Solving large p-median problems using a Lagrangean heuristic

The p-median problem consists in locating p medians in a given graph, such that the total cost of assigning each demand to the closest median is minimized. In this work, a Lagrangean heuristic is proposed and it uses two dual information to build primal solutions. It outperforms a classic heuristic based on the same Lagrangean … Read more

Valid inequalities and Branch-and-Cut for the Clique Pricing Problem

Motivated by an application in highway pricing, we consider the problem that consists in setting profit-maximizing tolls on a clique subset of a multicommodity transportation network. Following a proof that clique pricing is NP-hard, we propose strong valid inequalities, some of which define facets of the 2-commodity polyhedron. The numerical efficiency of these inequalities is … Read more

Eigenvalue techniques for proving bounds for convex objective, nonconvex programs

We describe techniques combining the S-lemma and computation of projected quadratics which experimentally yield strong bounds on the value of convex quadratic programs with nonconvex constraints Citation unpublished report, Columbia University, March 2009 Article Download View Eigenvalue techniques for proving bounds for convex objective, nonconvex programs

Graph Realizations Associated with Minimizing the Maximum Eigenvalue of the Laplacian

In analogy to the absolute algebraic connectivity of Fiedler, we study the problem of minimizing the maximum eigenvalue of the Laplacian of a graph by redistributing the edge weights. Via semidefinite duality this leads to a graph realization problem in which nodes should be placed as close as possible to the origin while adjacent nodes … Read more

The Multidimensional Knapsack Problem: Structure and Algorithms

We study the multidimensional knapsack problem, present some theoretical and empirical results about its structure, and evaluate different Integer Linear Programming (ILP) based, metaheuristic, and collaborative approaches for it. We start by considering the distances between optimal solutions to the LP-relaxation and the original problem and then introduce a new core concept for the MKP, … Read more

A Biased Random-Key Genetic Algorithm with Forward-Backward Improvement for the Resource Constrained Project Scheduling Problem

This paper presents a biased random-keys genetic algorithm for the Resource Constrained Project Scheduling Problem. The chromosome representation of the problem is based on random keys. Active schedules are constructed using a priority-rule heuristic in which the priorities of the activities are defined by the genetic algorithm. A forward-backward improvement procedure is applied to all … Read more

Relating max-cut problems and binary linear feasibility problems

This paper explores generalizations of the Goemans-Williamson randomization technique. It establishes a simple equivalence of binary linear feasibility problems and max-cut problems and presents an analysis of the semidefinite max-cut relaxation for the case of a single linear equation. Numerical examples for feasible random binary problems indicate that the randomization technique is efficient when the … Read more

Nuclear norm minimization for the planted clique and biclique problems

We consider the problems of finding a maximum clique in a graph and finding a maximum-edge biclique in a bipartite graph. Both problems are NP-hard. We write both problems as matrix-rank minimization and then relax them using the nuclear norm. This technique, which may be regarded as a generalization of compressive sensing, has recently been … Read more

Theta Bodies for Polynomial Ideals

Inspired by a question of Lov\’asz, we introduce a hierarchy of nested semidefinite relaxations of the convex hull of real solutions to an arbitrary polynomial ideal, called theta bodies of the ideal. For the stable set problem in a graph, the first theta body in this hierarchy is exactly Lov{\’a}sz’s theta body of the graph. … Read more

A multi-population genetic algorithm for a constrained two-dimensional orthogonal packing problem

This paper addresses a constrained two-dimensional (2D), non-guillotine restricted, packing problem, where a fixed set of small rectangles has to be packed into a larger stock rectangle so as to maximize the value of the rectangles packed. The algorithm we propose hybridizes a novel placement procedure with a genetic algorithm based on random keys. We … Read more