On October 28, 2025, the Fixed Point Laboratory organized a Workshop and Postdocs Series under the TaCS Mathematics Seminar Series No.19, on the topic “Smoothing Functions for Sparse Optimization: A Unified Framework”, delivered by Prof. Dr. Jein-Shan Chen, Dean, College of Science, National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU). Professor Chen presented a unified theoretical framework for constructing smoothing functions applicable to various non-smooth regularizers, such as the ℓ₀-norm, MCP, SCAD, and ℓₚ-norm models. His presentation highlighted how smooth approximations enable efficient algorithms for sparse optimization problems, supporting practical implementations in optimization and machine learning.
This seminar was part of the Workshop and Postdocs Series that promotes open discussion among postdoctoral researchers, Ph.D. candidates, and international experts. Participants actively engaged in technical exchanges, exploring the mathematical modeling and algorithmic challenges of nonconvex optimization.
At the conclusion of the workshop, the Faculty of Science, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) presented a token of appreciation to Prof. Dr. Jein-Shan Chen for his special visit and insightful lecture in Thailand. This event marks another significant milestone in the academic collaboration between KMUTT and NTNU, under the CaRe Global Network for international research cooperation.