Network Algorithms and Delay Performance in Data Centers

In the first part of the talk, we will present an overview of the architecture of data center networks and the various resource allocation problems that arise in such networks. In the second part of the talk, we will discuss a long-standing open problem which lies at the intersection of algorithms, probability, and control theory, which has again resurfaced in the context of data center networks. We will present our recent solution to one version of this open problem, where we developed a new mathematical technique to understand the performance of algorithms for high-dimensional resource allocation problems.