A Combinatorial Flow-based Formulation for Temporal Bin Packing Problems

We consider two neighboring generalizations of the classical bin packing problem: the temporal bin packing problem (TBPP) and the temporal bin packing problem with fire-ups (TBPP-FU). In both cases, the task is to arrange a set of given jobs, characterized by a resource consumption and an activity window, on homogeneous servers of limited capacity. To … Read more

CliSAT: a SAT-based exact algorithm for hard maximum clique problems

Given a graph, the maximum clique problem (MCP) asks for determining a complete subgraph with the largest possible number of vertices. We propose a new exact algorithm, called CliSAT, to solve the MCP to proven optimality. This problem is of fundamental importance in graph theory and combinatorial optimization due to its practical relevance for a … Read more

A New Bilevel Optimization Approach for Computing Ramsey Numbers

In this article we address the problem of finding lower bounds for small Ramsey numbers $R(m,n)$ using circulant graphs. Our constructive approach is based on finding feasible colorings of circulant graphs using Integer Programming (IP) techniques. First we show how to model the problem as a Stackelberg game and, using the tools of bilevel optimization, … Read more

Variable and constraint reduction techniques for the temporal bin packing problem with fire-ups

The aim of this letter is to design and computationally test several improvements for the compact integer linear programming (ILP) formulations of the temporal bin packing problem with fire-ups (TBPP-FU). This problem is a challenging generalization of the classical bin packing problem in which the items, interpreted as jobs of given weight, are active only … Read more

A new branch-and-filter exact algorithm for binary constraint satisfaction problems

A binary constraint satisfaction problem (BCSP) consist in determining an assignment of values to variables which is compatible with a set of constraints. The problem is called binary because the constraints involve only pairs of variables. The BCSP is a cornerstone problem in Constraint Programming (CP), appearing in a very wide range of real-world applications. … Read more

A branch-and-cut algorithm for the Edge Interdiction Clique Problem

Given a graph G and an interdiction budget k, the Edge Interdiction Clique Problem (EICP) asks to find a subset of at most k edges to remove from G so that the size of the maximum clique, in the interdicted graph, is minimized. The EICP belongs to the family of interdiction problems with the aim … Read more

On the exact separation of cover inequalities of maximum depth

We investigate the problem of exactly separating cover inequalities of maximum depth and we develop a pseudo-polynomial-time algorithm for this purpose. Compared to the standard method based on the maximum violation, computational experiments carried out on knapsack and multi-dimensional knapsack instances show that, with a cutting-plane method based on the maximum-depth criterion, we can optimize … Read more

Submodular maximization of concave utility functions composed with a set-union operator with applications to maximal covering location problems

We study a family of discrete optimization problems asking for the maximization of the expected value of a concave, strictly increasing, and differentiable function composed with a set-union operator. The expected value is computed with respect to a set of coefficients taking values from a discrete set of scenarios. The function models the utility function … Read more

A new combinatorial branch-and-bound algorithm for the Knapsack Problem with Conflict Graph

We study the Knapsack Problem with Conflict Graph (KPCG), a generalization of the Knapsack Problem in which a conflict graph specifies pairs of items (vertices of the graph) which cannot be simultaneously selected in a solution. The KPCG asks for determining a maximum-profit subset of items of total weight no larger than the knapsack capacity … Read more

A Branch-and-Price Algorithm for the Minimum Sum Coloring Problem

A proper coloring of a given graph is an assignment of colors (integer numbers) to its vertices such that two adjacent vertices receives di different colors. This paper studies the Minimum Sum Coloring Problem (MSCP), which asks for fi nding a proper coloring while minimizing the sum of the colors assigned to the vertices. This paper presents … Read more