Homepage of Carola Doerr (formerly Winzen)

photo of Carola Doerr

Carola Doerr
Sorbonne Université
(formerly Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6)
LIP6, équipe Recherche Opérationnelle
case 169, 4 place Jussieu
75252 Paris Cedex 05
France

Email: Carola [dot] Doerr "at" lip6.fr
Phone: 0033 (0)1 44 27 70 64

dblp entry, Google scholar profile, full publication record

Selected Recent Activities and News

Research Interests

  • Mathematical and empirical aspects of iterative optimization heuristics (aka randomized search heuristics) such as local search algorithms, evolutionary algorithms, and other black-box optimization techniques
    At the moment, I am particularly interested in online algorithm configuration and different aspects of benchmarking.
  • Black-box complexity, aka randomized query complexity
  • Randomized and quasi-randomized algorithms in general
  • Geometric discrepancies, in particular computational aspects of the star discrepancy

Publications

A complete list of publications can be found here.
My Google scholar profile and the dblp entry are more or less complete (as far as dblp is complete, note that it does not list some of the works on discrepancies nor some of the book chapters).
For all other data bases, please note that they are usually incomplete because of the change of my family name in 2012.

Teaching and Student Supervision

Courses:

Current PostDocs and ATERs:

Former PostDocs:

  • Hao Wang (01/2020-08/2020, now Assistant professor at LIACS, Leiden University, NL)

Current PhD Students:

  • Main advisor of PhD student François Clement (10/2021-).
    Subject: Efficient Algorithms for Discrepancy Subset Selection
    Co-supervising with with Luís Paquete
    Funded by an EDITE scholarship.
  • Main advisor of PhD student Océane Fourquet (10/2021-).
    Subject: Integrative models for decision support system in ovarian cancer care
    Co-supervising with with Benno Schwikowski
  • Main advisor of PhD student Mara.Santarelli (10/2021-).
    Subject: Resistant subpopulations in ovarian cancer: Computational tools for their identification and treat-ment selection in clinical data using single-cell technology
    Co-supervising with with Benno Schwikowski
  • Co-Advisor of PhD student Diederick Vermetten (Leiden University, 01/2020-).
    Subject: Combined Algorithm Selection and Configuration
    Co-supervising with with Thomas Bäck

Former PhD Students:

  • Co-Advisor of PhD student Furong Ye (10/2017-06/2022, thesis submitted 12/2021).
    Title of his PhD thesis: Benchmarking Discrete Optimization Heuristics: From Building a Sound Experimental Environment to Algorithm Configuration
    PhD student at Leiden University, co-supervised with Thomas Bäck and Hao Wang
  • Co-Advisor of PhD student Quentin Renau (02/2019-01/2022).
    Title of his PhD thesis: Landscape-Aware Selection of Metaheuristics for the Optimization of Radar Networks
    CIFRE thesis with Thales, co-supervised with Johann Dreo (02/2019-02/2021), Yann Semet (02/2021-01/2022), and Benjamin Doerr.
  • Main advisor of PhD student Anja Jankovic (10/2018-12/2021).
    Title of her PhD thesis: Towards Online Landscape-Aware Algorithm Selection in Numerical Black-Box Optimization
    Anja was funded by a scholarship from the school (EDITE). She is now holding an ATER position at LIP6.
  • Co-advisor of PhD student Jing Yang (10/2015-09/2018).
    Title of her PhD thesis: From a Complexity Theory of Evolutionary Computation to Superior Randomized Search Heuristics
    PhD student at Ecole Polytechnique, co-supervised with Benjamin Doerr.

(Current and Former) Bachelor and Master Students and PhD interns:

