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Research

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Moshe's new book!

Broadly speaking my research work has been driven by two motives:

• The quest for new ideas, new techniques etc. that proceeds from and builds on the existing knowledge-base in various areas of OR/MS (and affiliated fields).
• The quest to consolidate and clarify our conceptions and understanding of various topics/results in various areas of OR/MS and affiliated fields.

I might add that pursuing my research along these lines has not only rewarded me, very often, with a better and deeper understanding of a number of topics in OR/MS, but it has also enabled me to discover new interesting results.

My suggestion to young researchers is that they should start working on the consolidation of their research work well before the "retirement age". This is particularly important in multidisciplinary fields such as OR/MS.

One of my areas of expertise, interactive computing and modeling has immediate application in teaching. So, for many years some of my research and teaching activities were strongly inter-connected.

The following is a short list of my current research activities:

• Dynamic programming
  • The relation to branch and bound and constraint programming.
    
  • DP based meta heuristics.
  • The development of user-friendly general purpose DP software.

• Decision-making under severe uncertainty
  • Modeling aspects of robust optimization problems
  • Maximin paradigm
  • Voodoo decision-making
• Composite Concave Programming
  • Algorithmic aspects of CCLP and CCQP.
  • Performace of composite convex programing algorithms.
  • Hyper sensitivity via CCQP.

• Interactive computing and modelling
  • User interfaces for linear algebra and linear programming algorithms.
  • Controlling user interactions with dynamic programming modules.
  • Development of user interfaces for hyper sensitivity analysis.

For a complete picture of my research work, over the past forty years, consult the full list of my articles.

The following is a list of some of my not so recent articles, lectures, seminars, presentations, etc.

Recent publication

Moshe's new book!

• Sniedovich, M., From statistical decision theory to robust optimization: a maximin perspective on robust decision-making. In Doumpos, M., Zopounidis, C., and Grigoroudis, E. (eds.) Robustness Analysis in Decision Aiding, Optimization, and Analytics, pp. 59-87. Springer, New York, 2016.


• Sniedovich, M., Wald's mighty maximin: a tutorial, International Transactions in Operational Research, 23(4), 625-653, 2016.


• Sniedovich, M., The elephant in the rhetoric on info-gap decision theory, Ecological Applications, 24(1), 229-233, 2014.


• Sniedovich, M., The elephant in the rhetoric on info-gap decision theory, Ecological Applications, 24(1), 229-233, 2014.


• Sniedovich, M., From local robustness to irresponsible decision-making, Proceedings of the BALCOR 2013 Conference, September 7-9, 2013, Belgrade, Serbia, pp. 695-704.


• Sniedovich, M., The many faces of worst-case analysis, Proceedings of the SYM-OP-IS 2013 Conference, September 9-11 2013, Belgrade, Serbia, pp. 887-882.


• Sniedovich, M., Fooled by local robustness: an applied ecology perspective, Ecological Applications, 22(5), 1421-1427, 2012.


• Sniedovich, M., Fooled by local robustness, Risk Analysis, 32(10), 1630-1637, 2012.


• Sniedovich, M. (2012) Fooled by local robustness, Risk Analysis, 32(10), 1630-1637, 2012..


• Sniedovich, M. (2012) Black swans, new Nostradamuses, voodoo decision theories and the science of decision-making in the face of severe uncertainty, International Transactions in Operational Research, 19(1-2), 253-281.


• Sniedovich, M. (2011) A classic decision theoretic perspective on worst-case analysis, Applications of Mathematics, 56(5), 499-509.


• Sniedovich, M. (2011) Dynamic programming: introductory concepts, in Wiley Encyclopedia of Operations Research and Management Science (EORMS), Wiley.


• Caserta, M., Voss, S., Sniedovich, M. (2011) Applying the corridor method to a blocks relocation problem, OR Spectrum, 33(4), 815-929, 2011.


• Sniedovich, M. (2011) Dynamic Programming: Foundations and Principles, Second Edition, Taylor & Francis.


• Sniedovich, M. (2010) A bird's view of Info-Gap decision theory, Journal of Risk Finance, 11(3), 268-283.


• Sniedovich M. (2009) Modeling of robustness against severe uncertainty, pp. 33- 42, Proceedings of the 10th International Symposium on Operational Research, SOR'09, Nova Gorica, Slovenia, September 23-25, 2009.


