arXiv Machine Learning

From Small to Large: A Graph Convolutional Network Approach for Solving Assortment Optimization Problems

arXiv:2507. 10834v4 Announce Type: replace Abstract: Assortment optimization seeks to select a subset of substitutable products, subject to constraints, to maximize expected revenue.

arXiv Machine Learning
Aug 13

Diffusion-Based Data-Driven Assortment Optimization

arXiv:2608. 11419v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Assortment optimization is a fundamental problem in revenue management, typically addressed using parametric choice models such as the multinomial logit (MNL) and its variants.

By Junyi Liao, Xiaohui Jiang, Zhengwei Tong, Ethan X. Fang, Vahid Tarokh
arXiv AI
Jun 30

Assortment Planning with Sponsored Products

arXiv:2402. 06158v2 Announce Type: replace-cross Abstract: In the rapidly evolving landscape of retail, assortment planning plays a crucial role in determining the success of a business.

By Shaojie Tang, Shuzhang Cai, Jing Yuan, Kai Han
arXiv Machine Learning
Aug 31

Robust Assortment Optimization from Observational Data

The paper introduces a robust framework for assortment optimization that addresses distributional shifts in customer choice behavior. It demonstrates computational tractability when the nominal choice model is known and develops statistically optimal algorithms for the data‑driven setting, providing matching upper and lower bounds on sample complexity. The authors identify "robust item‑wise coverage" as the minimal data requirement for efficient robust learning, bridging robustness and statistical efficiency in assortment planning.

By Miao Lu, Yuxuan Han, Han Zhong, Zhengyuan Zhou, Jose Blanchet
arXiv Machine Learning
Sep 23

Deep Reinforcement Learning on Item-Compatibility Graphs for One-Dimensional Bin Packing

The paper introduces a novel end‑to‑end, size‑agnostic graph reinforcement learning framework for the one‑dimensional bin packing problem (1D‑BPP). It models packing as a Markov decision process on an item‑compatibility graph, where a graph neural network actor‑critic policy learns to merge compatible partial bins. Empirical results on the BPPLIB benchmark show that the learned policy reduces the mean optimality gap of a constructive heuristic from 2.66 % to 2.31 %, performs competitively against other learned methods, and outperforms a state‑of‑the‑art learned solver on the hardest benchmark family.

By M. Asl{\i} Ayd{\i}n
arXiv Machine Learning
Aug 31

Let the Flows Tell: Solving Graph Combinatorial Optimization Problems with GFlowNets

The paper introduces a method for tackling combinatorial optimization (CO) problems—often NP‑hard—by leveraging GFlowNets to sample solutions from the solution space. It designs Markov decision processes tailored to various CO tasks and trains conditional GFlowNets, incorporating efficient training techniques for long‑range credit assignment. Experiments on synthetic and realistic datasets show that these GFlowNet policies can efficiently locate high‑quality solutions, and the implementation is publicly available.

By Dinghuai Zhang, Hanjun Dai, Esmeralda S. Whitammer, Aaron Courville, Yoshua Bengio, Ling Pan
arXiv AI
Sep 4

Data Market Design through Deep Learning

The paper tackles the data market design problem, which seeks signaling schemes that maximize revenue for an information seller. It applies deep learning to learn these schemes, addressing both obedience and incentive constraints, and demonstrates that the framework can replicate known theoretical solutions, extend to more complex scenarios, and suggest new optimal designs. The study builds on prior auction‑design work and introduces a novel approach for revenue‑optimal data markets.

By Sai Srivatsa Ravindranath, Yanchen Jiang, David C. Parkes
arXiv Machine Learning
Sep 14

Learning-Augmented Optimization for Strategic Two-Echelon Spare Parts Network Design

The paper presents a conservative learning‑augmented framework for designing a two‑echelon spare‑parts inventory network. It combines a graph neural network ensemble, variable neighborhood search, and set‑partitioning recombination to select cluster centers while limiting optimistic surrogate errors. In a case study on Amazon’s North American fulfillment network, the method achieves a 30.5% increase in combined savings over an exact‑evaluation baseline while preserving 99.8% service levels.

By Donato Maragno, Marco Caserta, Alberto Sinigaglia, Komlanvi Ametana, David Corredor Montenegro, Luca D'Angelo