Static-arbitrage bounds on the prices of basket options via linear programming

We show that the problem of computing sharp upper and lower static-arbitrage bounds on the price of a European basket option, given the prices of other similar options, can be cast as a linear program (LP). The LP formulations readily yield super-replicating (sub-replicating) strategies for the upper (lower) bound problem. The dual counterparts of the … Read more

Improved bounds for the symmetric rendezvous search problem on the line

A notorious open problem in the field of rendezvous search is to decide the rendezvous value of the symmetric rendezvous search problem on the line, when the initial distance apart between the two players is 2. We show that the symmetric rendezvous value is within the interval (4.1520, 4.2574), which considerably improves the previous best … Read more

Exploiting Equalities in Polynomial Programming

We propose a novel solution approach for polynomial programming problems with equality constraints. By means of a generic transformation, we show that solution schemes for the (typically simpler) problem without equalities can be used to address the problem with equalities. In particular, we propose new solution schemes for mixed binary programs, pure 0-1 quadratic programs, … Read more

Computing the stability number of a graph via linear and semidefinite programming

We study certain linear and semidefinite programming lifting approximation schemes for computing the stability number of a graph. Our work is based on, and refines De Klerk and Pasechnik’s approach to approximating the stability number via copositive programming (SIAM J. Optim. 12 (2002), 875–892). We provide a closed-form expression for the values computed by the … Read more

Lift-and-project for 0–1 programming via algebraic geometry

Recently, tools from algebraic geometry have been successfully applied to develop solution schemes for new classes of optimization problems. A central idea in these constructions is to express a polynomial that is positive on a given domain in terms of polynomials of higher degree so that its positivity is readily revealed. This resembles the “lifting” … Read more

LMI approximations for cones of positive semidefinite forms

An interesting recent trend in optimization is the application of semidefinite programming techniques to new classes of optimization problems. In particular, this trend has been successful in showing that under suitable circumstances, polynomial optimization problems can be approximated via a sequence of semidefinite programs. Similar ideas apply to conic optimization over the cone of copositive … Read more

A primal-dual symmetric relaxation for homogeneous conic systems

We address the feasibility of the pair of alternative conic systems of constraints Ax = 0, x \in C, and -A^T y \in C^*, defined by an m by n matrix A and a cone C in the n-dimensional Euclidean space. We reformulate this pair of conic systems as a primal-dual pair of conic programs. … Read more