Samuel Fiorini

Samuel Fiorini is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the Free University of Brussels (Université libre de Bruxelles). His office is located in the Algebra and Combinatorics building (CP 216) at Boulevard du Triomphe, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium. He has been actively contributing to theoretical computer science and discrete mathematics research for over two decades.

Professor Fiorini's research focuses on polyhedral combinatorics, extended formulations, combinatorial optimization, approximation algorithms, and structural graph theory. His work bridges theoretical computer science and discrete mathematics, with significant contributions to understanding the limitations of linear programming approaches for combinatorial optimization problems. His research has demonstrated fundamental limits on how well certain NP-hard problems can be approximated using linear programming techniques.

An analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on polyhedral combinatorics and extended formulations, with particular emphasis on understanding the expressive power and limitations of linear and semidefinite programming for combinatorial optimization problems. His work often explores the connection between communication complexity and extended formulations, revealing deep theoretical insights about the inherent complexity of representing combinatorial polytopes.

His notable scientific achievements include receiving the Best Paper Award at STOC 2012 for his groundbreaking work "Linear vs. Semidefinite Extended Formulations: Exponential Separation and Strong Lower Bounds," which demonstrated an exponential separation between the power of linear and semidefinite extended formulations for combinatorial optimization problems.

Professor Fiorini has supervised numerous PhD students and hosted many postdoctoral researchers. His current and former PhD students include Carole Muller, Matthew Drescher, Marco Macchia, Selim Rexhep, Eglantine Camby, and Céline Engelbeen. Among his postdoctoral researchers are notable scholars such as Manuel Aprile, Krystal Guo, Tony Huynh, and Hans Raj Tiwary. He has also served on program committees for major conferences including APPROX 2019, IPCO 2017, WAOA 2016, and STACS 2016.

His research group works on fundamental problems in combinatorial optimization, with connections to theoretical computer science and discrete geometry. He leads an ERC-funded project focusing on extended formulations and their applications to combinatorial optimization problems.