Advanced Operations Research Summer School: Future Mobility: Optimizing user-centric transit networks under uncertainty

Future Mobility: optimizing user-centric transit networks under uncertainty

Course lectures: Summer 2024 (5 days),
Lectures/in-class exercises: 6 hours/day (9:30-16:30)

Course Overview

DTU’s Operations Research(OR) PhD Summer School will take place from the 24 to 28 June 2024. Operations Research at the department of  Technology, Management and Economics organizes an intensive 5-day course which will cover central questions related to the optimal planning of public transportation, with a specific focus on the passenger perspective, robust planning, and also covering demand-driven transportation. The school includes talks by world-renowned researchers in the field of transportation. Participants can earn 2.5 ECTS by attending the school.

Registration

Read about deadlines and registration here

About the summer school

This edition of the OR PhD Summer School is themed around "Future Mobility: Optimizing user-centric transit networks under uncertainty". The existence of shared public transport systems, ranging from classic bus and train transportation to on-demand solutions and shared vehicles, has only increased in importance over the past years. Not only do many find them convenient as they often omit the problem of finding parking or the risk of standing in traffic, also the UN report on required climate actions indicates that shared vehicles must be a part of a society with lower CO2 emissions than we have today. Therefore, the creation of transit systems of the future that are attractive to even more users is a topic of utmost importance.

This summer school aims to familiarize participants with key research areas in OR that are pertinent to the development of appealing transit networks. We will commence by delving into the fundamentals of Network design and Line planning problems, exploring both their theoretical underpinnings and practical applications. Subsequently, the curriculum will address on-demand transportation, specifically addressing the dial-a-ride problem. Moving forward, the program will delve into the intersection of user behaviour and optimization, recognizing the importance of understanding preferences and behaviours to craft networks that are attractive to users. Integrating these often complex, non-linear models into optimization frameworks poses a significant challenge. Lastly, the program will explore the management of uncertainty in network planning through the application of Robust Optimization. While Robust Optimization can suggest solutions resilient to diverse circumstances, it is crucial to acknowledge the trade-offs involved in opting for such robust solutions.

 

Themes addressed:

Behavioral models and optimisation: Professor Michel Bierlaire (MB)

Robust optimization in public transport: Professor Marie Schmidt (MS)

Public transport network design: Assistant Professor Evelien van der Hurk (EH)
Public on-demand transport: Professor Stefan Røpke (SR)

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Morning	Evelien van der Hurk	Stefan Røpke	Michel Bierlaire	Michel Bierlaire	Marie Schmidt
Afternoon	Practice presentation	Michel Bierlaire	Michel Bierlaire	Marie Schmidt	Student Presentations
	Reception		Social gathering	Dinner

Read more about the speakers here

After attending this 5-day intensive summer school, you will have a good understanding of the research topics related towards network design and line planning, on-demand transportation as related to dial-a-ride services, user behaviour and optimization, and robust optimization. The summer school will combine tutorial like sessions with some more advanced research talks as well as talks from practitioners. One could also consider it an excellent preparation to follow the latest research talks on this topic at the following EURO conference in Copenhagen, and of course as a great opportunity to build your network.

The summer school is targeted towards PhD students in Operations Research, specifically those with in interest in (public) transportation. However, anyone with a good knowledge about Operations Research is very welcome to attend this course. Other academics and practitioners are of course also very welcome to attend the course.