Zeroth-Order/ Black-Box Optimization Methods

Relevant Publications 

1. Rinaldi, Francesco, et al. "Stochastic trust-region and direct-search methods: A weak tail bound condition and reduced sample sizing", SIAM Journal on Optimization, 34. 2 (2024): 2067-2092. 

2. Cristofari, Andrea, and Francesco Rinaldi. "A derivative-free method for structured optimization problems." SIAM Journal on Optimization 31.2 (2021): 1079-1107.

3. Liuzzi, Giampaolo, Stefano Lucidi, and Francesco Rinaldi. "An algorithmic framework based on primitive directions and nonmonotone line searches for black-box optimization problems with integer variables." Mathematical Programming Computation 12.4 (2020): 673-702.

4. Liuzzi, Giampaolo, et al. "Trust-region methods for the derivative-free optimization of nonsmooth black-box functions." SIAM Journal on Optimization 29.4 (2019): 3012-3035.

5. Liuzzi, Giampaolo, Stefano Lucidi, and Francesco Rinaldi. "A derivative-free approach to constrained multiobjective nonsmooth optimization." SIAM Journal on Optimization 26.4 (2016): 2744-2774.

6. Fasano, Giovanni, et al. "A linesearch-based derivative-free approach for nonsmooth constrained optimization." SIAM Journal on Optimization 24.3 (2014): 959-992.

Optimization Methods for Learning

Relevant Publications 

1. Zangrando, Emanuele, et al. "dEBORA: Efficient Bilevel Optimization-based low-Rank Adaptation", The 13th International Conference on Learning Representations (2025).

2. Venturini, Sara, et. al.  "Relax and penalize: a new bilevel approach to mixed-binary hyperparameter optimization", Transactions on Machine Learning Research (2025). 

3. Venturini, Sara, et al."Learning the right layers: a data-driven layer-aggregation strategy for semi-supervised learning on multilayer graphs." International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML)  2023 (2023).

4. Bomze, Immanuel M., Francesco Rinaldi, and Damiano Zeffiro. "Active Set Complexity of the Away-Step Frank--Wolfe Algorithm." SIAM Journal on Optimization 30.3 (2020): 2470-2500.

5. Bomze, Immanuel M., Francesco Rinaldi, and Samuel Rota Bulò. "First-order methods for the impatient: Support identification in finite time with convergent Frank--Wolfe variants." SIAM Journal on Optimization 29.3 (2019): 2211-2226.

6. De Santis, Marianna, Stefano Lucidi, and Francesco Rinaldi. "A Fast Active Set Block Coordinate Descent Algorithm for \ell_1-Regularized Least Squares." SIAM Journal on Optimization 26.1 (2016): 781-809.

Optimization Methods for Complex Networks

Relevant Publications 

1. Venturini, Sara, et al. "A variance-aware multiobjective Louvain-like method for community detection in multiplex networks." Journal of Complex Networks 10.6 (2022): cnac048. 

2. Bomze, Immanuel M., Francesco Rinaldi, and Damiano Zeffiro. "Fast Cluster Detection in Networks by First Order Optimization." SIAM Journal on Mathematics of Data Science 4.1 (2022): 285-305.

3. Cristofari, Andrea, Francesco Rinaldi, and Francesco Tudisco. "Total variation based community detection using a nonlinear optimization approach." SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics 80.3 (2020): 1392-1419.

4. Hungerford, James T., and Francesco Rinaldi. "A general regularized continuous formulation for the maximum clique problem." Mathematics of Operations Research 44.4 (2019): 1161-1173.

(Mixed) Integer Programming Methods

Relevant Publications 

1. Garmatter, Dominik, et al. "An improved penalty algorithm using model order reduction for MIPDECO problems with partial observations." Computational Optimization and Applications 84.1 (2023): 191-223. 

2. Garmatter, Dominik, et al. "Improved penalty algorithm for mixed integer PDE constrained optimization problems." Computers & Mathematics with Applications 116 (2022): 2-14. 

3. Bettiol, Enrico, et al. "Mining for diamonds—Matrix generation algorithms for binary quadratically constrained quadratic problems." Computers & Operations Research 142 (2022): 105735.

4. Buchheim, Christoph, et al. "A feasible active set method with reoptimization for convex quadratic mixed-integer programming." SIAM Journal on Optimization 26.3 (2016): 1695-1714.

5. De Santis, Marianna, Stefano Lucidi, and Francesco Rinaldi. "A new class of functions for measuring solution integrality in the feasibility pump approach." SIAM Journal on Optimization 23.3 (2013): 1575-1606.

6. Lucidi, Stefano, and Francesco Rinaldi. "Exact penalty functions for nonlinear integer programming problems." Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications 145.3 (2010): 479-488.

Applications in Biology, Medicine and Science of Science

Relevant Publications 

1. Sikdar, Satiaki, et al. "What we should learn from pandemic publishing." Nature Human Behaviour (2024). 

2. Venturini, Sara, et al. "Collaboration and topic switches in science." Scientific Reports 14, 1258 (2024). 

3. D’Abramo, Alessandra, et al. "A machine learning approach for early identification of patients with severe imported malaria" BMC Malaria Journal (2024) 23:46.

4. Pasetto, Laura, et al. "Decoding distinctive features of plasma extracellular vesicles in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis." Molecular Neurodegeneration 16.1 (2021): 1-21.

5. Lucidi, Stefano, et al. "A simulation-based multiobjective optimization approach for health care service management." IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering 13.4 (2016): 1480-1491.

6. De Santis, Marianna, et al. "Combining optimization and machine learning techniques for genome-wide prediction of human cell cycle-regulated genes." Bioinformatics 30.2 (2014): 228-233.

7. De Gaetano, Andrea, et al. "A patient adaptable ECG beat classifier based on neural networks." Applied Mathematics and Computation 213.1 (2009): 243-249.

Applications in Engineering

Relevant Publications 

1. Campana, Emilio F., et al. "Derivative-free global ship design optimization using global/local hybridization of the DIRECT algorithm." Optimization and Engineering 17.1 (2016): 127-156. 

2. Campana, Emilio Fortunato, et al. "A multi-objective DIRECT algorithm for ship hull optimization." Computational Optimization and Applications 71.1 (2018): 53-72.

3. Parasiliti, Francesco, et al. "Finite-element-based multiobjective design optimization procedure of interior permanent magnet synchronous motors for wide constant-power region operation." IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics 59.6 (2011): 2503-2514.