Bilevel optimization with a multi-objective lower-level problem: Risk-neutral and risk-averse formulations

In this work, we propose different formulations and gradient-based algorithms for deterministic and stochastic bilevel problems with conflicting objectives in the lower level. Such problems have received little attention in the deterministic case and have never been studied from a stochastic approximation viewpoint despite the recent advances in stochastic methods for single-level, bilevel, and multi-objective … Read more

Stochastic programming for an integrated assignment, routing, and scheduling problem

We study a two-stage stochastic combinatorial optimization problem that integrates fleet-sizing, assignment, routing, and scheduling problems. Although this problem has wide applicability, it arises in particular in the home healthcare industry where a service team of caregivers have to be assigned to patients and put in vehicle fleet that have to be routed amongst the … Read more

MGProx: A nonsmooth multigrid proximal gradient method with adaptive restriction for strongly convex optimization

We study the combination of proximal gradient descent with multigrid for solving a class of possibly nonsmooth strongly convex optimization problems. We propose a multigrid proximal gradient method called MG-Prox, which accelerates the proximal gradient method by multigrid, based on using hierarchical information of the optimization problem. MGProx applies a newly introduced adaptive restriction operator … Read more

Projection free methods on product domains

Projection-free block-coordinate methods avoid high computational cost per iteration and at the same time exploit the particular problem structure of product domains. Frank-Wolfe-like approaches rank among the most popular ones of this type. However, as observed in the literature, there was a gap between the classical Frank-Wolfe theory and the block-coordinate case. Moreover, most of … Read more

Cutting plane reusing methods for multiple dual optimizations

We consider solving a group of dual optimization problems that share a core structure: Every primal problem of the group is obtained by the right-hand side variation of constraints in the original primal problem, while the other core part of the original primal problem, such as the objective and the left-hand side of the constraints, … Read more

Robust two-stage combinatorial optimization problems under discrete demand uncertainties and consistent selection constraints

In this paper, we study a robust two-stage concept of combinatorial optimization problems under discrete demand uncertainty. Combinatorial optimization problems are based on a finite set of elements for which we decide whether they are part of a solution. We divide the elements into two types, the so-called fixed and free elements. In a first … Read more

An easily computable upper bound on the Hoffman constant for homogeneous inequality systems

Let $A\in \mathbb{R}^{m\times n}\setminus \{0\}$ and $P:=\{x:Ax\le 0\}$. This paper provides a procedure to compute an upper bound on the following {\em homogeneous Hoffman constant} \[ H_0(A) := \sup_{u\in \mathbb{R}^n \setminus P} \frac{\text{dist}(u,P)}{\text{dist}(Au, \mathbb{R}^m_-)}. \] In sharp contrast to the intractability of computing more general Hoffman constants, the procedure described in this paper is entirely … Read more

Force-Controlled Pose Optimization and Trajectory Planning for Chained Stewart Platforms

We study optimization methods applied to minimizing forces for poses and movements of chained Stewart platforms (SPs) that we call an “Assembler” Robot. These chained SPs are parallel mechanisms that are stronger, stiffer, and more precise, on average, than their serial counterparts at the cost of a smaller range of motion. Linking these units in … Read more

Approximation Algorithms for Min-max-min Robust Optimization and K-Adaptability under Objective Uncertainty

In this work we investigate the min-max-min robust optimization problem and the k-adaptability robust optimization problem for binary problems with uncertain costs. The idea of the first approach is to calculate a set of k feasible solutions which are worst-case optimal if in each possible scenario the best of the k solutions is implemented. It … Read more

On the paper “Augmented Lagrangian algorithms for solving the continuous nonlinear resource allocation problem”

In the paper [Torrealba, E.M.R. et al. Augmented Lagrangian algorithms for solving the continuous nonlinear resource allocation problem. EJOR, 299(1) 46–59, 2021] an augmented Lagrangian algorithm was proposed for resource allocation problems with the intriguing characteristic that instead of solving the box-constrained augmented Lagrangian subproblem, they propose projecting the solution of the unconstrained subproblem onto … Read more