The Multiple Checkpoint Ordering Problem

The multiple Checkpoint Ordering Problem (mCOP) aims to find an optimal arrangement of n one-dimensional departments with given lengths such that the total weighted sum of their distances to m given checkpoints is minimized. In this paper we suggest an integer linear programming (ILP) approach and a dynamic programming (DP) algorithm, which is only exact … Read more

Invex Optimization Revisited

Given a non-convex optimization problem, we study conditions under which every Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) point is a global optimizer. This property is known as KT-invexity and allows to identify the subset of problems where an interior point method always converges to a global optimizer. In this work, we provide necessary conditions for KT-invexity in n-dimensions and … Read more

Optimizing power generation in the presence of micro-grids

In this paper we consider energy management optimization problems in a future wherein an interaction with micro-grids has to be accounted for. We will model this interaction through a set of contracts between the generation companies owning centralized assets and the micro-grids. We will formulate a general stylized model that can, in principle, account for … Read more

Estimating L1-Norm Best-Fit Lines for Data

The general formulation for finding the L1-norm best-fit subspace for a point set in $m$-dimensions is a nonlinear, nonconvex, nonsmooth optimization problem. In this paper we present a procedure to estimate the L1-norm best-fit one-dimensional subspace (a line through the origin) to data in $\Re^m$ based on an optimization criterion involving linear programming but which … Read more

Data-Driven Robust Optimization Based on Kernel Learning

We propose piecewise linear kernel-based support vector clustering (SVC) as a new approach tailored to data-driven robust optimization. By solving a quadratic program, the distributional geometry of massive uncertain data can be effectively captured as a compact convex uncertainty set, which considerably reduces conservatism of robust optimization problems. The induced robust counterpart problem retains the … Read more

A New Voltage Stability-Constrained Optimal Power Flow Model: Sufficient Condition, SOCP Representation, and Relaxation

A simple characterization of the solvability of power flow equations is of great importance in the monitoring, control, and protection of power systems. In this paper, we introduce a sufficient condition for power flow Jacobian nonsingularity. We show that this condition is second-order conic representable when load powers are fixed. Through the incorporation of the … Read more

A Stochastic MPC Framework for Stationary Battery Systems

We present a stochastic model predictive control (MPC) framework to determine real-time commitments in energy and frequency regulation markets for a stationary battery system while simultaneously mitigating long-term demand charges for an attached load. The framework solves a two-stage stochastic program over a receding horizon that maximizes the expected profit and that factors in uncertainty … Read more

Best subset selection via bi-objective mixed integer linear programming

We study the problem of choosing the best subset of p features in linear regression given n observations. This problem naturally contains two objective functions including minimizing the amount of bias and minimizing the number of predictors. The existing approaches transform the problem into a single-objective optimization problem either by combining the two objectives using … Read more

Size Matters: Cardinality-Constrained Clustering and Outlier Detection via Conic Optimization

Plain vanilla K-means clustering is prone to produce unbalanced clusters and suffers from outlier sensitivity. To mitigate both shortcomings, we formulate a joint outlier-detection and clustering problem, which assigns a prescribed number of datapoints to an auxiliary outlier cluster and performs cardinality-constrained K-means clustering on the residual dataset. We cast this problem as a mixed-integer … Read more

Integrated Generator Maintenance and Operations Scheduling under Uncertain Failure Times

Planning maintenances and operations is an important concern in power systems. Although optimization based joint maintenance and operations scheduling is studied in the literature, sudden disruptions due to random generator failures are not considered. In this paper we propose a stochastic mixed-integer programming approach for integrated condition-based maintenance and operations scheduling problem for a fleet … Read more