MUSE-BB: A Decomposition Algorithm for Nonconvex Two-Stage Problems using Strong Multisection Branching

\(\) We present MUSE-BB, a branch-and-bound (B&B) based decomposition algorithm for the deterministic global solution of nonconvex two-stage stochastic programming problems. In contrast to three recent decomposition algorithms, which solve this type of problem in a projected form by nesting an inner B&B in an outer B&B on the first-stage variables, we branch on all … Read more

Nonconvex optimization problems involving the Euclidean norm: Challenges, progress, and opportunities

The field of global optimization has advanced significantly over the past three decades. Yet, the solution of even small instances of many nonconvex optimization problems involving the Euclidean norm to global optimality remains beyond the reach of modern global optimization methods. These problems include numerous well-known and high-impact open research questions from a diverse collection … Read more

Exploiting Sign Symmetries in Minimizing Sums of Rational Functions

This paper is devoted to the problem of minimizing a sum of rational functions over a basic semialgebraic set. We provide a hierarchy of sum of squares (SOS) relaxations that is dual to the generalized moment problem approach due to Bugarin, Henrion, and Lasserre. The investigation of the dual SOS aspect offers two benefits: 1) … Read more

Spatial branch-and-bound for nonconvex separable piecewise linear optimization

Nonconvex separable piecewise linear functions (PLFs) frequently appear in applications and to approximate nonlinearitites. The standard practice to formulate nonconvex PLFs is from the perspective of discrete optimisation, using special ordered sets and mixed integer linear programs (MILPs). In contrast, we take the viewpoint of global continuous optimization and present a spatial branch-and-bound algorithm (sBB) … Read more

Strengthening Lasserre’s Hierarchy in Real and Complex Polynomial Optimization

We establish a connection between multiplication operators and shift operators. Moreover, we derive positive semidefinite conditions of finite rank moment sequences and use these conditions to strengthen Lasserre’s hierarchy for real and complex polynomial optimization. Integration of the strengthening technique with sparsity is considered. Extensive numerical experiments show that our strengthening technique can significantly improve … Read more

Revisiting the fitting of the Nelson-Siegel and Svensson models

The Nelson-Siegel and the Svensson models are two of the most widely used models for the term structure of interest rates. Even though the models are quite simple and intuitive, fitting them to market data is numerically challenging and various difficulties have been reported. In this paper, a novel mathematical analysis of the fitting problem … Read more

The best approximation pair problem relative to two subsets in a normed space

In the classical best approximation pair (BAP) problem, one is given two nonempty, closed, convex and disjoint subsets in a finite- or an infinite-dimensional Hilbert space, and the goal is to find a pair of points, each from each subset, which realizes the distance between the subsets. This problem, which has a long history, has … Read more

ε-Optimality in Reverse Optimization

The purpose of this paper is to completely characterize the global approximate optimality (ε-optimality) in reverse convex optimization under the general nonconvex constraint “h(x) ≥ 0”. The main condition presented is obtained in terms of Fenchel’s ε-subdifferentials thanks to El Maghri’s ε-efficiency in difference vector optimization [J. Glob. Optim. 61 (2015) 803–812], after converting the … Read more

Exploring Nonlinear Distance Metrics for Lipschitz Constant Estimation in Lower Bound Construction for Global Optimization

Bounds play a crucial role in guiding optimization algorithms, improving their speed and quality, and providing optimality gaps. While Lipschitz constant-based lower bound construction is an effective technique, the quality of the linear bounds depends on the function’s topological properties. In this research, we improve upon this by incorporating nonlinear distance metrics and surrogate approximations … Read more