Mirai Tanaka

Mirai Tanaka is an Associate Professor at The Institute of Statistical Mathematics (ISM) in Tachikawa, Tokyo, where they lead research in optimization theory and its applications. Currently affiliated with the Statistical Decision-Making Group in the Department of Fundamental Statistical Mathematics, Tanaka also holds concurrent appointments at the Risk Analysis Research Center at ISM and the Statistical Science Program at The Graduate University for Advanced Studies. Previously, Tanaka served as an Assistant Professor at ISM (2017-2020) and at Tokyo University of Science (2014-2017).

Tanaka's research focuses on continuous optimization, numerical methods, and their applications across diverse fields. Their work spans convex and non-convex optimization, proximal algorithms, DC programming, and mathematical modeling for real-world problems. Specific interests include gradient methods, subgradient methods, Bregman proximal algorithms, Newton methods, and interior point methods. Tanaka has applied these techniques to problems in machine learning, data analysis, signal and image processing, control engineering, maritime affairs, supply chain management, forest science, and polymer chemistry.

Their recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on developing efficient algorithms for challenging optimization problems, with particular attention to convergence properties and practical implementations. Tanaka's work bridges theoretical developments with real-world applications, as evidenced by publications spanning pure optimization theory to applied problems in various scientific domains.

• 12th Research Encouragement Award, Operations Research Society of Japan (2022)
• Best Paper Award, 15th Congress of the Asian Network for Quality (2017)
• Best Paper Award, 14th Congress of the Asian Network for Quality (2016)
• Teshima Seiichi Memorial Research Award (Doctoral Dissertation Award), Tokyo Institute of Technology (2015)

Tanaka actively supervises graduate students at The Graduate University for Advanced Studies and has received multiple research grants from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), including current funding for projects on forest pest control and practical aerial image processing. They have organized numerous workshops including the ZIB-IMI-ISM-NUS-RIKEN-MODAL-NHR Workshop series and the Continuous Optimization and Related Fields Summer School.