Bounds and Heuristic Algorithms for the Bin Packing Problem with Minimum Color Fragmentation

In this paper, we consider a recently introduced packing problem in which a given set of weighted items with colors has to be packed into a set of identical bins, while respecting capacity constraints and minimizing the total number of times that colors appear in the bins. We review exact methods from the literature and … Read more

Exact Approaches for Convex Adjustable Robust Optimization

Adjustable Robust Optimization (ARO) is a paradigm for facing uncertainty in a decision problem, in case some recourse actions are allowed after the actual value of all input parameters is revealed. While several approaches have been introduced for the linear case, little is known regarding exact methods for the convex case. In this work, we … Read more

Adjustable robust optimization with discrete uncertainty

In this paper, we study Adjustable Robust Optimization (ARO) problems with discrete uncertainty. Under a very general modeling framework, we show that such two-stage robust problems can be exactly reformulated as ARO problems with objective uncertainty only. This reformulation is valid with and without the fixed recourse assumption and is not limited to continuous wait-and-see … Read more

Adjustable robust optimization with objective uncertainty

In this work, we study optimization problems where some cost parameters are not known at decision time and the decision flow is modeled as a two-stage process within a robust optimization setting. We address general problems in which all constraints (including those linking the first and the second stages) are defined by convex functions and … Read more

A solution algorithm for chance-constrained problems with integer second-stage recourse decisions

We study a class of chance-constrained two-stage stochastic optimization problems where the second-stage recourse decisions belong to mixed-integer convex sets. Due to the nonconvexity of the second-stage feasible sets, standard decomposition approaches cannot be applied. We develop a provably convergent branch-and-cut scheme that iteratively generates valid inequalities for the convex hull of the second-stage feasible … Read more

Exact algorithms for the 0-1 Time-bomb Knapsack Problem

We consider a stochastic version of the 0–1 Knapsack Problem in which, in addition to profit and weight, each item is associated with a probability of exploding and destroying all the contents of the knapsack. The objective is to maximize the expected profit of the selected items. The resulting problem, denoted as 0–1 Time-Bomb Knapsack … Read more

K-Adaptability in stochastic optimization

We consider stochastic problems in which both the objective function and the feasible set are affected by uncertainty. We address these problems using a K-adaptability approach, in which K solutions for the underlying problem are computed before the uncertainty dissolves and afterwards the best of them can be chosen for the realised scenario. This paradigm … Read more

Least cost influence propagation in (social) networks

Influence maximization problems aim to identify key players in (social) networks and are typically motivated from viral marketing. In this work, we introduce and study the Generalized Least Cost Influence Problem (GLCIP) that generalizes many previously considered problem variants and allows to overcome some of their limitations. A formulation that is based on the concept … Read more

Integer Optimization with Penalized Fractional Values: The Knapsack Case

We consider integer optimization problems where variables can potentially take fractional values, but this occurrence is penalized in the objective function. This general situation has relevant examples in scheduling (preemption), routing (split delivery), cutting and telecommunications, just to mention a few. However, the general case in which variables integrality can be relaxed at cost of … Read more

Exact Approaches for the Knapsack Problem with Setups

We consider a generalization of the knapsack problem in which items are partitioned into classes, each characterized by a fixed cost and capacity. We study three alternative Integer Linear Programming formulations. For each formulation, we design an efficient algorithm to compute the linear programming relaxation (one of which is based on Column Generation techniques). We … Read more