Related papers: On the Assessment of Benchmark Suites for Algorith…
Algorithm selection, aiming to identify the best algorithm for a given problem, plays a pivotal role in continuous black-box optimization. A common approach involves representing optimization functions using a set of features, which are…
Accurately predicting the performance of different optimization algorithms for previously unseen problem instances is crucial for high-performing algorithm selection and configuration techniques. In the context of numerical optimization,…
Optimization of real-world black-box functions defined over purely categorical variables is an active area of research. In particular, optimization and design of biological sequences with specific functional or structural properties have a…
Benchmarking plays a major role in the development and analysis of optimization algorithms. As such, the way in which the used benchmark problems are defined significantly affects the insights that can be gained from any given benchmark…
Benchmarking is a common practice in software engineering to assess the qualities and performance of software variants, coming from multiple competing systems or from configurations of the same system. Benchmarks are used notably to compare…
Gradient-free black-box optimization (BBO) is widely used in engineering design and provides a flexible framework for topology optimization (TO), enabling the discovery of high-performing structural designs without requiring gradient…
Item Response Theory (IRT) is a ubiquitous model for understanding human behaviors and attitudes based on their responses to questions. Large modern datasets offer opportunities to capture more nuances in human behavior, potentially…
Recent advances in deep reinforcement learning (deep RL) enable researchers to solve challenging control problems, from simulated environments to real-world robotic tasks. However, deep RL algorithms are known to be sensitive to the problem…
This paper introduces a modular framework for Mixed-variable and Combinatorial Bayesian Optimization (MCBO) to address the lack of systematic benchmarking and standardized evaluation in the field. Current MCBO papers often introduce…
We present the Benchmark of Information Retrieval (IR) tasks with Complex Objectives (BIRCO). BIRCO evaluates the ability of IR systems to retrieve documents given multi-faceted user objectives. The benchmark's complexity and compact size…
Single-objective black box optimization (also known as zeroth-order optimization) is the process of minimizing a scalar objective $f(x)$, given evaluations at adaptively chosen inputs $x$. In this paper, we consider multi-objective…
Dedicated treatment of symmetries in satisfiability problems (SAT) is indispensable for solving various classes of instances arising in practice. However, the exploitation of symmetries usually takes a black box approach. Typically,…
We consider black-box optimization in which only an extremely limited number of function evaluations, on the order of around 100, are affordable and the function evaluations must be performed in even fewer batches of a limited number of…
Benchmarking is one of the key ways in which we can gain insight into the strengths and weaknesses of optimization algorithms. In sampling-based optimization, considering the anytime behavior of an algorithm can provide valuable insights…
Dynamic multi-objective optimization with a changing number of objectives has recently attracted increasing attention due to its relevance to real-world problems whose evaluation criteria may evolve over time. However, existing benchmark…
Many optimization techniques evaluate solutions consecutively, where the next candidate for evaluation is determined by the results of previous evaluations. For example, these include iterative methods, "black box" optimization algorithms,…
Several fundamental changes in technology indicate domain-specific hardware and software co-design is the only path left. In this context, architecture, system, data management, and machine learning communities pay greater attention to…
The performance of optimization algorithms relies crucially on their parameterizations. Finding good parameter settings is called algorithm tuning. The sequential parameter optimization (SPOT) package for R is a toolbox for tuning and…
Despite all the benefits of automated hyperparameter optimization (HPO), most modern HPO algorithms are black-boxes themselves. This makes it difficult to understand the decision process which leads to the selected configuration, reduces…
One way to reduce the time of conducting optimization studies is to evaluate designs in parallel rather than just one-at-a-time. For expensive-to-evaluate black-boxes, batch versions of Bayesian optimization have been proposed. They work by…