Optimizing complex processes using AI and QC

Abstract: In this talk I will present the results of my research on the optimization of complex processes. Some of them have been published in my doctoral thesis entitled "Metauheuristics in optimization of complex processes", which was defended on 29.02.2024 at the University of Warsaw. They deal with optimization of road traffic in cities by controlling traffic lights and optimization of cancer treatment by radiotherapy. These 2 complex processes from completely different domains share some interesting properties (common to other complex processes too!), which allow to treat them with similar mathematical techniques. In particular, I used simulation models based on cellular automata and their approximations using surrogate models (metamodels) based on machine learning. I then combined these machine learning methods with metaheuristics to design a comprehensive framework for optimizing complex processes, which can be further extended using reinforcement learning to adapt optimization strategies to dynamically changing conditions. In the second part of my talk, I will present the results of my research on optimizing routing problems in logistics (the Vehicle Routing Problem and its variants) using reinforcement learning and quantum computing. Some of these results were achieved at the research group TensorCell, which I founded in 2017. The other results were obtained at the University of Warsaw within the EIT Food project "GLAD - Green Last Mile Delivery: a more sustainable way for food home delivery tailored to consumer needs".

BIO: Paweł Gora is a scientist and entrepreneur. He is the Founder and CEO of the "Quantum AI Foundation" supporting education and research in new technologies, and a researcher at the University of Warsaw, where he obtained a PhD in Computer Science in March 2024. He is also the Founder and Leader of a research group TensorCell dealing with the optimization of complex processes, Chairperson of the Board of QWorld, and coordinator of one of its QCousins, QPoland. He also serves as an advisor for several startups. He is interested in new technologies (e.g. artificial intelligence, quantum computing) and their applications in various fields, including transport, medicine, and e-commerce. He is the author of the Traffic Simulation Framework program for traffic simulation and analysis, and the author of many scientific papers published at leading conferences (like NeurIPS and MT-ITS) and universities (e.g., MIT, Stanford Research Institute, Cambridge University, ETH Zurich, University of Toronto). His work has been cited and awarded many times, including: "LIDER ITS" awards in 2015 and 2017 for the best research and development work in Poland in the area of intelligent transport systems, "Doctorates for Mazovia", "Modern University". In 2017, he was recognized among the "Top 10 Polish Talents" in the "MIT Innovator Under 35" competition and was included on the "New Europe 100" list among 100 outstanding innovators in Eastern Europe. In the past, he worked as an engineering or research intern at Microsoft, Google, CERN, and IBM Research. As part of the Quantum AI Foundation, he co-organizes Warsaw.AI and Warsaw Quantum Computing Group meetups, organizes lectures, workshops, competitions, conferences, and hackathons on new technologies (mainly AI and quantum computing), publishes the Warsaw.AI News and QPoland Newsletter, and moderates several discussion groups on Facebook (e.g., "Warsaw.AI", "Quantum AI", "Data Science PL", "Warsaw Quantum Computing Group", "QPoland" and "ITS Polska"). He was Poland's representative in the Management Committee of the COST WISE-ACT action on large-scale impact of connected and autonomous vehicles and was a member of the Digitization Council of the 2019-2021 term, and also prepared recommendations regarding the Polish policy for the development of AI and the Internet of Things. More information: https://www.mimuw.edu.pl/~pawelg.

Moderators: Il Young Chung, co-founder of Quantum Computing & Data Science Meetup and Dr. Sebastian Zajac, member of QPoland