Algorithms for the circle packing problem based on mixed-integer DC programming

Circle packing problems are a class of packing problems which attempt to pack a given set of circles into a container with no overlap. In this paper, we focus on the circle packing problem proposed by L{\’o}pez et.al. The problem is to pack circles of unequal size into a fixed size circular container, so as … Read more

Rank-one Convexification for Sparse Regression

Sparse regression models are increasingly prevalent due to their ease of interpretability and superior out-of-sample performance. However, the exact model of sparse regression with an L0 constraint restricting the support of the estimators is a challenging non-convex optimization problem. In this paper, we derive new strong convex relaxations for sparse regression. These relaxations are based … Read more

A Status Report on Conflict Analysis in Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programming

Mixed integer nonlinear programs (MINLPs) are arguably among the hardest optimization problems, with a wide range of applications. MINLP solvers that are based on linear relaxations and spatial branching work similar as mixed integer programming (MIP) solvers in the sense that they are based on a branch-and-cut algorithm, enhanced by various heuristics, domain propagation, and … Read more

Intersection disjunctions for reverse convex sets

We present a framework to obtain valid inequalities for optimization problems constrained by a reverse convex set, which is defined as the set of points in a polyhedron that lie outside a given open convex set. We are particularly interested in cases where the closure of the convex set is either non-polyhedral, or is defined … Read more

Submodularity in conic quadratic mixed 0-1 optimization

We describe strong convex valid inequalities for conic quadratic mixed 0-1 optimization. These inequalities can be utilized for solving numerous practical nonlinear discrete optimization problems from value-at-risk minimization to queueing system design, from robust interdiction to assortment optimization through appropriate conic quadratic mixed 0-1 relaxations. The inequalities exploit the submodularity of the binary restrictions and … Read more

Successive Quadratic Upper-Bounding for Discrete Mean-Risk Minimization and Network Interdiction

The advances in conic optimization have led to its increased utilization for modeling data uncertainty. In particular, conic mean-risk optimization gained prominence in probabilistic and robust optimization. Whereas the corresponding conic models are solved efficiently over convex sets, their discrete counterparts are intractable. In this paper, we give a highly effective successive quadratic upper-bounding procedure … Read more

Intersection cuts for factorable MINLP

Given a factorable function f, we propose a procedure that constructs a concave underestimor of f that is tight at a given point. These underestimators can be used to generate intersection cuts. A peculiarity of these underestimators is that they do not rely on a bounded domain. We propose a strengthening procedure for the intersection … Read more

Insight into the computation of Steiner minimal trees in Euclidean space of general dimension

We present well known properties related to the topology of Steiner minimal trees and to the geometric position of Steiner points, and investigate their application in the main exact algorithms that have been proposed for the Euclidean Steiner problem. We discuss the difficulty in the application of properties that were very successfully applied to solve … Read more

Convergence of Finite-Dimensional Approximations for Mixed-Integer Optimization with Differential Equations

We consider a direct approach to solve mixed-integer nonlinear optimization problems with constraints depending on initial and terminal conditions of an ordinary differential equation. In order to obtain a finite-dimensional problem, the dynamics are approximated using discretization methods. In the framework of general one-step methods, we provide sufficient conditions for the convergence of this approach … Read more

Generating feasible points for mixed-integer convex optimization problems by inner parallel cuts

In this article we introduce an inner parallel cutting plane method (IPCP) to compute good feasible points along with valid cutting planes for mixed-integer convex optimization problems. The method iteratively generates polyhedral outer approximations of an enlarged inner parallel set (EIPS) of the continuously relaxed feasible set. This EIPS possesses the crucial property that any … Read more