  • Co-Advisor of Master student Maria Laura Santoni (Erasmus student from Camerino University, 03/2022-09/2022).
    Title of the project: Black-Box Optimization Benchmarking on Real-World Industrial Applications (joint with Elena Raponi)
  • Co-Advisor of Master student Navin Pophare (Leiden University, 10/2021-).
    Title of the project: Analyzing the Anytime Performance of Numerical Black-Box Optimization Heuristics (joint with Diederick Vermetten and Hao Wang)
  • Co-Advisor of Master student Alix Zheng (Sorbonne Université, 06/2021-09/2021).
    Title of the project: Automated Algorithm Configuration for Genetic Algorithms (joint with Johann Dreo)
  • Co-Advisor of Master student Océane Fourquet (Sorbonne Université, 02/2021-08/2021).
    Title of the project: Monotonic Models for Classification Tasks in Systems Biology (joint with Benno Schwikowski and Martin Krejca)
  • Co-Advisor of Master student Huilin Li (Leiden University, 03/2021-05/2022).
    Title of the project: Standardizing Nature-Inspired Optimizers (joint with Thomas Bäck, Anna Kononova, and Diederick Vermetten)
  • Co-Advisor of Master student Dominik Schröder (Leiden University, 07/2020-04/2021).
    Title of the project: Dynamic algorithm selection for continuous black-box optimization (joint with Thomas Bäck and Hao Wang)
  • Co-Advisor of Master student Amine Aziz-Alaoui (ISAE-SUPAERO, summer 2020).
    Title of the project: Automated Algorithm Design using Exploratory Landscape Analysis (joint with Benjamin Doerr and Johann Dreo)
  • Advisor of Master student Andy Rabetafika (ISAE-SUPAERO, summer 2020).
    Title of the project: Machine learning and discrepancy theory (joint with Benjamin Doerr and Johann Dreo)
  • Advisor of Master student Raphaël Cosson (MPRI, Paris Diderot Univ., summer 2019).
    Title of the project: Online Configuration of Heuristic Optimization Algorithms
  • Co-Advisor of Master student Vincent Aubry (MPRI, ENS, summer 2019).
    Title of the project: Query Complexity of Mastermind (joint with Benjamin Doerr)
  • Co-Advisor of Master student Anissa Kheireddine (Sorbonne Université, summer 2019).
    Title of the project: Dynamic Algorithm Configuration for Interactive Learning (joint with Thibaut Lust)
  • Co-Advisor of Master student Diederick Vermetten (Leiden University, summer 2019).
    Title of the project: Online Selection of CMA-ES Variants (joint with Thomas Bäck)
  • Advisor of student intern Nathan Buskulic (Sorbonne Université, summer 2018).
    Title of the project: Optimal Evolutionary Algorithms with Dynamic Parameters
  • Co-Advisor of Master student Anja Jankovic (Sorbonne Université, summer 2018).
    Title of the project: Randomness in Scheduling (joint with Fanny Pascual and Nguyễn Kim Thắng)
  • Advisor of Master student Eduardo Carvalho Pinto (MPRI, Ecole Polytechnique, summer 2017).
    Title of the project: Self-Adjusting Parameter Choices for Discrete Black-Box Optimization
  • Co-Advisor of Master student Jing Yang (Ecole Polytechnique, summer 2015).
    Title of the project: Tight Bounds for the Unbiased Black-Box Complexity of OneMax (joint with Benjamin Doerr)
  • Co-Advisor of Master student Axel de Perthuis de Laillevault (Ecole Polytechnique, summer 2014).
    Title of the project: Evolutionary Algorithms with Iterated Initial Sampling (joint with Benjamin Doerr)
  • Co-Advisor of the Master student Franziska Ebel (MPI, defended spring 2013).
    Title of the thesis: Lessons from the Black-Box: Fast Crossover-Based Genetic Algorithms (joint with Benjamin Doerr)
  • Advisor of PhD student intern G. Ramakrishna (MPI, summer 2012).
    Title of the project: Computing Minimum Cycle Bases in Graphs of Bounded Treewidth
  • Advisor of Master student Vijay Ingalalli (MPI, defended autumn 2011).
    Title of the thesis: Evolutionary Algorithms to Compute Lower Bounds for the Star Discrepancy
  • Co-Advisor of student intern Jong-Hyun Lee (MPI, winter 2011/12).
    Title of the project: Playing Mastermind with Constant Size Memory (joint with Benjamin Doerr and Reto Spöhel)

