LASIGE Talks are fortnightly/monthly events to publicize recently distinguished publications or ongoing cutting-edge work by researchers from the research centre, consolidating the scientific culture of the LASIGE community.

Speakers: Zygimantas Jasiunas (LASIGE/DI) and Tulasimohan Molli (LASIGE)
Date: April 16th, 2025, Wednesday
Where: C6.3.27

Program:
11:45 Zygimantas Jasiunas
12:05 Tulasimohan Molli
12:25 Q&A + Break for snacks & coffee

Talk1: A Soft Sensor to Assess The Energy Performance Of Laundry Washing Machines
Speaker: Zygimantas Jasiunas
Buildings in Europe account for approximately 40% of total energy consumption. Household appliances, especially washing machines, contribute significantly to electricity usage. Despite the European Union’s energy labelling system, real-life performance can significantly deviate from standardized labelling test conditions,
leaving consumers without accurate tools to optimize usage. This paper addresses this gap by proposing a practical methodology to estimate the real-life efficiency of washing machines using machine learning-based soft sensors. The real-life assessment considers performance indicators expressing the energy and water resources used per kilogram of laundry load washed. The water-energy nexus combines these in a single energy performance indicator.

Talk2: Why Data Structure Lower Bounds Are So Elusive
Speaker:Tulasimohan Molli
The goal in data structure design is to represent data succinctly while enabling fast query responses. A fundamental question in data structures is: whether a given problem has an efficient data structure solution. Proving lower bounds, i.e., proving that no efficient solution exists, remains one of theoretical computer science’s greatest challenges. Yet, despite decades of research, we still lack satisfactory lower bounds for many basic data structure problems. In this talk, we’ll explore how cryptographic primitives like pseudorandom generators (tools that make deterministic data “look random” to algorithms) create fundamental obstacles for proving lower bounds. This is based on joint work with Bruno Loff, Michael Saks, and Michal Koucký.