Fran?ois Soumis: "Une Carrière Scientifique en Or"

When someone is lucky enough to have fantastic supervisors and mentors, it is so difficult to digest their absence, and consequently the interruption of the unlimited access to these gold mines. Words are not enough to describe the Established Leader, Prof. Soumis. Still, I try to share some insights about this great scientist. These insights are based on my close observation and consistent interaction with him over the last five years (i.e., January 2020 to February 2025).

"Decomposition methods solve a sequence of smaller problems containing a subset of variables and constraints. Mathematical methods are used to determine how to gradually modify these subsets to include all the elements needed to obtain an optimal solution." -- Francois Soumis

1. Fran?ois Soumis: The Human

Prof. Soumis was an extremely modest human being. He was also very caring, responsive, and always ready to support, help, and guide until his last breath, as I witnessed. We kept exchanging emails and talking until his responses stopped for a while, and then I was told he had passed away.

2. Fran?ois Soumis: The Scientist

Prof. Soumis was a scientist who loved using paper, pencils, and rubbers—he had many of them. His writing was sometimes difficult to understand, but it was so unique and beautiful that many students loved keeping copies of his handwritten corrections. One of the highlights I will never forget is his ability to contribute to any research discussion a few seconds after hearing about the context.

3. Fran?ois Soumis: The Professor

Prof. Soumis was my professor. He taught many generations of students modeling techniques in operations research. I took this magnificent class (MTH6406), which was quite difficult the first year because it groups several complex problems he has been working on in real life. Then, I was his teaching assistant (TA) for four consecutive years (2021-2024). As a TA, I still learned new things from this course and my interactions with him about it.

4. Fran?ois Soumis: The Supervisor

Prof. Soumis was a fantastic supervisor. He was involved in all my main Ph.D. papers. He provided many brilliant ideas and contributions. I personally loved it when he made drawings or used his hands to explain what he meant, while at the same time, his eyes were illuminating with passion.

5. Fran?ois Soumis: The Entrepreneur

Prof. Soumis was a great entrepreneur, who created many famous companies nowadays. His GENCOL (from "Generation de Colonnes") software is used worldwide. All the papers that use column generation have been possible because of his work in taking the method from theory to practice. The last prize he won was the EURO Excellence in Practice Award 2024, which is related to my Ph.D. project.

9. Fran?ois Soumis: The Reference

Prof. Soumis is a worldwide recognized scientist and a reference in large-scale optimization. As a reference, he always agreed to write reference letters for my application to post-Ph.D. opportunities. His letters were so beautiful and genuine (in an era where using AI agents is prevailing). Working with him has always been a source of inspiration, passion, and learning.

10. Fran?ois Soumis: The Jury Member

Prof. Soumis attended his last thesis defense on December 20th, 2024. While looking sick, he was online listening, giving remarks, and supporting me in answering questions. He even recommended my thesis for the Best Thesis Prize at Polytechnique Montreal. In his jury report, he wrote: "This work has won the EURO Excellence in Practice Award 2024, which demonstrates the importance of this work. I therefore wholeheartedly recommend the acceptance of this thesis."

Professor Francois Soumis was a Fantastic Mindset with Huge Passion, Admirable Consistency, and Unmatched Responsiveness until the Last Breath ?? I will never forget your Voice, your Ideas, and your Sharp Vision, Dear Professor Fran?ois Soumis (February 14th, 2025)??

Losing a fantastic supervisor and mentor is so hard to digest, right? Any other insights to share on Prof. Soumis? I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts.