Optimize black-box simulators with local generative models.
problem Optimizing non-differentiable, stochastic simulators with intractable likelihoods.
method Differentiable local surrogate models based on deep generative models.
result Local surrogates enable gradient-based optimization, faster than baseline methods.
Simulated annealing improves candidate optimization for multi-objective Bayesian optimization.
problem Efficient candidate optimization for multi-objective acquisition functions in Bayesian optimization.
method Simulated annealing-based approach for batch acquisition function optimization.
result Simulated annealing outperforms SLSQP in most multi-objective optimization problems, achieving higher hypervolume values and better convergence characteristics.
A new algorithm improves efficiency and robustness of heuristic optimization in simulation-based problems.
problem Optimizing input parameters for stochastic simulation-based optimization.
method Reactive sample size algorithm based on parametric tests and indifference-zone selection.
result The reactive method improves efficiency and robustness of heuristic optimization techniques.
Study optimizes decisions in real-time using inexact simulation solutions.
problem Real-time decision-making in simulation optimization with inexact solutions.
method Optimize then predict (OTP) approach, analyzing bias and variance in simulation-optimization algorithms.
result Unified analysis framework for OTP, establishing convergence rates and optimal allocation of computational budget.
The paper proposes a framework to calibrate multi-agent simulation models from output series using Bayesian optimization.
problem Calibrating multi-agent simulation models from observable output series.
method Novel eligibility set concept, two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test with Bonferroni correction, Bayesian optimization (BO), and trust-region BO (TuRBO).
result Demonstrated the efficiency of the proposed framework using numerical experiments.
New emulator bridges simulators using conditional optimal transport.
problem Bridging simulators with minimal distortion.
method Flow-based approach to learn likelihood transport, COT-FM for optimal matching.
result Emulator accurately captures full correction between simulators.
New framework optimizes complex systems decisions via simulation.
problem Optimizing strategic, tactical, and operational decisions in complex systems.
method Global-local metamodel assisted two-stage optimization via simulation.
result Framework efficiently searches for optimal decisions with unknown objective.
Efficient Bayesian decision-making with intractable likelihoods.
problem Bayesian decision-making under intractable likelihoods.
method Learning surrogate models and using simulation-based inference and Bayesian optimization.
result Optimal actions can be learned with fewer simulations than posterior inference.
Paper uses Simulated Bifurcation for quick asset allocation optimization.
problem Optimal asset allocation selection.
method Simulated Bifurcation algorithms applied to 441 S&P500 assets.
result Unrivaled timescale for optimal sub-allocation selection.
Scout-Nd optimizes parameters of stochastic simulators efficiently.
problem Optimizing parameters of stochastic, computationally expensive simulators.
method Scout-Nd algorithm, reducing gradient noise, multi-fidelity schemes.
result Demonstrates better performance compared to existing methods.
In this paper we study simulation based optimization algorithms for solving discrete time optimal stopping problems. This type of algorithms became popular among practioneers working in the area of quantitative finance. Using large deviation theory for the increments of empirical processes, we derive optimal convergenc…
PALS extends PAL for optimizing stochastic simulators efficiently.
problem Optimizing stochastic simulators with high output variance and expensive evaluations.
method Bayesian optimization with probabilistic models, extending PAL for stochastic settings.
result PALS outperforms other methods in optimizing stochastic simulators.
CoolMomentum combines momentum and Simulated Annealing for deep learning optimization.
problem Global optimization of non-convex functions in deep learning.
method Discretized Langevin dynamics with Simulated Annealing.
result CoolMomentum achieves high accuracy on Resnet-20 on Cifar-10 and Efficientnet-B0 on Imagenet.
The study optimizes simulated annealing's cooling schedule for better performance.
problem Designing optimal cooling schedules for simulated annealing to improve its performance.
method Analyzed the cooling schedule's impact on simulated annealing's performance and provided sample and simulation complexity results.
result Optimal cooling schedules can be found with a small number of samples, improving the algorithm's runtime or success rate.
New method speeds up Bayesian inference for complex simulators.
problem Challenges in Bayesian inference for complex stochastic simulators with intractable likelihood functions.
method Optimization Monte Carlo framework reformulated as deterministic optimization problems with gradient-based methods.
result Accurate posterior inference with reduced runtimes compared to existing methods.
