Optimization

The Spring School and Workshop on Variational Analysis and Optimization (ICOVAO-25)

Variational analysis is a well-recognized area of mathematics with many applications to optimization, control, equilibria, stability, machine learning, statistics, as well as to practical models in science and technology. The underlying feature of variational analysis is the broad usage of generalized differentiation, which allows to deal with nonsmooth functions, sets with nonsmooth boundaries, and set-valued mappings. Such objects naturally and frequently occur not only in problems with nonsmooth initial data but mainly due to employing variational or extremal principles and techniques. Nowadays, qualitative analysis of optimization problems and equilibrium problems, as well as effective algorithms to solve such problems, all rely on variational analysis.

The Spring School and Workshop “Variational Analysis and Optimization” constitute a broad international forum for exchanging ideas related to fundamental principles of variational analysis and optimization theory, from the well-established ground concepts to novel ideas and recent developments within the field and its neighbouring areas of pure and applied mathematics.

The guest editors plan to publish a special issue dedicated to the workshop and spring school. This special issue addresses core topics of both meetings, focusing on – but not limited to – recent theoretical and algorithmic developments for optimization problems with nonsmooth data or methods relying on generalized differentiation concepts. The presentation and discussion of optimization software and novel applications are welcome as well if they are supplemented by a thorough theoretical analysis.

Optimization is abstracted and indexed also in: Mathematical Reviews/MathSciNet; Science Citation Index Expanded; Zentralblatt MATH/Mathematics Abstracts.

Submitted papers will be considered as potential full-paper publications in this special issue subject to peer reviews and should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. All submissions will be refereed upholding the journal’s high standards of peer-review integrity and scientific good practice. All submitted papers will be peer reviewed by at least two independent, anonymous expert referees, each delivering at least one report. The main criteria for acceptance are the quality and originality of the contribution.