Robust Production Management

The problem of production management can often be cast in the form of a linear program with uncertain parameters and risk constraints. Typically, such problems are treated in the framework of multi-stage Stochastic Programming. Recently, a Robust Counterpart (RC) approach has been proposed, in which the decisions are optimized for the worst realizations of problem … Read more

A Dual Algorithm For Approximating Pareto Sets in Convex Multi-Criteria Optimization

We consider the problem of approximating the Pareto set of convex multi-criteria optimization problems by a discrete set of points and their convex combinations. Finding the scalarization parameters that maximize the improvement in bound on the approximation error when generating a single Pareto optimal solution is a nonconvex optimization problem. This problem is solvable by … Read more

Robust Energy Cost Optimization of Water Distribution System with Uncertain Demand

A methodology, based on the concept of Affinely Adjustable Robust Optimization, for optimizing daily operation of pumping stations is proposed, which takes into account the fact that a water distribution system in reality is unavoidably affected by uncertainties. For operation control, the main source of uncertainty is the uncertainty in the demand. Traditional methods for … Read more

Bound reduction using pairs of linear inequalities

We describe a procedure to reduce variable bounds in Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programming (MINLP) as well as Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) problems. The procedure works by combining pairs of inequalities of a linear programming (LP) relaxation of the problem. This bound reduction technique extends the implied bounds procedure used in MINLP and MILP and … Read more

Stochastic Variational Inequalities:Residual Minimization Smoothing/Sample Average approximations

The stochastic variational inequality (SVI) has been used widely, in engineering and economics, as an effective mathematical model for a number of equilibrium problems involving uncertain data. This paper presents a new expected residual minimization (ERM) formulation for a class of SVI. The objective of the ERM-formulation is Lipschitz continuous and semismooth which helps us … Read more

Preprocessing and Reduction for Degenerate Semidefinite Programs

This paper presents a backward stable preprocessing technique for (nearly) ill-posed semidefinite programming, SDP, problems, i.e.,~programs for which Slater’s constraint qualification, existence of strictly feasible points, (nearly) fails. Current popular algorithms for semidefinite programming rely on \emph{primal-dual interior-point, p-d i-p} methods. These algorithms require Slater’s constraint qualification for both the primal and dual problems. This … Read more

Optimal Distributed Online Prediction using Mini-Batches

Online prediction methods are typically presented as serial algorithms running on a single processor. However, in the age of web-scale prediction problems, it is increasingly common to encounter situations where a single processor cannot keep up with the high rate at which inputs arrive. In this work we present the distributed mini-batch algorithm, a method … Read more

The dimension of semialgebraic subdifferential graphs.

Examples exist of extended-real-valued closed functions on $\R^n$ whose subdifferentials (in the standard, limiting sense) have large graphs. By contrast, if such a function is semi-algebraic, then its subdifferential graph must have everywhere constant local dimension $n$. This result is related to a celebrated theorem of Minty, and surprisingly may fail for the Clarke subdifferential. … Read more

Stochastic Optimization for Power System Configuration with Renewable Energy in Remote Areas

This paper presents the first stochastic mixed integer programming model for a comprehensive hybrid power system design, including renewable energy generation, storage device, transmission network, and thermal generators, in remote areas. Given the computational complexity of the model, we developed a Benders’ decomposition algorithm with Pareto-optimal cuts. Computational results show significant improvement in our ability … Read more

Models and Algorithms for Distributionally Robust Least Squares Problems

We present different robust frameworks using probabilistic ambiguity descriptions of the input data in the least squares problems. The three probability ambiguity descriptions are given by: (1) confidence interval over the first two moments; (2) bounds on the probability measure with moments constraints; (3) confidence interval over the probability measure by using the Kantorovich probability … Read more