New method tackles rugged optimization landscapes in contact-rich scenarios.
problem Optimization challenges in dynamic environments with deformable objects.
method Combines Bayesian optimization with semi-local 'leaps' for global search.
result Outperforms gradient-based and gradient-free baselines in simulation and real robot experiments.
Simulated annealing is a popular method for approaching the solution of a global optimization problem. Existing results on its performance apply to discrete combinatorial optimization where the optimization variables can assume only a finite set of possible values. We introduce a new general formulation of simulated an…
In many domains, scientists build complex simulators of natural phenomena that encode their hypotheses about the underlying processes. These simulators can be deterministic or stochastic, fast or slow, constrained or unconstrained, and so on. Optimizing the simulators with respect to a set of parameter values is common…
The paper proposes an efficient nested simulation design using likelihood ratio method.
problem Designing nested simulations with fixed outer scenarios and minimizing simulation effort.
method Proposes a bi-level optimization problem to decide inner replications and pooling strategies.
result Optimized design achieves $\cO(Γ^{-1})$ mean squared error of estimators.
Automates building structural design with reduced mass and carbon footprint.
problem Time-consuming and laborious manual design process for buildings.
method Formulated building structures as graphs, trained end-to-end pipeline with a differentiable simulator.
result Optimal structural designs comparable to GA, with reduced building mass and carbon footprint.
Enhances inverse design optimization with machine learning and reduced fidelity simulations.
problem Limited compute resources in inverse design optimization.
method Synergy of multi-fidelity simulations, machine learning, and search space reduction.
result Significant computational resource savings and improved optimization performance.
The paper uses optimal transport to calibrate stochastic simulations.
problem Improper fidelity of stochastic simulators in scientific applications.
method Optimal transport theory applied to neural network corrections.
result Calibrated stochastic simulations improve fidelity to reality.
This work introduces benchmarks for evaluating nanophotonic structures in design simulations.
problem Design and understanding of nanophotonic structures for various applications.
method Development of frameworks and benchmarks for evaluating nanophotonic structures in parametric design problems.
result Strategic use of evaluation fidelity in enhancing structure designs.
New algorithm tackles high-dimensional simulation optimization, converging efficiently.
problem High-dimensional simulation optimization challenges.
method Sparse grid experimental design combined with kernel ridge regression using Brownian field kernel, followed by expected improvement strategy.
result Established upper bounds on convergence rate, demonstrating superior performance in practice.
Accelerates pulsar light curve inference with learned representations and optimization.
problem Computational expense of Markov chain Monte Carlo methods for posterior inference.
method Combining U-Net latent representations with local simulator-guided optimization.
result 120x reduction in inference time (24 hours to 12 minutes) with accuracy preserved.
New method uses reinforcement learning to improve Simulated Annealing.
problem Optimization problems with unknown cost functions.
method Replaces Metropolis engine with Macau Algorithm.
result Effective heuristic for unknown cost functions.
JAX MD enables differentiable physics simulations for molecular dynamics.
problem Performing efficient and differentiable physics simulations for molecular dynamics.
method Differentiable physics simulation environments, interaction potentials, neural networks, flexible primitives.
result Differentiable physics simulations can be used for meta-optimization and scaling to large particle systems.
Two simulation-based methods improve optimal sampling design in systems biology.
problem Optimal selection of sampling points for accurate parameter estimation in dynamical systems.
method E-optimal-ranking (EOR) and LSTM neural network-based methods.
result Simulation studies show the proposed methods outperform random selection and classical E-optimal design.
The study optimizes wind farm yaw control using Gaussian process regression and high-fidelity simulations.
problem Improving yaw control inputs for maximum power production in wind farms.
method Gaussian process regression and modifier adaptation scheme based on high-fidelity simulation data.
result Both modifier adaptation and Bayesian optimization improve power production with smaller yaw misalignments.
Study shows current simulations are insufficient for optimal neural network training in cosmology.
problem Insufficient training data for neural networks in cosmological inference.
method Empirical neural scaling law and Cramer-Rao bound to forecast training simulations needed.
result Current simulation suites do not provide sufficient training data for optimal neural network performance.
BOED improves SBI by optimizing experimental designs and inference functions.
problem Efficiently use experimental resources for better inference on complex models.
method Link mutual information bounds between SBI and BOED, optimizing both design and inference.
result BOED improves inference in real-world simulators in epidemiology and biology.
