A Cut-and-Branch Algorithm for the Quadratic Knapsack Problem

The Quadratic Knapsack Problem (QKP) is a well-known NP-hard combinatorial optimisation problem, with many practical applications. We present a ‘cut-and-branch’ algorithm for the QKP, in which a cutting-plane phase is followed by a branch-and-bound phase. The cutting-plane phase is more sophisticated than the existing ones in the literature, incorporating several classes of cutting planes, two … Read more

A Quasi-Newton Algorithm for Nonconvex, Nonsmooth Optimization with Global Convergence Guarantees

A line search algorithm for minimizing nonconvex and/or nonsmooth objective functions is presented. The algorithm is a hybrid between a standard Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno (BFGS) and an adaptive gradient sampling (GS) method. The BFGS strategy is employed because it typically yields fast convergence to the vicinity of a stationary point, and together with the adaptive GS strategy … Read more

Solving a Huff-like Stackelberg problem on networks

This work deals with a Huff-like Stackelberg problem, where the leader facility wants to decide its location so that its profit is maximal after the competitor (the follower) also built its facility. It is assumed that the follower makes a rational decision, maximizing their profit. The inelastic demand is aggregated into the vertices of a … Read more

A proximal multiplier method for separable convex minimization

In this paper, we propose an inexact proximal multiplier method using proximal distances for solving convex minimization problems with a separable structure. The proposed method unified the work of Chen and Teboulle (PCPM method), Kyono and Fukushima (NPCPMM) and Auslender and Teboulle (EPDM) and extends the convergence properties for a class of phi-divergence distances. We … Read more

Linear equalities in blackbox optimization

The Mesh Adaptive Direct Search (Mads) algorithm is designed for blackbox optimization problems subject to general inequality constraints. Currently, Mads does not support equalities, neither in theory nor in practice. The present work proposes extensions to treat problems with linear equalities whose expression is known. The main idea consists in reformulating the optimization problem into … Read more

An Optimization Approach to the Design of Multi-Size Heliostat fields

In this paper, the problem of optimizing the heliostats field configuration of a Solar Power Tower system with heliostats of different sizes is addressed. Maximizing the efficiency of the plant, i.e., optimizing the energy generated per unit cost, leads to a difficult high dimensional optimization problem (of variable dimension) with an objective function hard to … Read more

Strong duality in Lasserre’s hierarchy for polynomial optimization

A polynomial optimization problem (POP) consists of minimizing a multivariate real polynomial on a semi-algebraic set $K$ described by polynomial inequalities and equations. In its full generality it is a non-convex, multi-extremal, difficult global optimization problem. More than an decade ago, J.~B.~Lasserre proposed to solve POPs by a hierarchy of convex semidefinite programming (SDP) relaxations … Read more

Strict Fejér Monotonicity by Superiorization of Feasibility-Seeking Projection Methods

We consider the superiorization methodology, which can be thought of as lying between feasibility-seeking and constrained minimization. It is not quite trying to solve the full fledged constrained minimization problem; rather, the task is to find a feasible point which is superior (with respect to the objective function value) to one returned by a feasibility-seeking … Read more

On the effects of combining objectives in multi-objective optimization

In multi-objective optimization, one considers optimization problems with more than one objective function, and in general these objectives conflict each other. As the solution set of a multiobjective problem is often rather large and contains points of no interest to the decision-maker, strategies are sought that reduce the size of the solution set. One such … Read more

Calmness of linear programs under perturbations of all data: characterization and modulus

This paper provides operative point-based formulas (only involving the nominal data, and not data in a neighborhood) for computing or estimating the calmness modulus of the optimal set (argmin) mapping in linear optimization under uniqueness of nominal optimal solutions. Our analysis is developed in two different parametric settings. First, in the framework of canonical perturbations … Read more