What began as a Chilean-German collaboration has since expanded far beyond national borders: around 60 researchers from ten countries and three continents will come together at the University of Bremen from 10 to 14 August 2026 for the Chilean-German Workshop on Combinatorial Optimization.
Whether in route planning for logistics, the synchronization of production processes, or the allocation of scarce resources in energy management, combinatorial optimization addresses the question of how to find a best possible solution among a finite, but often very large, set of alternatives. The field combines methods from theoretical computer science and discrete mathematics, and increasingly connects them with data-driven approaches, machine learning, and data science, especially when input data is uncertain, dynamic, or only partially known.
To strengthen the exchange between these perspectives, the workshop uses an interactive format. In addition to overview and research talks on current topics, the focus will be on joint research and the discussion of open problems in small groups. Thematic priorities include approximation algorithms, algorithmic game theory, online and stochastic optimization, and algorithms with imperfect predictions.
Following the workshop, the Algorithms with Predictions (ALPS@IJCAI) workshop will take place as part of IJCAI-ECAI 2026. Some of the participating researchers will discuss recent progress in the theory of learning-augmented algorithms there.
The workshop creates space for international collaboration and actively involves PhD students and early-career researchers in a dynamic research field. By working together on open problems, new research directions may emerge that can later lead to scientific publications, joint project ideas, or third-party funding initiatives. The initiative thus strengthens the international network and visibility of the University of Bremen as a location for data science, optimization, and algorithmic foundations, while also supporting the development of data-science expertise across disciplines.
Funding recipients:
Prof. Dr. Nicole Megow (FB 3, Informatik)
Prof. Dr. Daniel Schmand (FB 3, Mathematik)
Funding period:
10 August 2026 – 14 August 2026
Are you interested in the DSC Seed Grant?
You can find more information about the DSC Seed Grant here.
For questions, please contact:
Dr. Lena Steinmann
DSC Coordinator
Tel. +49 (421) 218 - 63941
E-Mail: lena.steinmannprotect me ?!uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de
