A mixed-integer fractional optimization approach to best subset selection

We consider the best subset selection problem in linear regression, i.e., finding a parsimonious subset of the regression variables that provides the best fit to the data according to some predefined criterion. We show that, for a broad range of criteria used in the statistics literature, the best subset selection problem can be modeled as … Read more

Strong formulations for conic quadratic optimization with indicator variables

We study the convex hull of the mixed-integer set given by a conic quadratic inequality and indicator variables. Conic quadratic terms are often used to encode uncertainties, while the indicator variables are used to model fixed costs or enforce sparsity in the solutions. We provide the convex hull description of the set under consideration when … Read more

Strong formulations for quadratic optimization with M-matrices and semi-continuous variables

We study quadratic optimization with semi-continuous variables and an M-matrix, i.e., PSD with non-positive off-diagonal entries. This structure arises in image segmentation, portfolio optimization, as well as a substructure of general quadratic optimization problems. We prove, under mild assumptions, that the minimization problem is solvable in polynomial time by showing its equivalence to a submodular … Read more

Simplex QP-based methods for minimizing a conic quadratic objective over polyhedra

We consider minimizing a conic quadratic objective over a polyhedron. Such problems arise in parametric value-at-risk minimization, portfolio optimization, and robust optimization with ellipsoidal objective uncertainty; and they can be solved by polynomial interior point algorithms for conic quadratic optimization. However, interior point algorithms are not well-suited for branch-and-bound algorithms for the discrete counterparts of … Read more

Maximizing a class of utility functions over the vertices of a polytope

Given a polytope X, a monotone concave univariate function g, and two vectors c and d, we study the discrete optimization problem of finding a vertex of X that maximizes the utility function c’x + g(d’x). This problem has numerous applications in combinatorial optimization with a probabilistic objective, including estimation of project duration with stochastic … Read more