John von Neumann Theory Prize
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2021 Winner(s)
The 2021 INFORMS John von Neumann Theory Prize is awarded to Alexander Shapiro for his foundational contributions to theory and computational methods for stochastic programming, as well as seminal contributions to nonlinear analysis. The outstanding breadth and depth of Dr. Shapiro's research, combined with his contributions to the mathematical optimization community, make him an outstanding recipient of this prestigious prize. Dr. Shapiro has had a formative impact on stochastic programming, with many influential papers on the topic and two excellent and highly cited books on the subject (one joint with A. Ruszczynski "Stochastic Programming," Elsevier, 2003, and the other joint with D. Dentcheva and A. Ruszczynski "Lectures on Stochastic Programming," SIAM, 2009, 2014). Of particular note is his pioneering contribution to the complexity analysis of stochastic programming, which builds upon his development (since the 1980s) of a large and very influential body of work related to the asymptotic analysis and statistical inference of sample average approximations (SAA) of stochastic programs. His paper "Simulation-based optimization: Convergence analysis and statistical inference," published in Stochastic Models in 1996, investigates, for the first time in the then 40-year-old history of the subject, theoretical computational complexity of various generic stochastic programming problems. His recent work focuses on risk-averse decision making and includes development of a new modeling methodology for multistage risk-averse decision making, reducing the problem to a "nested" series of similar problems with smaller time horizons (and thus much more "computationally friendly" than the original multistage formulation of the problem). The techniques for multistage risk-averse decision making developed by Dr. Shapiro form the core methodology underlying Brazil's long-term planning of electric power generation. Dr. Shapiro is also well known for his contributions to sensitivity analysis and optimality conditions in continuous optimization, having developed important results for conic, nonsmooth and semi-infinite problems, problems involving matrix-valued functions and functions of eigenvalues of symmetric matrices, variational inequalities, and problems with equilibrium constraints.
Purpose of the Award
2022 Committee Chair
Peter Glynn
Stanford University
Have questions? Please email: christy.blevins@informs.org
The John von Neumann Theory Prize is awarded annually to a scholar (or scholars in the case of joint work) who has made fundamental, sustained contributions to theory in operations research and the management sciences. The award is given each year at the INFORMS Annual Meeting if there is a suitable recipient. Although the Prize is normally given to a single individual, in the case of accumulated joint work, the recipients can be multiple individuals.
The Prize is awarded for a body of work, typically published over a period of several years. Although recent work should not be excluded, the Prize typically reflects contributions that have stood the test of time. The criteria for the Prize are broad, and include significance, innovation, depth, and scientific excellence.
The award is $5,000, a medallion and a citation.
2022 Submission Deadline: To Be Announced
The Prize Committee is currently seeking nominations, which should be in the form of a letter (preferably email) addressed to the prize committee chair (below), highlighting the nominee's accomplishments. Although the letter need not contain a detailed account of the nominee's research, it should document the overall nature of his or her contributions and their impact on the profession, with particular emphasis on the prize's criteria. The nominee's curriculum vitae, while not mandatory, would be helpful.
About the Award/Namesake
John von Neumann was a brilliant mathematician, synthesizer, and promoter of the stored program concept, whose logical design of the IAS became the prototype of most of its successors - the von Neumann Architecture. von Neumann was invited to visit Princeton University in 1930, and when the Institute for Advanced Studies was founded there in 1933, he was appointed to be one of the original six Professors of Mathematics, a position which he retained for the remainder of his life. Postwar von Neumann concentrated on the development of the Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) computer and its copies around the world. His work with the Los Alamos group continued and he continued to develop the synergism between computers capabilities and the needs for computational solutions to nuclear problems related to the hydrogen bomb.
Past Awardees
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