The Caratheodory Prize in Global Optimization

The Constantin Caratheodory Prize of the International Society of Global Optimization is awarded bi-annually to an individual (or a group) for fundamental contributions to theory, algorithms, and applications of global optimization. The Prize named after mathematician Constantin Caratheodory is awarded for outstanding work that reflects contributions that have stood the test of time. The criteria include scientific excellence, innovation, significance, depth, and impact. The winner will receive an award of $2,000, and a certificate. The Constantin Caratheodory Prize was established by the International Society of Global Optimization in 2011, and was first awarded at the Second World Congress on Global Optimization, held in Chania, Greece during July 3-7, 2011.

"The first recipient was Professor Hoang Tuy for his pioneering work and fundamental contributions to Global Optimization." These fundamental contributions include:

1. The first deterministic approach to concave minimization, a typical problem of global optimization, considered at the time as "intrinsically difficult"(Dantzig). In this pioneering work many ideas, concepts and methods were introduced which turned out to be fundamental throughout the development of global optimization: cuts, partitioning (splitting, subdivision, bounding);
2. Theory (especially convergence conditions) of basic methods of global optimization: outer approximation, branch and bound, branch and cut.
3. Basic techniques of subdivision: exhaustive, semi-exhaustive subdivision, adaptive subdivision.
4. DC functions as basic class of functions in global optimization. DC optimization: theory, methods, algorithms, applications;
5. DM functions in global optimization. Continuous and discrete monotonic optimization: theory, methods, algorithms, applications.
6. Ill-posed problems and robust global optimization.
7. Decomposition method in global optimization.

Prize committee members:

• Panos M. Pardalos (Univesrity of Florida)
• Christodoulos A. Floudas (Priceton University)
• David Gao (University of Ballarat, Australia)
• Shu Cherng Fang (North Carolina State Univerisity, USA)
• Shouyang Wang (Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Science, China)

Prize Award Date:

Beginning in 2013, the award will be presented bi-annually at the Society's office meeting: World Congress of Global Optimization.