Learning to Branch

Two-Stage Learning to Branch in Branch-Price-and-Cut Algorithms for Solving Vehicle Routing Problems Exactly

Branching is one of the most important components in branch-price-and-cut (BPC) algorithms for solving vehicle routing problems (VRPs) exactly. However, learning to branch is much more challenging in BPC than in branch-and-cut algorithms that are used for solving general mixed integer programs. To address such challenges, we propose the first effective learning-to-branch framework in BPC algorithms, leading to a novel two-stage learning-based branching (2LBB) strategy.

Two-Stage Learning to Branch in the Branch-Price-and-Cut Solution Framework for Solving Vehicle Routing Problems Exactly

Presented at the 2023 INFORMS Annual Meeting and later as an invited talk at the 2025 UK AI/ML Symposium and Nontechnical Workshop.

Learning to Branch with Column Generation

Presented at the 2022 INFORMS Annual Meeting on early learning-to-branch ideas in column-generation settings.