Alessandro Zocca

Tenured assistant professor at the Department of Mathematics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Portrait of Alessandro Zocca
email:

a.zocca [at] vu.nl


address:

De Boelelaan 1111

1081 HV Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Short bio

My research is centered around the study of complex networked systems in which randomness plays a crucial role. More specifically, I study dynamics and rare events in networks affected by uncertainty, drawing motivation from real-world applications in power systems. My work lies mostly in the area of applied probability but has deep ramifications in areas as diverse as operations research, graph theory, and optimization.

My long-term goal as a researcher is twofold. First, I aim to quantify and analyze the randomness emerging in these complex systems using both rigorous mathematical tools and data-driven learning methods. Second, I plan to develop adaptive algorithms and reinforcement learning control strategies to mitigate the impact of high-impact, low-probability events and enhance network robustness.

As the climate crisis exacerbates the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, my research aims to develop a novel and rigorous mathematical understanding of power systems’ resilience to such phenomena, which naturally exhibit pronounced spatial and temporal correlations. This is precisely the focus of my VIDI project, “Power Network Optimization in the Age of Climate Extremes”, recently funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO).

More broadly, I am interested in stochastic dynamics on networks, especially when a non-trivial interplay emerges between the network structure and the system’s randomness, a setting where applied probability, learning, and optimization naturally meet.

I currently supervise and co-supervise several PhD students:

  • Robbert van der Burg at VU (2025-present) on “Modeling weather-driven failures in power grids”
  • David Krame Kadurha at VU (2025-present) on “Optimizing climate-resilient grid operations”
  • Erica van der Sar at VU (2021-present) on “Multi-agent RL for power system topology control”
  • Berend Markhorst at VU (2022-present) on “Stochastic and robust optimization for pipe routing design”
  • Jobke Janssen at CWI (2023-present) on “Stochastic optimization of frequency reserve markets”

Together with K. Postek, J. Gromicho, and J. Kantor, I wrote a textbook titled “Hands-On Mathematical Optimization with Python”, published in early 2025 by Cambridge University Press. The book can be purchased on the CUP website and many other platforms. Resources and companion code are available on the book’s companion website.

For a more detailed CV, visit the CV page. For a list of my publications, see my Google Scholar or visit the publication page.

news

  • New preprint! Together with Thao Le, Robbert van der Burg, Bernd Heidergott, and Ines Lindner, we have just finished a new paper titled “Random Walks with Traversal Costs: Variance-Aware Performance Analysis and Network Optimization”. We introduce weighted Markovian graphs, a framework that decouples random walk dynamics from (possibly stochastic) edge traversal costs, and derive closed-form expressions for the mean and variance of weighted first passage times and Kemeny constants. We showcase the framework through two applications to surveillance patrol policies and traffic network optimization under disruptions. Read the preprint on arXiv.
  • Two new preprints! We recently finished and submitted two papers with PhD student Berend Markhorst: “A Fast Heuristic for Stochastic Steiner Tree Problems” (read the first preprint on arXiv) and “LOTUS: A Warm-Start Framework for Powering Dual Decomposition in Large-Scale Two-Stage Stochastic Programs”, which stemmed from Emma Cornielje’s master’s thesis (read the second preprint on arXiv).
  • Talk at the Champéry Power Conference 2026! On February 9, I gave a talk titled “From Static to Smart: Rethinking Grid Stability with Dynamic Reserves”, based on joint work with Jöbke Janssen, Bert Zwart, and Jalal Kazempour.
  • New preprint! I finished writing and submitted a new paper “Metastable opinion dynamics with hidden preferences: an Ising model with neutral agents” in collaboration with Vanessa Jacquier and Simone Baldassarri. Read the preprint on arXiv.
  • Paper published! The article “Dynamic Dimensioning of Frequency Containment Reserves: The Case of the Nordic Grid”, written in collaboration with Jöbke Janssen, Bert Zwart, and Jalal Kazempour, has been published in IEEE Transactions on Power Systems. View the published paper.