Related papers: An Optimal Selection Problem Associated with the P…
We review the derivation of the Kac master equation model for random collisions of particles, its relationship to the Poisson process, and existing algorithms for simulating values from the marginal distribution of velocity for a single…
We present a number of positive and negative results for variants of the matroid secretary problem. Most notably, we design a constant-factor competitive algorithm for the "random assignment" model where the weights are assigned randomly to…
In the Prophet Secretary problem, samples from a known set of probability distributions arrive one by one in a uniformly random order, and an algorithm must irrevocably pick one of the samples as soon as it arrives. The goal is to maximize…
We apply nonparametric Bayesian methods to study the problem of estimating the intensity function of an inhomogeneous Poisson process. We exhibit a prior on intensities which both leads to a computationally feasible method and enjoys…
We consider two variants of the secretary problem, the\emph{ Best-or-Worst} and the \emph{Postdoc} problems, which are closely related. First, we prove that both variants, in their standard form with binary payoff 1 or 0, share the same…
Boolean satisfiability [1] (k-SAT) is one of the most studied optimization problems, as an efficient (that is, polynomial-time) solution to k-SAT (for $k\geq 3$) implies efficient solutions to a large number of hard optimization problems…
The J-choice K-best secretary problem, also known as the (J,K)-secretary problem, is a generalization of the classical secretary problem. An algorithm for the (J,K)-secretary problem is allowed to make J choices and the payoff to be…
We study decision timing problems on finite horizon with Poissonian information arrivals. In our model, a decision maker wishes to optimally time her action in order to maximize her expected reward. The reward depends on an unobservable…
Solving Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) is a recurrent task in engineering. Even though it is known that solutions for minimizing the infinite horizon expected reward can be found in polynomial time using Linear Programming techniques,…
We prove a tight upper bound on the variance of the priority sampling method (aka sequential Poisson sampling). Our proof is significantly shorter and simpler than the original proof given by Mario Szegedy at STOC 2006, which resolved a…
In this paper, we consider the maximization of a probability $\mathbb{P}\{ \zeta \mid \zeta \in \mathbf{K}(\mathbf x)\}$ over a closed and convex set $\mathcal X$, a special case of the chance-constrained optimization problem. We define…
This paper is devoted to studying constrained continuous-time Markov decision processes (MDPs) in the class of randomized policies depending on state histories. The transition rates may be unbounded, the reward and costs are admitted to be…
Mathematical Selection is a method in which we select a particular choice from a set of such. It have always been an interesting field of study for mathematicians. Combinatorial optimisation is the practice of selecting the best constituent…
We study the problem of maximizing a monotone submodular function subject to a matroid independence constraint. For more than a decade, a rich body of work has studied this problem. Initially, a tight approximation of $ (1-\frac{1}{e})$ was…
We study point processes that consist of certain centers of point tuples of an underlying Poisson process. Such processes arise in stochastic geometry in the study of exceedances of various functionals describing geometric properties of the…
In this paper we give a historical account of the development of Poisson approximation using Stein's method and present some of the main results. We give two recent applications, one on maximal arithmetic progressions and the other on…
Thompson sampling (TS) is a simple, effective stochastic policy in Bayesian decision making. It samples the posterior belief about the reward profile and optimizes the sample to obtain a candidate decision. In continuous optimization, the…
A version of the secretary problem called the duration problem, in which the objective is to maximize the time of possession of relatively best objects or the second best, is treated. It is shown that in this duration problem there are…
Let $\eta_t$ be a Poisson point process of intensity $t\geq 1$ on some state space $\Y$ and $f$ be a non-negative symmetric function on $\Y^k$ for some $k\geq 1$. Applying $f$ to all $k$-tuples of distinct points of $\eta_t$ generates a…
Babaioff et al. [BIK2007] introduced the matroid secretary problem in 2007, a natural extension of the classic single-choice secretary problem to matroids, and conjectured that a constant-competitive online algorithm exists. The conjecture…