Computational Enhancement in the Application of the Branch and Bound Method for Linear Integer Programs and Related Models

In this paper, a reformulation that was proposed for a knapsack problem has been extended to single and bi-objective linear integer programs. A further reformulation by adding an upper bound constraint for a knapsack problem is also proposed and extended to the bi-objective case. These reformulations significantly reduce the number of branch and bound iterations … Read more

Benders Decomposition with Adaptive Oracles for Large Scale Optimization

This paper proposes an algorithm to efficiently solve large optimization problems which exhibit a column bounded block-diagonal structure, where subproblems differ in right-hand side and cost coefficients. Similar problems are often tackled using cutting-plane algorithms, which allow for an iterative and decomposed solution of the problem. When solving subproblems is computationally expensive and the set … Read more

Logic-based Benders Decomposition and Binary Decision Diagram Based Approaches for Stochastic Distributed Operating Room Scheduling

The distributed operating room (OR) scheduling problem aims to find an assignment of surgeries to ORs across collaborating hospitals that share their waiting lists and ORs. We propose a stochastic extension of this problem where surgery durations are considered to be uncertain. In order to obtain solutions for the challenging stochastic model, we use sample … Read more

Constraint Programming Approaches for the Discretizable Molecular Distance Geometry Problem

The Distance Geometry Problem (DGP) seeks to find positions for a set of points in geometric space when some distances between pairs of these points are known. The so-called discretization assumptions allow to discretize the search space of DGP instances. In this paper, we focus on a key subclass of DGP, namely the Discretizable Molecular … Read more

An Exact Solution Approach for the Inventory Routing Problem with Time Windows

The inventory routing problem (IRP) is an integrated inventory and transportation planning problem that jointly determines the replenishment schedules for a given set of retailers, and the routing decisions for a supplier that distributes a product to the retailers over a finite planning horizon typically consisting of multiple periods. In the classical IRP, retailers are … Read more

Navigating Concave Regions in Continuous Facility Location Problems

In prior literature regarding facility location problems, there has been little explicit acknowledgement of problems arising from concave (non-convex) regions. By extension, there is a distinct deficiency in existing methods to deal with them outside of problem relaxation. In this work, we present a novel algorithm for finding representative regional center-points, referred to as “Concave … Read more

Solving Heated Oil Pipeline Problems Via Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programming Approach

It is a crucial problem how to heat oil and save running cost for crude oil transport. This paper strictly formulates such a heated oil pipeline problem as a mixed integer nonlinear programming model. Nonconvex and convex continuous relaxations of the model are proposed, which are proved to be equivalent under some suitable conditions. Meanwhile, … Read more

Adjustable Robust Optimization Reformulations of Two-Stage Worst-case Regret Minimization Problems

This paper explores the idea that two-stage worst-case regret minimization problems with either objective or right-hand side uncertainty can be reformulated as two-stage robust optimization problems and can therefore benefit from the solution schemes and theoretical knowledge that have been developed in the last decade for this class of problems. In particular, we identify conditions … Read more

RaBVIt-SG, an algorithm for solving Feedback Nash equilibria in Multiplayers Stochastic Differential Games

In a previous work, we have introduced an algorithm, called RaBVItG, used for computing Feedback Nash equilibria of deterministic multiplayers Differential Games. This algorithm is based on a sequence of Game Iterations (i.e., a numerical method to simulate an equilibrium of a Differential Game), combined with Value Iterations (i.e, a numerical method to solve a … Read more

Optimal Design of Retailer-Prosumer Electricity Tariffs Using Bilevel Optimization

We compare various flexible tariffs that have been proposed to cost-effectively govern a prosumer’s electricity management – in particular time-of-use (TOU), critical-peak-pricing (CPP), and a real-time-pricing tariff (RTP). As the outside option, we consider a fixed-price tariff (FP) that restricts the specific characteristics of TOU, CPP, and RTP, so that the flexible tariffs are at … Read more