Master's thesis presentation. Burak is advised by Irene Lopez Gutierrez and Prof. Christian Mendl.
SCCS Kolloquium
The SCCS Colloquium is a forum giving students, guests, and members of the chair the opportunity to present their research insights, results, and challenges. Do you need ideas for your thesis topic? Do you want to meet your potential supervisor? Do you want to discuss your research with a diverse group of researchers, rehearse your conference talk, or simply cheer for your colleagues? Then this is the right place for you (and you are also welcome to bring your friends along).
Upcoming talks
Burak Mete: Solving Constrained Optimization Problems with QAOA using Quantum Autoencoders
SCCS Colloquium |
The Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA) [1] is a metaheuristic gate-model quantum algorithm, mainly used for solving combinatorial optimization problems, such as Max-Cut, or the Travelling Salesman Problem. The main goal of the algorithm is to find an upper bound to the ground state energy, using the Cost Hamiltonian, which is based on the objective function of the optimization problem. Usually, the solutions of such an optimization problem are provided as a binary string, therefore any computational basis state can be considered as one solution to the optimization problem. In the algorithm, the application of Cost Hamiltonian achieves phase separation, in relation to the costs of each individual solution. The algorithm also includes another Hamiltonian called as the Mixer, and it is defined as a Hermitian matrix that does not commute with the Cost Hamiltonian. The Mixer Hamiltonian tries to mix the probabilities of all possible solutions. The aim for applying such a Mixer Hamiltonian, is to be able to explore the whole solution space, and avoid potential local minima.
In a recent work, Hadfield [2], showed that the role of Mixer Hamiltonians, can be expanded when there are constraints involved in the optimization problem. Preparing according to the hard constraints of a problem, the Mixer is ensured, not only to explore the whole solution space, but to also restrict it according to the corresponding constraints. However, preparing a Mixer can be cumbersome, since it requires distinct ansatz for different problems and constraints. We are proposing a different approach for solving such constrained optimization problems. Instead of using a problem specific Mixer Hamiltonian, we are using an encoding scheme, that shrinks the search space into the feasible subspace. After applying the Cost Hamiltonian and the encoder in a cascaded manner, we aim to find an approximate solution to the optimization problem, that satisfies the constraints, using the Travelling Salesman Problem as an example. Therefore, our overall goal is to provide an optimization scheme for a constrained optimization problem, along with comparing the convergence of the algorithm with the state-of-art approaches.
References
[1] Edward Farhi, Jeffrey Goldstone, and Sam Gutmann. A quantum approximate optimization algorithm. arXiv preprint arXiv:1411.4028, 2014.
[2] Stuart Hadfield, Zhihui Wang, Eleanor G Rieffel, Bryan O’Gorman, Davide Venturelli, and Rupak Biswas. Quantum approximate optimization with hard and soft constraints. In Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Post Moores Era Supercomputing, pages 15–21, 2017.
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Contribute a talk
To register and schedule a talk, you should fill the form Colloquium Registration at least two weeks before the earliest preferred date. Keep in mind that we only have limited slots, so please plan your presentation early. In special cases, contact colloquium@mailsccs.in.tum.de.
Colloquium sessions are now on-campus. We have booked room MI 02.07.023 for SS2024. You can either bring your own laptop or send us the slides as a PDF ahead of time. The projector only has an HDMI connection, so please bring your own adapters if necessary.
Do you want to attend but cannot make it in person? We now have a hybrid option. Simply join us through this BBB room: https://bbb.in.tum.de/shu-phv-eyq-rad
We invite students doing their Bachelor's or Master's thesis, as well as IDP, Guided Research, or similar projects at SCCS to give one 20min presentation to discuss their results and potential future work. The time for this is typically after submitting your final text. Check also with your study program regarding any requirements for a final presentation of your project work.
New: In regular times, we will now have slots for presenting early stage projects (talk time 2-10min). This is an optional opportunity for getting additional feedback early and there is no strict timeline.
Apart from students, we also welcome doctoral candidates and guests to present their projects.
During the colloquium, things usually go as follows:
- 10min before the colloquium starts, the speakers setup their equipment with the help of the moderator. The moderator currently is Ana Cukarska. Make sure to be using an easily identifiable name in the online session's waiting room.
- The colloquium starts with an introduction to the agenda and the moderator asks the speaker's advisor/host to put the talk into context.
- Your talk starts. The scheduled time for your talk is normally 20min with additional 5-10min for discussion.
- The moderator keeps track of the time and will signal 5 min before the end of time.
- During the discussion session, the audience can ask questions, which are meant for clarification or for putting the talk into context. The audience can also ask questions in the chat.
- Congratulations! Your talk is over and it's now time to celebrate! Have you already tried the parabolic slides that bring you from the third floor to the Magistrale?
Do you remember a talk that made you feel very happy for attending? Do you also remember a talk that confused you? What made these two experiences different?
Here are a few things to check if you want to improve your presentation:
- What is the main idea that you want people to remember after your presentation? Do you make it crystal-clear? How quickly are you arriving to it?
- Which aspects of your work can you cover in the given time frame, with a reasonable pace and good depth?
- What can you leave out (but maybe have as back-up slides) to not confuse or overwhelm the audience?
- How are you investing the crucial first two minutes of your presentation?
- How much content do you have on your slides? Is all of it important? Will the audience know which part of a slide to look at? Will somebody from the last row be able to read the content? Will somebody with limited experience in your field have time to understand what is going on?
- Are the figures clear? Are you explaining the axes or any other features clearly?
In any case, make sure to start preparing your talk early enough so that you can potentially discuss it, rehearse it, and improve it.
Here are a few good videos to find out more:
- Simon Peyton Jones: How to Give a Great Research Talk (see also How to Write a Great Research Paper)
- Susan McConnell: Designing effective scientific presentations
- Jens Weller: Presenting Code
Did you know that the TUM English Writing Center can also help you with writing good slides?
Work with us!
Do your thesis/student project in Informatics / Mathematics / Physics: Student Projects at the SCCS.