• Sniedovich M. (2009) A Critique of Info-Gap Robustness Model. In: Martorell et al. (eds), Safety, Reliability and Risk Analysis: Theory, Methods and Applications, pp. 2071-2079, Taylor and Francis Group, London.
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• Sniedovich M. (2009) A Classical Decision Theoretic Perspective on Worst-Case Analysis, Working Paper No. MS-03-09, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne.(PDF File)


• Caserta, M., Voss, S., Sniedovich, M. (2008) The corridor method - A general solution concept with application to the blocks relocation problem. In: A. Bruzzone, F. Longo, Y. Merkuriev, G. Mirabelli and M.A. Piera (eds.), 11th International Workshop on Harbour, Maritime and Multimodal Logistics Modeling and Simulation, DIPTEM, Genova, 89-94.


• Sniedovich, M. (2008) FAQS about Info-Gap Decision Theory, Working Paper No. MS-12-08, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne, (PDF File)


• Sniedovich, M. (2008) A Call for the Reassessment of the Use and Promotion of Info-Gap Decision Theory in Australia (PDF File)


• Sniedovich, M. (2008) Info-Gap decision theory and the small applied world of environmental decision-making, Working Paper No. MS-11-08
  This is a response to comments made by Mark Burgman on my criticism of Info-Gap (PDF file )


• Sniedovich, M. (2008) A call for the reassessment of Info-Gap decision theory, Decision Point, 24, 10.


• Sniedovich, M. (2008) From Shakespeare to Wald: modeling wors-case analysis in the face of severe uncertainty, Decision Point, 22, 8-9.


• Sniedovich, M. (2008) Wald's Maximin model: a treasure in disguise!, Journal of Risk Finance, 9(3), 287-291.


• Sniedovich, M. (2008) Anatomy of a Misguided Maximin formulation of Info-Gap's Robustness Model (PDF File)
  In this paper I explain, again, the misconceptions that Info-Gap proponents seem to have regarding the relationship between Info-Gap's robustness model and Wald's Maximin model.


• Sniedovich. M. (2008) The Mighty Maximin! (PDF File)
  This paper is dedicated to the modeling aspects of Maximin and robust optimization.


• Sniedovich, M. (2007) The art and science of modeling decision-making under severe uncertainty, Decision Making in Manufacturing and Services, 1-2, 111-136. (PDF File) .


• Sniedovich, M. (2007) Crystal-Clear Answers to Two FAQs about Info-Gap (PDF File)
  In this paper I examine the two fundamental flaws in Info-Gap decision theory, and the flawed attempts to shrug off my criticism of Info-Gap decision theory.


• My reply (PDF File) to Ben-Haim's response to one of my papers. (April 22, 2007)

  This is an exciting development!

  • Ben-Haim's response confirms my assessment of Info-Gap. It is clear that Info-Gap is fundamentally flawed and therefore unsuitable for decision-making under severe uncertainty.
  
  
  • Ben-Haim is not familiar with the fundamental concept point estimate. He does not realize that a function can be a point estimate of another function.

    So when you read my papers make sure that you do not misinterpret the notion point estimate. The phrase "A is a point estimate of B" simply means that A is an element of the same topological space that B belongs to. Thus, if B is say a probability density function and A is a point estimate of B, then A is a probability density function belonging to the same (assumed) set (family) of probability density functions.

    Ben-Haim mistakenly assumes that a point estimate is a point in a Euclidean space and therefore a point estimate cannot be say a function. This is incredible!



• A formal proof that Info-Gap is Wald's Maximin Principle in disguise. (December 31, 2006)
  This is a very short article entitled Eureka! Info-Gap is Worst Case (maximin) in Disguise! (PDF File)
  It shows that Info-Gap is not a new theory but rather a simple instance of Wald's famous Maximin Principle dating back to 1945, which in turn goes back to von Neumann's work on Maximin problems in the context of Game Theory (1928).


• A proof that Info-Gap's uncertainty model is fundamentally flawed. (December 31, 2006)
  This is a very short article entitled The Fundamental Flaw in Info-Gap's Uncertainty Model (PDF File) .
  It shows that because Info-Gap deploys a single point estimate under severe uncertainty, there is no reason to believe that the solutions it generates are likely to be robust.


• A math-free explanation of the flaw in Info-Gap. ( December 31, 2006)
  This is a very short article entitled The GAP in Info-Gap (PDF File) .
  It is a math-free version of the paper above. Read it if you are allergic to math.


• A long essay entitled What's Wrong with Info-Gap? An Operations Research Perspective (PDF File) (December 31, 2006).
  This is a paper that I presented at the ASOR Recent Advances in Operations Research (PDF File) mini-conference (December 1, 2006, Melbourne, Australia).

Recent Lectures, Seminars, Presentations

If your organization is promoting Info-Gap, I suggest that you invite me for a seminar at your place. I promise to deliver a lively, informative, entertaining and convincing presentation explaining why it is not a good idea to use — let alone promote — Info-Gap as a decision-making tool.

Here is a list of relevant lectures/seminars on this topic that I gave in the last two years.

