On Test Sets for Nonlinear Integer Maximization

A finite test set for an integer maximization problem enables us to verify whether a feasible point attains the global maximum. We establish in this paper several general results that apply to integer maximization problems with nonlinear objective functions. CitationOperations Research Letters 36 (2008) 439–443ArticleDownload View PDF

Nonlinear Matroid Optimization and Experimental Design

We study the problem of optimizing nonlinear objective functions over matroids presented by oracles or explicitly. Such functions can be interpreted as the balancing of multi-criteria optimization. We provide a combinatorial polynomial time algorithm for arbitrary oracle-presented matroids, that makes repeated use of matroid intersection, and an algebraic algorithm for vectorial matroids. Our work is … Read more

Expressing Combinatorial Optimization Problems by Systems of Polynomial Equations and the Nullstellensatz

Systems of polynomial equations over the complex or real numbers can be used to model combinatorial problems. In this way, a combinatorial problem is feasible (e.g. a graph is 3-colorable, hamiltonian, etc.) if and only if a related system of polynomial equations has a solution. In the first part of this paper, we construct new … Read more

MINLP Strengthening for Separable Convex Quadratic Transportation-Cost UFL

In the context of a variation of the standard UFL (Uncapacitated Facility Location) problem, but with an objective function that is a separable convex quadratic function of the transportation costs, we present some techniques for improving relaxations of MINLP formulations. We use a disaggregation principle and a strategy of developing model-specific valid inequalities (some nonlinear), … Read more

An algorithmic framework for convex mixed integer nonlinear programs

This paper is motivated by the fact that mixed integer nonlinear programming is an important and difficult area for which there is a need for developing new methods and software for solving large-scale problems. Moreover, both fundamental building blocks, namely mixed integer linear programming and nonlinear programming, have seen considerable and steady progress in recent … Read more

In Situ Column Generation for a Cutting-Stock Problem

Working with an integer bilinear programming formulation of a one-dimensional cutting-stock problem, we develop an ILP-based local-search heuristic. The ILPs holistically integrate the master and subproblem of the usual price driven pattern-generation paradigm, resulting in a unified model that generates new patterns in situ. We work harder to generate new columns, but we are guaranteed … Read more

Solving Maximum-Entropy Sampling Problems Using Factored Masks

We present a practical approach to Anstreicher and Lee’s masked spectral bound for maximum-entropy sampling, and we describe favorable results that we have obtained with a Branch-&-Bound algorithm based on our approach. By representing masks in factored form, we are able to easily satisfy a semidefiniteness constraint. Moreover, this representation allows us to restrict the … Read more

A Polytope for a Product of Real Linear Functions in 0/1 Variables

In the context of integer programming, we develop a polyhedral method for linearizing a product of a pair of real linear functions in 0/1 variables. As an example, by writing a pair of integer variables in binary expansion, we have a technique for linearizing their product. We give a complete linear description for the resulting … Read more

A masked spectral bound for maximum-entropy sampling

We introduce a new masked spectral bound for the maximum-entropy sampling problem. This bound is a continuous generalization of the very effective spectral partition bound. Optimization of the masked spectral bound requires the minimization of a nonconvex, nondifferentiable function over a semidefiniteness constraint. We describe a nonlinear affine scaling algorithm to approximately minimize the bound. … Read more