Competing Objective Optimization in Networked Swarm Systems

In this paper, we develop a decentralized collaborative sensing algorithm where the sensors are located on-board autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles. We develop this algorithm in the context of a target tracking application, where the objective is to maximize the tracking performance measured by the meansquared error between the target state estimate and the ground truth. … Read more

Optimal Aggregated Peak Shaving Via Residential Demand Response: A Framework for Retailers

This paper proposes an optimization framework for retailers that are involved in demand response (DR) programs. In a first phase responsive users optimize their own household consumption, characterizing not only their smart home components but also their comfort preferences. Then, the retailer exploits in a second phase this preliminary non-coordinated solution to implement a peak … Read more

Improved Penalty Algorithm for Mixed Integer PDE Constrained Optimization (MIPDECO) Problems

Optimal control problems including partial differential equation (PDE) as well as integer constraints merge the combinatorial difficulties of integer programming and the challenges related to large-scale systems resulting from discretized PDEs. So far, the Branch-and-Bound framework has been the most common solution strategy for such problems. In order to provide an alternative solution approach, especially … Read more

A Stochastic Bin Packing Approach for Server Consolidation with Conflicts

The energy consumption of large-scale data centers or server clusters is expected to grow significantly in the next couple of years contributing to up to 13 percent of the worlwide energy demand in 2030. As the involved processing units require a disproportional amount of energy when they are idle, underutilized or overloaded, balancing the supply … Read more

Adjustable robust treatment-length optimization in radiation therapy

Traditionally, optimization of radiation therapy (RT) treatment plans has been done before the initiation of RT course, using population-wide estimates for patients’ response to therapy. However, recent technological advancements have enabled monitoring individual patient response during the RT course, in the form of biomarkers. Although biomarker data remains subject to substantial uncertainties, information extracted from … Read more

Optimal K-Thresholding Algorithms for Sparse Optimization Problems

The simulations indicate that the existing hard thresholding technique independent of the residual function may cause a dramatic increase or numerical oscillation of the residual. This inherit drawback of the hard thresholding renders the traditional thresholding algorithms unstable and thus generally inefficient for solving practical sparse optimization problems. How to overcome this weakness and develop … Read more

Quantifying the value of flexibility: demand response versus storage

Intermittent sources of energy represent a challenge for electrical networks, particularly regarding demand satisfaction at peak times. Energy management tools such as load shaving or storage systems can be used to mitigate abrupt variations in the network.The value of different mechanisms to move energy through time is determined by a multi-objective programming approach, that aims … Read more

Computational Simulation as an organizational prototyping tool

This case study deals with a redesign effort to face the overcrowding issue in an Emergency Department (ED). A multidiscinary group of healthcare professionals and engineers worked together to improve the actual processes. We integrate the simulation modeling in a humancentered design method. We use the simulation technique as a learning and experimentation tool into … Read more

Decorous Combinatorial Lower Bounds for Row Layout Problems

In this paper we consider the Double-Row Facility Layout Problem (DRFLP). Given a set of departments and pairwise transport weights between them the DRFLP asks for a non-overlapping arrangement of the departments along both sides of a common path such that the weighted sum of the center-to-center distances between the departments is minimized. Despite its … Read more

Multiphase Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Optimal Control of Hybrid Electric Vehicles

This paper considers the problem of computing the non-causal minimum-fuel energy management strategy of a hybrid electric vehicle on a given driving cycle. Specifically, we address the multiphase mixed-integer nonlinear optimal control problem arising when optimal gear choice, torque split and engine on/off controls are sought in off-line evaluations. We propose an efficient model by … Read more