A new algorithm, Regular Tree Search, tackles non-convex simulation optimization problems.
problem Non-convex objective functions in simulation optimization.
method Integrates adaptive sampling with recursive partitioning of the search space.
result Proves global convergence and reliably identifies the global optimum.
RL agents optimize order execution in a realistic market simulation.
problem Optimal order execution challenges in a complex market.
method Multi-agent RL in a historical order book simulation.
result RL agents converge to TWAP strategies in some scenarios.
Complex computer simulators are increasingly used across fields of science as generative models tying parameters of an underlying theory to experimental observations. Inference in this setup is often difficult, as simulators rarely admit a tractable density or likelihood function. We introduce Adversarial Variational O…
Unified method for balancing simulation and data collection.
problem Finding optimal solutions with uncertain inputs.
method Bayesian Information Collection and Optimisation (BICO) procedure.
result Algorithm automatically determines optimal balance between optimisation and data collection.
Method trains neural network for optimal decisions from stochastic simulators.
problem Suboptimal decisions from SBI approximations of posterior distributions.
method Trains neural network on simulated data to predict optimal actions.
result Induces similar cost as true posterior for optimal actions.
Managers of US National Forests must decide what policy to apply for dealing with lightning-caused wildfires. Conflicts among stakeholders (e.g., timber companies, home owners, and wildlife biologists) have often led to spirited political debates and even violent eco-terrorism. One way to transform these conflicts into…
SOCRATES uses LLMs to automate simulation optimization of complex systems.
problem Optimizing complex, expensive-to-sample stochastic systems.
method Two-stage procedure: replica construction and meta-optimization.
result Adaptive hybrid optimization schedule for real systems.
A new beta-VAE based regression model accelerates oilfield optimization studies.
problem Computational expense of full-physics reservoir simulations.
method beta-VAE for interpretable latent space representation, probabilistic dense layers for uncertainty quantification.
result Interpretable latent representation and quantified uncertainty for optimization decisions.
EDU method finds diverse optimal solutions for expensive simulators.
problem Optimizing expensive black-box simulators for diverse solutions.
method EDU method searches for diverse locally-optimal solutions within a tolerance level.
result EDU yields a closed-form acquisition function facilitating efficient sequential queries.
Projective simulation converges to optimal behavior in Markov decision processes.
problem Optimizing reinforcement learning in Markov decision processes.
method Projective simulation framework applied to reinforcement learning.
result Projective simulation converges to optimal behavior in a large class of Markov decision processes.
CSM-NN uses neural networks to speed up and improve the accuracy of logic circuit simulations.
problem Inaccurate and slow simulation of complex circuits with billions of transistors.
method Current Source Model (CSM) combined with optimized neural network structures and parallel processing.
result Reduces simulation time by up to 6x on CPUs and 15x on GPUs with less than 2% error.
New simulation method tackles sign problem in quantum fields.
problem Sign problem in real-time dynamics of quantum fields.
method Inspired by reinforcement learning, complex Langevin approach with learned optimal kernels.
result Significant extension of real-time simulations in 1+1d scalar field theory.
We present DiffTaichi, a new differentiable programming language tailored for building high-performance differentiable physical simulators. Based on an imperative programming language, DiffTaichi generates gradients of simulation steps using source code transformations that preserve arithmetic intensity and parallelism…
Study efficient graph optimization with noisy data.
problem Optimizing functions on graphs with noisy observations.
method Best-arm identification and simulated annealing variants.
result Near-optimal solutions found with small query numbers.
Extends geostatistical simulation method to handle multiple variables and large grids.
problem Scalability and handling of multiple variables in geostatistical simulation.
method Uses Sinkhorn optimal transport with sparse matcher and FFT-MA Gaussian backbone.
result MST-Direct reproduces joint distribution with zero histogram error and accurately preserves spatial correlation.
Generative models use Schrödinger bridges for faster conditional simulation.
problem Efficiently simulate conditional scenarios in generative models.
method Extend Schrödinger bridge framework to conditional simulation.
result Demonstrated on various applications, including image super-resolution.
We provide an explicit formula giving the optimal number of paths needed to simulate two correlated Brownian motions.