The Fifth Elephant
The Fifth Elephant

The Fifth Elephant 2026 Winter Edition

Call for Data Problems and Proposals

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Vignesh Mohandas

Beyond the Straight Line: The Math of Competition and Optimization in Ad Pacing

Submitted Oct 10, 2026

🎤 I am submitting: To speak I have a submission for: Showcase - a cool idea I have built/working on - 20 mins
  • Showcase - new ideas - 20 mins

If talk/session proposal, showcase, or poster
In advertising technology, pacing is the process of distributing an advertising campaign’s budget or impressions over a given period.
It appears simple on paper: use a linear equation to deliver impressions consistently over time. But real-world AdTech systems face fluctuating inventory, competing campaigns, and unpredictable demand. When multiple campaigns independently optimize for their own delivery goals, they can end up competing for the same limited inventory, creating feedback loops and inefficiencies. Through practical real world examples, we will explore how these challenges turn a seemingly linear problem into a nonlinear one.

Inspired by the idea “the best result comes from everyone doing what’s best for themselves and the group,” we will explore how this thinking applies to pacing multiple campaigns on a shared platform. We will demonstrate how combining linear pacing models with nonlinear, system-wide optimization can balance individual campaign goals with collective efficiency, enabling smarter inventory allocation, reduced competition, and more predictable ad delivery.

Takeaways:

  1. Understanding the Limits of Linear Solution in Practical Settings.
  2. Optimizing for Individual and Collective Success in real world scenarios.

For:
Individuals interested in applied mathematics and optimization techniques

Bio:
Vignesh Mohandas - Senior Data Scientist in AdTech at Roundel, Target

Topic/domain tags:
AdTech, Mathematical Optimization, Game Theory

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