Event info

Date: 12:00~13:00 JST Tuesday, 18 August 2026

Zoom: Online via Zoom

Speaker: Maximilian Thiel (Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany)

Title: Learning Optimal Search Strategies - The Parking Lot Problem

Abstract:
We explore the question of how to learn an optimal search strategy within the example of a parking problem where parking opportunities arrive according to an unknown inhomogeneous Poisson process.
The optimal policy is a threshold-type stopping rule characterized by an indifference position. We propose an algorithm that learns this threshold by estimating the integrated jump intensity rather than the intensity function itself. We show that our algorithm achieves a logarithmic regret growth, uniformly over a broad class of environments. Moreover, we prove a logarithmic minimax regret lower bound, establishing the growth optimality of the proposed approach.

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This seminar series is a valuable opportunity for graduate students to get acquainted with the work of more experienced researchers in various mathematical fields. Undergraduate students are also welcome to join, as the talks are intended for non-experts, too. Regardless of your area of research, you can attend the seminar to expand your knowledge and get in touch with the latest developments in mathematics for industry.
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