Implied Integrality in Mixed-Integer Optimization

Implied-integer detection is a well-known presolving technique that is used by many Mixed-Integer Linear Programming solvers. Informally, a variable is said to be implied integer if its integrality is enforced implicitly by integrality of other variables and the constraints of a problem. In this work we formalize the definition of implied integrality by taking a … Read more

Random-Restart Best-Response Dynamics for Large-Scale Integer Programming Games and Their Applications

This paper presents scalable algorithms for computing pure Nash equilibria (PNEs) in large-scale integer programming games (IPGs), where existing exact methods typically handle only small numbers of players. Motivated by a county-level aquatic invasive species (AIS) prevention problem with 84 decision makers, we develop and analyze random-restart best-response dynamics (RR-BRD), a randomized search framework for … Read more

A Dantzig-Wolfe Single-Level Reformulation for Mixed-Integer Linear Bilevel Optimization: Exact and Heuristic Approaches

Bilevel optimization problems arise in numerous real-world applications. While single-level reformulations are a common strategy for solving convex bilevel problems, such approaches usually fail when the follower’s problem includes integer variables. In this paper, we present the first single-level reformulation for mixed-integer linear bilevel optimization, which does not rely on the follower’s value function. Our … Read more

Branch-and-Cut for Mixed-Integer Nash Equilibrium Problems

We consider Nash equilibrium problems with mixed-integer variables in which each player solves a mixed-integer optimization problem parameterized in the rivals’ strategies. We distinguish between standard Nash equilibrium problems (NEP), where the parameterization acts only on the players’ cost functions and generalized Nash equilibrium problems (GNEPs), where, additionally, the strategy spaces of the players may … Read more

On Multi-Disjunctive Valid Inequalities for Chance-Constrained Stochastic Problems with Finite Support

We consider mixed-integer linear chance-constrained problems for which the random vector that parameterizes the feasible region has finite support. Our key objective is to improve branch-and-bound or -cut approaches by introducing new types of valid inequalities that improve the dual bound and, by this, the overall performance of such methods. We introduce so-called multi-disjunctive valid … Read more

Inverse Optimization via Learning Feasible Regions

We study inverse optimization (IO), where the goal is to use a parametric optimization program as the hypothesis class to infer relationships between input-decision pairs. Most of the literature focuses on learning only the objective function, as learning the constraint function (i.e., feasible regions) leads to nonconvex training programs. Motivated by this, we focus on … Read more

A surplus-maximizing two-sided multi-period non-convex ISO auction market

Since the inception of ISOs, Locational Marginal Prices (LMPs) alone were not market clearing or incentive compatible because an auction winner who offered its avoidable costs could lose money at the LMPs. ISOs used make-whole payments to ensure that market participants did not lose money. Make-whole payments were not public, creating transparency issues. Over time, … Read more

Optimization over Trained (and Sparse) Neural Networks: A Surrogate within a Surrogate

In constraint learning, we use a neural network as a surrogate for part of the constraints or of the objective function of an optimization model. However, the tractability of the resulting model is heavily influenced by the size of the neural network used as a surrogate. One way to obtain a more tractable surrogate is … Read more

Data-driven robust menu planning for food services: Reducing food waste by using leftovers

With food waste levels of about 30%, mostly caused by overproduction, reducing food waste poses an important challenge in the food service sector. As food is prepared in advance rather than on demand, there is a significant risk that meals or meal components remain uneaten. Flexible meal planning can promote the reuse of these leftovers … Read more

Global Optimization of Gas Transportation and Storage: Convex Hull Characterizations and Relaxations

Gas transportation and storage has become one of the most relevant and important optimization problems in energy systems. This problem inherently includes highly nonlinear and nonconvex aspects due to gas physics, and discrete aspects due to the control decisions of active network elements. Obtaining even locally optimal solutions for this problem presents significant mathematical and … Read more