Relationships between constrained and unconstrained multi-objective optimization and application in location theory

This article deals with constrained multi-objective optimization problems. The main purpose of the article is to investigate relationships between constrained and unconstrained multi-objective optimization problems. Under suitable assumptions (e.g., generalized convexity assumptions) we derive a characterization of the set of (strictly, weakly) efficient solutions of a constrained multi-objective optimization problem using characterizations of the sets of (strictly, weakly) efficient solutions of unconstrained multi-objective optimization problems. We demonstrate the usefulness of the results by applying it on constrained multi-objective location problems. Using our new results we show that special classes of constrained multi-objective location problems (e.g., point-objective location problems, Weber location problems, center location problems) can be completely solved with the help of algorithms for the unconstrained case.

Citation

Mathematical Methods of Operations Research, October 2016, Volume 84, Issue 2, pp 359–387 (DOI: 10.1007/s00186-016-0547-z)