In the modern information society, conventional Neumann-type computers face a serious problem of increased complexity and cost in computation. While the information processing capacity of computers is predicted to reach its limits because of the limit of Moore's law and the von Neumann bottleneck, the required computing power is increasing exponentially. Under these circumstances, new efficient domain-specific computational architectures beyond the von Neumann type are demanded [1]. The serious problem particularly appears in combinatorial optimization problems [2]. Recently, the Ising machine has been proposed as a solution and its practical applications are being investigated [3-7]. There, the combinatorial optimization problem is mapped onto the ground-state search of the Ising model, which is originally a mathematical model of magnetic materials [8, 9]. On the other hand, research has been intensively conducted to construct combinatorial optimization machines that mimic the information processing of living organisms. This is because organisms often perform sophisticated information processing such as image recognitions, sound recognitions, and optimizations with low energy consumption. One of the simplest and most useful machines of such kinds is a computing technology inspired by the information processing of the amoeboid organism [10, 11].

In a sea of vendors who promise to optimize e-commerce and boost sales, wading through the advertisements to find the right match for the right process can be incredibly difficult. German-based international clothing retailer Orsay recently set out on a journey toward inventory optimization through machine learning tools. They chose to automate their timing and pricing of markdowns in order to maximize profit based on factors specific to consumers and their country. In this Q&A, Katrin Starke, head of business development at Orsay, details the company's journey to using inventory optimization machine learning tools from project conception, decision-making, to implementation of a tool called Luminate Clearance Price (LCP), sold by Arizona-based technology vendor JDA Software. Orsay has been running the software for nearly a year.

In 2018, the word "algorithm" has become an evil agent. Facebook's algorithm sells our fear and outrage for profit. YouTube's algorithm favors conspiratorial and divisive content. We've anthropomorphized the word so much that Gen Z children might start checking for algorithms under their beds. But when you strip away all the boogeyman connotations, an algorithm is simply a set of rules.

In 2018, the word "algorithm" has become an evil agent. Facebook's algorithm sells our fear and outrage for profit. YouTube's algorithm favors conspiratorial and divisive content. We've anthropomorphized the word so much that Gen Z children might start checking for algorithms under their beds. But when you strip away all the boogeyman connotations, an algorithm is simply a set of rules.