Speaker: Frits de Nijs – (Optima/Monash University)

Bio:

Frits is a Research Fellow in the Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at the Faculty of Information Technology, working on the translation of combinatorial optimisation technology to industry. He obtained his PhD from Delft University of Technology on the application of sequential decision-making planners to solve demand-side management problems for a distribution network operator. Since joining Monash, he has developed solutions with various industry partners for optimising virtual power plant operation, carbon-intensity aware HVAC control, industrial facility location and configuration, and crew rostering problems.

Abstract:

For industry partners to adopt our optimisation solutions, having a correct and efficient optimisation model of their business problem is only part of the solution. Full-fledged system implementations should ideally allow users to: 1) interact with the optimisation model to explore the impact of assumptions, 2) use the system to find and compare a diversity of solutions, 3) understand why no solutions exist when the model proves infeasible (and how this may be repaired).

This talk presents how MiniZinc enables us to develop such interactive systems through two real-world case studies: a hydrogen and ammonia supply network optimisation problem, and a remote facility crew (re)rostering problem. In the talk, I will present our team’s solutions for both problems, and discuss commonalities in our methodology and the features of MiniZinc that underpin them: separation of data and constraints and modular model implementations, using model cross-checking for validity, applying diversity-of-solutions objectives, and annotating models to allow FindMUS to explain unsatisfiable models.

This event is Online Only:
JOIN VIA ZOOM – MEETING ID: 873 1557 5255; PASSWORD: 778635

SEMINAR: WED 26 AUGUST 2026 4:00PM – 5:00PM (AEST, Melbourne Time)