Risk-Averse Control of Undiscounted Transient Markov Models

We use Markov risk measures to formulate a risk-averse version of the undiscounted total cost problem for a transient controlled Markov process. We derive risk-averse dynamic programming equations and we show that a randomized policy may be strictly better than deterministic policies, when risk measures are employed. We illustrate the results on an optimal stopping … Read more

A branch-and-bound algorithm for biobjective mixed-integer programs

We propose a branch-and-bound (BB) algorithm for biobjective mixed-integer linear programs (BOMILPs). Our approach makes no assumption on the type of problem and we prove that it returns all Pareto points of a BOMILP. We discuss two techniques upon which the BB is based: fathoming rules to eliminate those subproblems that are guaranteed not to … Read more

Partial Second-Order Subdifferentials in Variational Analysis and Optimization

This paper presents a systematic study of partial second-order subdifferentials for extended-real-valued functions, which have already been applied to important issues of variational analysis and constrained optimization in finite-dimensional spaces. The main results concern developing extended calculus rules for these second-order constructions in both finite-dimensional and infinite-dimensional frameworks. We also provide new applications of partial … Read more

Trajectories of Descent

Steepest descent drives both theory and practice of nonsmooth optimization. We study slight relaxations of two influential notions of steepest descent curves — curves of maximal slope and solutions to evolution equations. In particular, we provide a simple proof showing that lower-semicontinuous functions that are locally Lipschitz continuous on their domains — functions playing a … Read more

Implementing cutting plane management and selection techniques

One main objective of research in the area of mixed-integer programming is developing cutting plane techniques to improve the solvability of mixed-integer programs (MIPs). Various cutting plane separators are typically available in MIP solvers. The large number of cutting planes generated by these separators, however, can pose a computational problem. Therefore, a sophisticated cut management … Read more

A Continuous Characterization of the Maximum-Edge Biclique Problem

The problem of finding large complete subgraphs in bipartite graphs (that is, bicliques) is a well-known combinatorial optimization problem referred to as the maximum-edge biclique problem (MBP), and has many applications, e.g., in web community discovery, biological data analysis and text mining. In this paper, we present a new continuous characterization for MBP. Given a … Read more

On metric regularity for weakly almost piecewise smooth functions and some applications in nonlinear semidefinite programming

The one-to-one relation between the points fulfilling the KKT conditions of an optimization problem and the zeros of the corresponding Kojima function is well-known. In the present paper we study the interplay between metric regularity and strong regularity of this a priori nonsmooth function in the context of semidefinite programming. Having in mind the topological … Read more

Common Mathematical Foundations of Expected Utility and Dual Utility Theories

We show that the main results of the expected utility and dual utility theories can be derived in a unified way from two fundamental mathematical ideas: the separation principle of convex analysis, and integral representations of continuous linear functionals from functional analysis. Our analysis reveals the dual character of utility functions. We also derive new … Read more

Reliable p-median facility location problem: two-stage robust models and algorithms

In this paper, we propose a set of two-stage robust optimization models to design reliable p-median facility location networks subject to disruptions. A customized column-and- constraint generation approach is implemented and shown to be more effective than Benders cutting plane method. Numerical experiments are performed on real data and management insights on system design are … Read more

Constrained Bundle Methods for Upper Inexact Oracles with Application to Joint Chance Constrained Energy Problems

Joint chance constrained problems give rise to many algorithmic challenges. Even in the convex case, i.e., when an appropriate transformation of the probabilistic constraint is a convex function, its cutting-plane linearization is just an approximation, produced by an oracle providing subgradient and function values that can only be evaluated inexactly. As a result, the cutting-plane … Read more