Academic Activities and Services to the Community

Selected Projects and Funding

  • EU funded
    • COST action 15140 on Improving Applicability of Nature-Inspired Optimisation by Joining Theory and Practice (ImAppNIO)
      (2016-2020, vice chair and member of STSM and ITC grants selection committee)
  • Bi-national projects
    • 2022: Complexity Reduction Techniques for Surrogate-based Optimization of Composite Structures, joint with Fabian Duddeck from TU Munich, Germany.
      (French PI, funding for mutual research visits)
      Funded by BayFrance (Franco-Bavarian University cooperation center)
    • 2020-2022: International Emerging Action (IAE PRC CNRS/RFBR) project, joint with Benjamin Doerr, for collaboration with Arina Buzdalova and Maxim Buzdalov from ITMO University, Russia on Theoretical Foundation of Dynamic Parameter Selection for Randomized Optimization Heuristics
      (French PI, funding for mutual research visits and minor expenses)
      Funded by CNRS and RFBR
  • French national projects
    • Project funded by ANR (French National Research Funding Agency ):
      • 2022-2024: ANR T-ERC grant
        (PI, funding for 18 months PostDoc, 1 research internship, travels, and small equipment)
    • Project funded by CNRS Institute for Information Sciences and Technologies (INS2I):
      • 2022: Randomized Search Heuristics: From Theory to Practice (RandSearch), joint with Benjamin Doerr
        (PI, funding for research internships, travels, and small equipment)
    • DIM RFSI projects:
      • 2020-2023: Optimization Meets Systems Biology (Opt4SysBio), joint with Benno Schwikowski from Institut Pasteur.
        (PI, funding for 18 months PostDoc position, research internships, and expenses)
      • 2019-2022: Automated Algorithm Selection for Discrete Black-Box Optimization (AlgoSelect)
        (PI, funding for 12 months PostDoc position)
      • 2018-2020: Online Configuration of Heuristic Optimization Algorithms
        (PI, funding for research internships and expenses)
    • PGMO, Fondation Mathématique Jacques Hadamard (FMJH) and/or Labex Mathématique Hadamard (LMH) projects:
      • 2020-22: Understanding and Developing Evolutionary Algorithms via Mathematical Runtime Analyses (member)
      • 2019: Passive Radar Coverage Optimization (member)
      • 2018: Analysis of Evolutionary Algorithms: Beyond Expected Optimization Times (PI)
      • 2017: Self-Adjusting Parameter Choices in Heuristic Optimization (PI)
      • 2016: Parameter Optimization via Drift Analysis (PI)
      • 2015: How Randomness Helps in Scheduling Problems (member)
      • 2014: Towards a Complexity Theory for Black Box Optimization (PI)
  • Projects funded by the LIP6 laboratory:
    • 2022: Semantic Graph Mining for Black-Box Optimisation
      (co-PI, together with Christophe Marsala)
    • 2019: Interactive multi-objective optimization
      (co-PI, together with Thibaut Lust)
  • Funding for my PostDoc and PhD positions:

Recent Visitors

  • 06/2022, 4 weeks: Nguyen Dang, St. Andrews, UK
  • 06/2022, 2.5 weeks: Frank Neumann, Adelaide, Australia
  • 06/2022, 2.5 week: Aneta Neumann, Adelaide, Australia
  • 05/2022: 3 days, Fabian Duddeck, TU Munich, Germany
  • 05/2022: 3 days, Gokhan Serhat, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany
  • 03/2022: 1 week, Hao Wang, LIACS, Leiden, The Netherlands
  • 03/2022: 10 days, Tome Eftimov, Jožef Stefan Institute, Slovenia
  • 02-05/2022: 3 months, Kirill Antonov, ITMO University, Saint Petersburg, Russia.
  • 02-05/2022: 3 months, Ana Kostovska, Jozef Stefan Institute, Slovenia. Supported by a SPECIES scholarship
  • 10/2021: 2 weeks, Manuel López-Ibáñez, University of Málaga, Spain. LIP6 invited professor
  • 03/2020: 3 weeks, Tome Eftimov, Jožef Stefan Institute, Slovenia
  • 02/2020: 1 month, Elena Raponi, University of Camerino, Italy
  • 11/2019: 2 weeks, Markus Wagner, Adelaide, Australia
  • 11/2019: 2 days, Hao Wang and Diederick Vermetten, LIACS, Leiden, The Netherlands
  • 09/2019: Michael Gnewuch, Osnabrück, Germany
  • 05/2019, 2 weeks: Frank Neumann, Adelaide, Australia
  • 05/2019, 1 week: Aneta Neumann, Adelaide, Australia
  • 02/2019, 1 week: Ofer M. Shir, Tel-Hai College and Migal-Galilee Research Institute, Israel
  • 11/2018, 3 days: Diederick Vermetten, LIACS, Leiden, The Netherlands
  • 11/2018, 1 week: Naama Horesh, Migal-Galilee Research Institute, Israel
  • 11/2018, 1 day: Luca Mossina, ISAE-SUPAERO, Toulouse
  • 11/2018, 1 day: Emmanuel Rachelson, ISAE-SUPAERO, Toulouse
  • 11/2018, 1 week: Johannes Lengler, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
  • 09/2018, 1 day: Arina Buzdalova and Maxim Buzdalov, ITMO University, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • 09/2018, 1 week: Nguyen Dang, St. Andrews, UK
  • 06/2018, 10 days: Markus Wagner, Adelaide, Australia
  • 05/2018, 3 weeks: Frank Neumann, Adelaide, Australia. LIP6 invited professor
  • 05/2018, 1 week: Aneta Neumann, Adelaide, Australia

CV

A PDF with my CV is available here. (last updated June 2022)

Short summary of my CV: Page last modified: June 17, 2022.