• ASOR Recent Advances, 2016, Melbourne, Australia, March 31-April, 1, 2016. On the intuitive appeal of the concept Radius of Stability.


• ASOR Recent Advances, 2015, Melbourne, Australia, February 9-10, 2015. Presentation: The End of a Hidden OR Affair (2013-2014).


• ASOR Recent Advances, 2013, Melbourne, Australia, July 17, 2013. Presentation: From Lax Rhetoric to Irresponsible Decision-Making.


• BALCOR 2013 Conference, Belgrade, Serbia, September 7-9, 2013. Invited presentation: The Many Faces of Robust Decision-Making Under Severe Uncertainty.


• ASOR Recent Advances, 2011, Melbourne, Australia, November 16 2011. Presentation: The Power of the (peer-reviewed) Word. (PDF file).


• AIRO 2011, Brescia, Italy, September 6 -- 9, 2011. Presentation: Fooled by robustness: the role of local and global robustness in risk analysis.


• IFORS 2011, Melbourne, Australia, July 10 -- 15, 2011. Presentation: Fooled by robustness: a perspective from the Land of the Black Swan.


• Alex Rubinov Memorial Lecture The Art, Science, and Joy of (mathematical) Decision-Making, November 7, 2011, The University of Ballarat. (PDF file).


• Black Swans, Modern Nostradamuses, Voodoo Decision Theories, and the Science of Decision-Making in the Face of Severe Uncertainty (PDF File) .
  (Invited tutorial, ALIO/INFORMS Conference, Buenos Aires, Argentina, July 6-9, 2010).


• A Critique of Info-Gap Decision theory: From Voodoo Decision-Making to Voodoo Economics(PDF File) .
  (Recent Advances in OR, RMIT, Melbourne, Australia, November 25, 2009)


• Robust decision-making in the face of severe uncertainty(PDF File) .
  (GRIPS, Tokyo, Japan, October 16, 2009)


• Decision-making in the face of severe uncertainty(PDF File) .
  (KORDS'09 Conference, Vilnius, Lithuania, September 30 -- OCtober 3, 2009)


• Modeling robustness against severe uncertainty (PDF File) .
  (SOR'09 Conference, Nova Gorica, Slovenia, September 23-25, 2009)


• How do you recognize a Voodoo decision theory?(PDF File) .
  (School of Mathematical and Geospatial Sciences, RMIT, June 26, 2009).


• Black Swans, Modern Nostradamuses, Voodoo Decision Theories, Info-Gaps, and the Science of Decision-Making in the Face of Severe Uncertainty (PDF File) .
  (Department of Econometrics and Business Statistics, Monash University, May 8, 2009).


• The Rise and Rise of Voodoo Decision Theory.
  ASOR Recent Advances, Deakin University, November 26, 2008. This presentation was based on the pages on my website (voodoo.moshe-online.com).


• Responsible Decision-Making in the face of Severe Uncertainty (PDF File) .
  (Singapore Management University, Singapore, September 29, 2008)


• A Critique of Info-Gap's Robustness Model (PDF File) .
  (ESREL/SRA 2008 Conference, Valencia, Spain, September 22-25, 2008)


• Robust Decision-Making in the Face of Severe Uncertainty (PDF File) .
  (Technion, Haifa, Israel, September 15, 2008)


• The Art and Science of Robust Decision-Making (PDF File) .
  (AIRO 2008 Conference, Ischia, Italy, September 8-11, 2008 )


• The Fundamental Flaws in Info-Gap Decision Theory (PDF File) .
  (CSIRO, Canberra, July 9, 2008 )


• Responsible Decision-Making in the Face of Severe Uncertainty (PDF File) .
  (OR Conference, ADFA, Canberra, July 7-8, 2008 )


• Responsible Decision-Making in the Face of Severe Uncertainty (PDF File) .
  (University of Sydney Seminar, May 16, 2008 )


• Decision-Making Under Severe Uncertainty: An Australian, Operational Research Perspective (PDF File) .
  (ASOR National Conference, Melbourne, December 3-5, 2007 )


• A Critique of Info-Gap (PDF File) .
  (SRA 2007 Conference, Hobart, August 20, 2007)


• What exactly is wrong with Info-Gap? A Decision Theoretic Perspective (PDF File) .
  (MS Colloquium, University of Melbourne, August 1, 2007)


• A Formal Look at Info-Gap Theory (PDF File) .
  (ORSUM Seminar , University of Melbourne, May 21, 2007)


• The Art and Science of Decision-Making Under Severe Uncertainty (PDF File) .
  (ACERA seminar, University of Melbourne, May 4, 2007)


• What exactly is Info-Gap? An OR perspective. (PDF File)
  ASOR Recent Advances in Operations Research mini-conference (December 1, 2006, Melbourne, Australia).