Hidden convexity in partially separable optimization

The paper identifies classes of nonconvex optimization problems whose convex relaxations have optimal solutions which at the same time are global optimal solutions of the original nonconvex problems. Such a hidden convexity property was so far limited to quadratically constrained quadratic problems with one or two constraints. We extend it here to problems with some … Read more

Computing the Grothendieck constant of some graph classes

Given a graph $G=([n],E)$ and $w\in\R^E$, consider the integer program ${\max}_{x\in \{\pm 1\}^n} \sum_{ij \in E} w_{ij}x_ix_j$ and its canonical semidefinite programming relaxation ${\max} \sum_{ij \in E} w_{ij}v_i^Tv_j$, where the maximum is taken over all unit vectors $v_i\in\R^n$. The integrality gap of this relaxation is known as the Grothendieck constant $\ka(G)$ of $G$. We present … Read more

On the Lasserre hierarchy of semidefinite programming relaxations of convex polynomial optimization problems

The Lasserre hierarchy of semidefinite programming approximations to convex polynomial optimization problems is known to converge finitely under some assumptions. [J.B. Lasserre. Convexity in semialgebraic geometry and polynomial optimization. SIAM J. Optim. 19, 1995-2014, 2009.] We give a new proof of the finite convergence property, that does not require the assumption that the Hessian of … Read more

The Approach of Moments for Polynomial Equations

In this article we present the moment based approach for computing all real solutions of a given system of polynomial equations. This approach builds upon a lifting method for constructing semidefinite relaxations of several nonconvex optimization problems, using sums of squares of polynomials and the dual theory of moments. A crucial ingredient is a semidefinite … Read more

Error bounds for some semidefinite programming approaches to polynomial minimization on the hypercube

We consider the problem of minimizing a polynomial on the hypercube [0,1]^n and derive new error bounds for the hierarchy of semidefinite programming approximations to this problem corresponding to the Positivstellensatz of Schmuedgen (1991). The main tool we employ is Bernstein approximations of polynomials, which also gives constructive proofs and degree bounds for positivity certificates … Read more

A new semidefinite programming hierarchy for cycles in binary matroids and cuts in graphs

The theta bodies of a polynomial ideal are a series of semidefinite programming relaxations of the convex hull of the real variety of the ideal. In this paper we construct the theta bodies of the vanishing ideal of cycles in a binary matroid. Applied to cuts in graphs, this yields a new hierarchy of semidefinite … Read more

Block-diagonal semidefinite programming hierarchies for 0/1 programming

Lovasz and Schrijver, and later Lasserre, proposed hierarchies of semidefinite programming relaxations for general 0/1 linear programming problems. In this paper these two constructions are revisited and a new, block-diagonal hierarchy is proposed. It has the advantage of being computationally less costly while being at least as strong as the Lovasz-Schrijver hierarchy. It is applied … Read more

Computing semidefinite programming lower bounds for the (fractional) chromatic number via block-diagonalization

Recently we investigated in “The operator $\Psi$ for the Chromatic Number of a Graph” hierarchies of semidefinite approximations for the chromatic number $\chi(G)$ of a graph $G$. In particular, we introduced two hierarchies of lower bounds, the `$\psi$’-hierarchy converging to the fractional chromatic number, and the `$\Psi$’-hierarchy converging to the chromatic number of a graph. … Read more

The operator $\Psi$ for the Chromatic Number of a Graph

We investigate hierarchies of semidefinite approximations for the chromatic number $\chi(G)$ of a graph $G$. We introduce an operator $\Psi$ mapping any graph parameter $\beta(G)$, nested between the stability number $\alpha(G)$ and $\chi\left( {\ol G} \right)$, to a new graph parameter $\Psi_\beta(G)$, nested between $\alpha (\ol G)$ and $\chi(G)$; $\Psi_\beta(G)$ is polynomial time computable if … Read more

Approximating the Chromatic Number of a Graph by Semidefinite Programming

We investigate hierarchies of semidefinite approximations for the chromatic number $\chi(G)$ of a graph $G$. We introduce an operator $\Psi$ mapping any graph parameter $\beta(G)$, nested between the stability number $\alpha(G)$ and $\chi(\bar G)$, to a new graph parameter $\Psi_\beta(G)$, nested between $\omega(G)$ and $\chi(G)$; $\Psi_\beta(G)$ is polynomial time computable if $\beta(G)$ is. As an … Read more