 2, 2018: MESS 2018 overall program is now available.
May 22, 2018: Ponnuthurai Nagaratnam Suganthan, NTU – Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), new confirmed Speaker @ MESS 2018!
May 14, 2018: MESS 2018 Registration System is NOW open!
May 6, 2018: AMASES – The Italian Association for Mathematics Applied to Economics and Social Sciences – will be sponsor of MESS 2018!
May 1, 2018: Due to the high number of applications received, there will be a few late with the notifications.
January 30, 2018: First titles of the Lectures available. Have a look on the dedicated section.
January 15, 2018: Some scholarships for the best participants to the school will be available!!
January 11, 2018: Mauricio Resende, Amazon (USA), new confirmed Speaker @ MESS 2018!
January 9, 2018: EURO Working Group on Metaheuristics (EU/ME – the metaheuristics community) will be sponsor of MESS 2018!
January 2, 2018: Andrea Schaerf, University of Udine (Italy), new confirmed Speaker @ MESS 2018!
December 31, 2017: Fabio Schoen, University of Florence (Italy), new confirmed Speaker @ MESS 2018!
December 18, 2017: Juergen Branke, Warwick Business School (UK), new confirmed Speaker @ MESS 2018!
December 1, 2017: Yaochu Jin, University of Surrey (UK), new confirmed Speaker @ MESS 2018!
November 29, 2017: Helena Ramalhinho Lourenço, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Spain), new confirmed Speaker @ MESS 2018!
October 25, 2017: First new Lecturers announced! More speakers will be announced soon.
September 2, 2017: the application deadline has been fixed to April 15, 2018!
Lecture 1
Construct, Merge, Solve & Adapt: A Recent Hybrid Metaheuristic
Lecture 2
Swarm Intelligence in Combinatorial Optimization
Lecture 1
Simulation-based optimisation
Lecture 2
Multi-objective optimisation
Lecture 1
Basic Concepts of Multiple Criteria Decision Aiding/Making
Lecture 2
Using Preference Elicitation in Evolutionary Multiobjective Optimization
Lecture 1
Data-driven surrogate-assisted evolutionary multi-objective optimization
Lecture 2
Multi-objective machine learning
Lecture 1
Pushing the Limits with Hybrid Metaheuristics
Lecture 2
Large Neighborhood Search Techniques
Lecture 1
Extensions of Iterated Local Search
Lecture 2
Issues and examples of applying metaheuristics in business
Lecture 1
Biased Random-Key Genetic Algorithms – part I
Lecture 2
Biased Random-Key Genetic Algorithms – part II
Lecture 1
Optimization by GRASP – Part I
Lecture 2
Optimization by GRASP – Part II
Lecture 1
Simulated Annealing and Friends: Introduction to Randomized Local Search Methods
Lecture 2
Simulated Annealing, we need to talk: Critical Analysis of Real-World Applications of Randomized Local Search Methods to Scheduling and Timetabling Problems
Lecture 1
Large scale global optimization methods: basics
Lecture 2
Large scale global optimization methods: examples of applications
Lecture 1
Single Objective Numerical optimization by DE and PSO: Introduction
Lecture 2
Recent advances on Numerical optimization by DE and PSO
Lecture 1
A Unifed View of Metaheuristics
Lecture 2
Parallel Metaheuristics
Lecture 1
Heuristic approaches for Vehicle Routing Problems – part I
Lecture 2
Heuristic approaches for Vehicle Routing Problems – part II
Lecture 1
Successful applications of GRASP and its hybrids for hard combinatorial problems
Application Deadline: April 15, 2018
Notification acceptance: April 30, 2018
Early Registration: by May 31, 2018
Late Registration: from June 1, 2018
The school is open to all qualified, motivated and pre-selected candidates interested in the metaheuristics field, and in any topic proposed by the school. Advanced graduate and undergraduate students; PhD students; Post-Docs; and young researchers (both academic and industrial), and academic as well as industrial professionals are encouraged to apply.
The expected school fee is of €550 for Master and Phd students, €650 for post-docs and research fellows, and €750 for all other kinds of participants. The fee will include all course materials, coffee breaks, WiFi Internet Connection, attending to the workshop, a guided tour, social dinner, and a welcome party on the swimming-pool.
Applications to attend MESS 2018 should be received before or at most 15 April 2018. All accepted applicants will receive the notification by 30 April 2018 in according to the application time.
All fees will be increased by euro 150 after the early registration deadline.
Those who plan to present talk or a poster must submit the abstract in the relative section (deadline 15th April 2018).
Some scholarships are in planning for the best MSc. and PhD. students attending to the School. The decision will be made by the scientific committee at the time of the school, taking into account candidates’ CVs, poster and oral presentation. All PhD students attending the school will be considered for the grant.
Application Form
MESS 2018 aims to provide a stimulating environment where MSc. and PhD Students, Post-Doc and young researchers may interact and exchange ideas with their scientific peers, in a friendly and constructive way. All participants will have the opportunity to present their research activities on the topics of the school.
All participants may submit an abstract (in any printable pdf format) of their recent results, or works in progress, to be presented in a dedicated session as oral, or poster presentation. The abstract must be submitted before April 15, and must be written in English. Each abstract will be reviewed by the Workshop Chairs and/or Scientific Committee, which will decide on the format of the presentation (oral or poster), in according to the authors’ choice. All abstracts, in any format, will be published in the electronic book of the summer school, which will be put online on the website.
For poster presentation, a board will be provided to mount the poster including all logistic material (push tacks or velcro adhesive). You need only to print and bring with you the poster to the school.
For more information send an email to: mess.school @ ANTs-lab.it
Oral & Poster Presentation Organizers
Metaheuristics Competition Chair
Local Organizing Committee
Vincenzo Cutello (Chair), University of Catania, Italy
Patrizia Daniele, University of Catania, Italy
Laura Scrimali, University of Catania, Italy
Antonino Di Stefano, ANTs research laboratory, Italy
Alessandro Vitale, ANTs research laboratory, Italy
Antonio Spampinato, University of Catania, Italy
Francesco Alessi, University of Catania, Italy
Publicity Chair
Zaineb Chelly, Aberystwyth University, UK
Stephan Petrone, ANTs research laboratory, Italy
EURO Working Group on Metaheuristics
AMASES: Italian Association for Mathematics Applied to Economic and Social Sciences
Department of Mathematics & Computer Science – University of Catania
MESS 2018 will take place in the beautiful Acireale at the venue “Hotel Orizzonte”.
Acireale is a small town on the east coast of the insland of Sicily, about halfway between Catania and Messina, and dominates two grand, sweeping bays below and on the southern side, the top of Mount Etna, the European highest active volcano, often capped with snow, offering to the visitors a breathtaking, dramatic and memorable view over almost one hundred miles of Mediterranean sea.
Hotel Orizzonte offers 1 plenary room that can accommodate more than 250 people, 5 meeting rooms and a nice garden for coffee breaks. All rooms are equipped with Wi-Fi connection.
Via C. Colombo n2 95124 Acireale, Catania, Italy
T: +39 095 88 60 06
E: info@hotelorizzonte.com
W: http://www.hotelorizzonte.it/
Acireale is provided of a wide choice of accommodation from small family run guest houses to traditional B&B; from Vacation Rentals to modern Hotels. Here you can also find a broad selection of excellent restaurants and cosy trattorias where you can taste the genuine, true flavours of the authentic sicilian cuisine.
