Applications – Science and Engineering

A particle swarm optimization with a reduced-subspace trust-region safeguard for contact-rich controller tuning

Published: 2026/10/23

Bound-constrained Optimization, Control Applications, Optimization of Simulated Systems adaptive subspace technique, contact-rich robotic assembly, controller tuning, derivative-free optimization, derivative-free policy optimization, particle swarm optimization, trust-region methods

Contact-rich robotic insertion is challenging because uncertainty in alignment, friction, and contact conditions can lead to unsuccessful assembly, excessive contact forces, and jamming. Designing a reliable controller therefore requires balancing insertion performance, robustness, and recovery from unexpected contact. In this paper, we propose PSO+TR, a derivative-free optimization (DFO) method that combines the exploratory search of … Read more

A Facet Enumeration Algorithm for Convex Polytopes

Published: 2026/10/13

Yaguang Yang

Basic Sciences Applications, Convex and Nonsmooth Optimization, Linear Programming algorithm, convex polytope, facet enumeration, linear programming

This paper proposes a simple facet enumeration algorithm for convex polytopes. The complexity of the algorithm is analyzed. The algorithm is implemented in Matlab. Some polytopes with known H-representations and V-representations are used as test examples. The preliminary numerical test shows the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithm. Due to the duality between the … Read more

Optimal charge scheduling of electric vehicle fleets through dynamic pricing and intraday market trading

Published: 2026/10/12

Bilevel Optimization, Energy bilevel optimization, dynamic pricing, electric vehicle flexibility, intraday auction market, vehicle-to-grid

We consider an electricity supplier for a large commercial electric vehicle (EV) fleet. The supplier uses a dynamic pricing scheme for buying and selling energy from and to the fleet, enabling the supplier to trade any deviations from the agreed day-ahead (DA) position in the intraday auction (IDA) market, while taking into account the behavior … Read more

Risk-Constrained MPPI Tuning with Update-Aware MA-ES Racing

Published: 2026/10/10

Constrained Nonlinear Optimization, Optimization of Simulated Systems, Optimization of Systems modeled by PDEs chance-constrained controller tuning, derivative-free line search, evolution strategy, finite-sample validation, Model Predictive Path Integral, rank uncertainty, statistical racing

We formulate offline tuning of Model Predictive Path Integral (MPPI) controllers as a chance-constrained black-box optimization problem and develop an update-aware framework based on Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy (MA-ES). We use statistical information from noisy controller evaluations to determine when the evolutionary update is sufficiently reliable. When the recombination direction is certified, a derivative-free nonmonotone … Read more

Equivalence-Based Reduction and Incremental Optimization for Categorical and Ordinal Classification

Published: 2026/10/03

Data Science Algorithms, Data-Mining, Optimization in Data Science

Exact mathematical programming formulations for estimating classification rules provide guarantees of empirical optimality, but their size grows rapidly with the number of predictive features and model complexity. This paper shows that interpretable classifiers can be estimated by directly maximizing empirical classification accuracy under complexity constraints, using truncation and warm-start strategies compatible with disjunctive normal form … Read more

Complexity of output feedback stabilization

Published: 2026/09/30, Updated: 2026/10/26

Control Applications, Semi-definite Programming Linear Dynamical Systems, Output feedback stabilization, strong np-hardness

We show that unless \(\mathrm P=\mathrm{NP}\), there cannot be a polynomial-time (or even pseudo-polynomial-time) algorithm for output feedback stabilization of a linear dynamical system with a linear controller. This settles one of the best-known open problems in control theory. The result holds in both continuous and discrete time. We also present a family of stabilizable … Read more

Differentiating Through Moving Recourse: Feasible Policy Optimization and Finite-Sample Certification for Multistage Stochastic Programs

Published: 2026/09/27

Dynamic Programming, Energy, Stochastic Programming differentiable projection, information relaxation, moving recourse, multistage stochastic programming, optimality gap certification, pathwise gradient, policy optimization, reservoir management

Multistage stochastic programs model decisions under uncertainty where earlier decisions change later feasible sets. We propose a feasible pathwise gradient method (FeasPG) that can update the policy as new sample paths arrive. The policy proposes a decision and projects it onto the current feasible set, so every decision is feasible. We derive the full trajectory … Read more

Two-stage approach for the predispatch problem with uncertain demand using splitting variables in interior-point methods

Published: 2026/09/16

Applications - Science and Engineering, Quadratic Programming, Stochastic Programming interior point methods, optimal power flow, Splitting Variables., stochastic optimization

The stochastic predispatch optimal power flow problem aims to minimize generation costs and transmission losses subject to network constraints under demand uncertainty. We formulate it as a two-stage stochastic quadratic optimization problem with fixed recourse, in which hydroelectric generation constitutes the here-and-now decision, while thermal generation and transmission flows are recourse decisions. Using a splitting-variable … Read more

Two-Stage Stochastic Optimization for Capacitated Facility Location Under Demand Uncertainty

Published: 2026/09/14

Sofiat Ajide

(Mixed) Integer Linear Programming, Facility Planning and Design, Stochastic Programming facility location, optimization under uncertainty, sensitivity analysis, stochastic programming, Two-Stage Recourse, Value of the Stochastic Solution

Facility location decisions are typically made before demand is fully known, yet most applied studies solve a single deterministic model using expected or nominal demand. This paper formulates and solves a capacitated facility location problem using a real academic benchmark instance, then extends it to a two-stage stochastic program in which facility-opening decisions are made … Read more

Twist Without Tangle: Flutter Suppression of Thin-Walled Wing-Engine Systems via Curvilinear Fiber Path Tailoring and Cross-Section Optimization

Published: 2026/09/12

Nima Kakhsaz Malayeri

Applications - Science and Engineering, Optimization of Simulated Systems, Optimization of Systems modeled by PDEs Curvilinear Fiber Path Tailoring, Flutter Optimization, Self-intersection Barrier, shape optimization

Flutter is traditionally delayed by modifying either a structure’s geometry or its stiffness distribution. Here, we show that allowing both to evolve simultaneously can unlock a fundamentally different route to aeroelastic stability. We concurrently optimize the cross-sectional geometry and fiber paths of a composite thin-walled wing–engine system to maximize flutter onset. The wing structure is … Read more