Multi-objective Optimization and Decision Analysis

The research in the Multi-objective Optimization and Decision Analysis (MODA) deals with solving optimization and selection problems that involve multiple criteria and algorithmic methods to address such problems. The applications of MODA are in various, and we are active in the following application fields:

• Optimization in Economics and Transport: Financial portfolio planning, decision support, scheduling, routing and logistics, workflow optimization, selection from product databases.
• Optimization and Tuning of Software: Tuning of pattern recognition software, receiver operator characteristics optimization, optimal configuration of embedded systems.
• Chemo- and Bioinformatics: De-novo drug discovery based on multiple criteria, experimental portfolios in chemistry, parameter identification of complex biological processes, environmental science.
• Industry and Engineering: Multidisciplinary design optimization, control and management of processes, engineering optimization, simulator-based optimization in chemical engineering.

Our research is aiming at applying and further developing the foundations of MODA with a focus on (1) computational methods and (2) making them applicable to specific application fields. In our group, we are researching mainly evolutionary multi-criterion optimization algorithms, but also numerical methods, and mathematical programming techniques (operations research). A thematic focus is also the design and theoretical analysis of set-indicator based methods, including hypervolume and Hausdorff distance based methods. Also the use of interpolation/surrogate models for time expensive evaluation models is a major theme in our research.