Error bounds for mixed integer linear optimization problems

We introduce computable a-priori and a-posteriori error bounds for optimality and feasibility of a point generated as the rounding of an optimal point of the LP relaxation of a mixed integer linear optimization problem. Treating the mesh size of integer vectors as a parameter allows us to study the effect of different `granularities’ in the … Read more

On smoothness properties of optimal value functions at the boundary of their domain under complete convexity

This article studies continuity and directional differentiability properties of optimal value functions, in particular at boundary points of their domain. We extend and complement standard continuity results from W.W. Hogan, Point-to-set maps in mathematical programming, SIAM Review, Vol. 15 (1973), 591-603, for abstract feasible set mappings under complete convexity as well as standard differentiability results … Read more

An Enhanced Spatial Branch-and-Bound Method in Global Optimization with Nonconvex Constraints

We discuss some difficulties in determining valid upper bounds in spatial branch-and-bound methods for global minimization in the presence of nonconvex constraints. In fact, two examples illustrate that standard techniques for the construction of upper bounds may fail in this setting. Instead, we propose to perturb infeasible iterates along Mangasarian-Fromovitz directions to feasible points whose … Read more

Smoothness Properties of a Regularized Gap Function for Quasi-Variational Inequalities

This article studies continuity and differentiability properties for a reformulation of a finite-dimensional quasi-variational inequality (QVI) problem using a regularized gap function approach. For a special class of QVIs, this gap function is continuously differentiable everywhere, in general, however, it has nondifferentiability points. We therefore take a closer look at these nondifferentiability points and show, … Read more

How to Solve a Semi-infinite Optimization Problem

After an introduction to main ideas of semi-infinite optimization, this article surveys recent developments in theory and numerical methods for standard and generalized semi-infinite optimization problems. Particular attention is paid to connections with mathematical programs with complementarity constraints, lower level Wolfe duality, semi-smooth approaches, as well as branch and bound techniques in adaptive convexification procedures. … Read more

On Differentiability Properties of Player Convex Generalized Nash Equilibrium Problems

This article studies differentiability properties for a reformulation of a player convex generalized Nash equilibrium problem as a constrained and possibly nonsmooth minimization problem. By using several results from parametric optimization we show that, apart from exceptional cases, all locally minimal points of the reformulation are differentiability points of the objective function. This justifies a … Read more

A lifting method for generalized semi-infinite programs based on lower level Wolfe duality

This paper introduces novel numerical solution strategies for generalized semi-infinite optimization problems (GSIP), a class of mathematical optimization problems which occur naturally in the context of design centering problems, robust optimization problems, and many fields of engineering science. GSIPs can be regarded as bilevel optimization problems, where a parametric lower-level maximization problem has to be … Read more

On smooth relaxations of obstacle sets

We present and discuss a method to relax sets described by finitely many smooth convex inequality constraints by the level set of a single smooth convex inequality constraint. Based on error bounds and Lipschitz continuity, special attention is paid to the maximal approximation error and a guaranteed safety margin. Our results allow to safely avoid … Read more

Twice differentiable characterizations of convexity notions for functions on full dimensional convex sets

We derive $C^2-$characterizations for convex, strictly convex, as well as uniformly convex functions on full dimensional convex sets. In the cases of convex and uniformly convex functions this weakens the well-known openness assumption on the convex sets. We also show that, in a certain sense, the full dimensionality assumption cannot be weakened further. In the … Read more