Prashant Palkar
Assistant Professor
Operations Research: Theory, Algorithms, Software and Applications,
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
Research Interests
Mixed-integer nonlinear (and linear) programming, Parallel computing, Derivative-free optimization, Algorithmic game theory,
Developing algorithms in Minotaur
Academic/Industry Experience
Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering (since Dec., 2022)
Postdoctoral Researcher, Chair of Discrete Mathematics, Optimization, and Operations Research, Institute of Mathematics, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany (Apr. 2021 - Nov. 2022)
Research Aide, Mathematics and Computer Science (MCS), Argonne National Laboratory, IL, USA (Apr. - Aug., 2018 and Mar. - Jul., 2017)
Manager (and subsequently Senior Manager), Process Modelling and Visualization, Technology Group (Global Wires and Longs), Tata Steel (Oct. 2009 - Jul. 2013)
Teaching
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (as part of PGDEx–VLFM Module-3) with Prof. Amber Srivastava and Prof. Shaurya Shriyam, 2023-24
Advanced Operations Research (MCL865), IIT Delhi, Sem. II, 2023-24
Introduction to Operations Research (MCL261), IIT Delhi, Sem. I, 2023-24
Advanced Operations Research (MCL865) with Prof. Varun Ramamohan, IIT Delhi, Sem. II, 2022-23
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for Maufacturing Management (as part of PGDEx–VLFM Module-1) with Prof. Shaurya Shriyam and Prof. Sagar Sarkar, 2022-23
Publications
Shivani R.G., Sharma S. and Palkar P., “Multiobjective Derivative-Free Optimization of Parameters for a Volumetric Solar Receiver” (SOM 2023)
Samant A. and Palkar P., “A Two-phase Integer Programming Approach for Integrated Production and Distribution of Organic Products in Polyhouse Farming” (awarded Best Academic Paper in 2023-ICBAI & 2023-ORSI)
Graf L., Harks T. and Palkar P., "Dynamic Traffic Assignment for Electric Vehicles", In 22nd Symposium on Algorithmic Approaches for Transportation Modelling, Optimization, and Systems (ATMOS 2022). Schloss Dagstuhl-Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik, 2022. pdf (full version on arxiv)
Palkar P. and Mahajan A., “Mitigating Anomalies in Parallel Branch-and-Bound Based Algorithms for Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Optimization”, International Symposium on Combinatorial Optimization, 143-156, 2022. pdf
Sharma M. Palkar P., and Mahajan A., "Linearization and Parallelization Schemes for Convex Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Optimization", Computational Optimization and Applications, 1-56, 2022. pdf
Larson J., Leyffer S., Palkar P. and Wild S. M., "A Method for Convex Black-Box Integer Global Optimization", Journal of Global Optimization, 1-39, 2021. pdf
Liu Z., Rajkumar K., Leyffer S., Palkar, P. and Foster, I., "A mathematical programming- and simulation-based framework to evaluate cyberinfrastructure design choices", 13th IEEE International Conference on eScience, Auckland, New Zealand, October 24-17, 2017. pdf
Palkar, P. and Mahajan, A., “A Branch-and-Estimate heuristic procedure for solving nonconvex integer optimization problems”, Workshop on Parallel Computing and Optimization (PCO), IEEE International Parallel and Distributed Processing Symposium (IPDPS), Hyderabad, India, 2015. pdf
Talks/Posters
"Mitigating Anomalies in Parallel Branch-and-Bound based Algorithms for Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Optimization", 7th biennial International Symposium on Combinatorial Optimization (ISCO), Online, May 18-20, 2022.
"Computational Complexity and Complexity Classes in Optimization", special session for the course Quantitative Techniques II, Vinod Gupta School of Management (VGSOM), IIT Kharagpur, March 25, 2022.
"Linearization and Parallelization Schemes for Convex Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Optimization", 31rst European Conference on Operational Research (EURO 2021), University of West Attica, Athens, Greece, 11 - 14 July, 2021.
"Accelerating LP, NLP, and MILP Based Algorithms for Convex MINLPs using Parallelization Schemes", 52nd Annual Convention of ORSI & International Conference, IIM Ahmedabad, India, December 15 - 18, 2019.
"Parallel Algorithms for Convex Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Optimization", 3rd International Conference and Summer School on Numerical Computations: Theory and Algorithms (NUMTA) 2019, Calabria, Italy, June 15 – 21, 2019.
"A globally convergent simulation-based optimization algorithm with integer constraints", 23rd International Symposium on Mathematical Programming 2018, Bordeaux, France, July 01 – 06, 2018.
"Mixed Integer Derivative Free Optimization", 2018 Mixed Integer Programming Workshop, Greenville, SC, USA, June 18 – 21, 2018. pdf
"MINOTAUR: Mixed Integer Nonlinear Optimization Toolkit - Algorithms, Underestimators, Relaxations", OPTSUM 2017, Mumbai, September 14, 2017.
"Towards global optimization of mixed-integer nonlinear programming problems", Innovation Day, JDA, Hyderabad, India, April 06, 2016.
"A parallel branch-and-bound framework for solving convex integer optimization problems", 52nd Annual Convention of ORSI & International Conference, New Delhi, India, 12th Dec, 2016.
Palkar, P. and Sambasivam, R., “Optimization of Integrated Production Planning and Distribution of raw material and finished goods from supplying plants to stockyards”, International Conference on Advances in Supply Chain and Manufacturing Management, IIT Kharagpur, India, 2011.
Sweta, B. and Palkar, P., "Centralized Optimization Suite to handle end-to-end operations of Cut and Bend centres of Tata Steel and its Associates", Operating Committee Meeting on IT and Automation, Jamshedpur, India, 2013.
Visits
"A globally convergent cutting-plane method for simulation-based optimization with integer constraints", with Dr. Jeffrey Larson and Dr. Sven Leyffer, Argonne National Laboratory, IL, USA from April, 23 - August, 03, 2018.
"Algorithms for mixed-integer derivative-free optimization", with Dr. Jeffrey Larson and Dr. Sven Leyffer, Argonne National Laboratory, IL, USA from March, 27 - July, 14, 2017.
Workshops
Conducted a preconference workshop on “Solving Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Optimization Problems with MINOTAUR” jointly with Meenarli Sharma, Mustafa Vora and Prof. Ashutosh Mahajan in 52nd Annual Convention of ORSI & International Conference, IIM Ahmedabad, India, December 15, 2019.
Conducted a preconference workshop on “Mixed-integer nonlinear optimization using MINOTAUR” in with Meenarli Sharma and Prof. Ashutosh Mahajan in 51st Annual Convention of ORSI & International Conference, IIT Bombay, India, December 16, 2018.
Other Interests
Indian classical music, playing volleyball, badminton, table-tennis, cricket, etc.
Contact
Office: VA-11, Block 5A, IIT Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, India, 110016
Telephone: +91 (0) 11 2659 1127
Email: ppalkar@iitd.ac.in