A feasible rounding approach for granular optimization problems

We introduce a new technique to generate good feasible points of mixed-integer nonlinear optimization problems. It makes use of the so-called inner parallel set of the relaxed feasible set, which was employed in O. Stein, Error bounds for mixed integer linear optimization problems, Mathematical Programming, Vol. 156 (2016), 101-123, as well as O. Stein, Error … Read more

How to choose what you lift

We explore the lifting question in the context of cut-generating functions. Most of the prior literature on lifting for cut-generating functions focuses on which cut-generating functions have the unique lifting property. Here we develop a general theory for under- standing how to do lifting for cut-generating functions which do not have the unique lifting property. … Read more

A combinatorial approach for small and strong formulations of disjunctive constraints

We present a framework for constructing small, strong mixed-integer formulations for disjunctive constraints. Our approach is a generalization of the logarithmically-sized formulations of Vielma and Nemhauser for SOS2 constraints, and we offer a complete characterization of its expressive power. We apply the framework to a variety of disjunctive constraints, producing novel, small, and strong formulations … Read more

Intersection Cuts for Single Row Corner Relaxations

We consider the problem of generating inequalities that are valid for one-row relaxations of a simplex tableau, with the integrality constraints preserved for one or more non-basic variables. These relaxations are interesting because they can be used to generate cutting planes for general mixed-integer problems. We first consider the case of a single non-basic integer … Read more

Disjunctive Programming for Multiobjective Discrete Optimisation

In this paper, I view and present the multiobjective discrete optimisation problem as a particular case of disjunctive programming where one seeks to identify efficient solutions from within a disjunction formed by a set of systems. The proposed approach lends itself to a simple yet effective iterative algorithm that is able to yield the set … Read more

Equivariant Perturbation in Gomory and Johnson’s Infinite Group Problem. VI. The Curious Case of Two-Sided Discontinuous Functions

We construct a two-sided discontinuous piecewise linear minimal valid function for the 1-row Gomory–Johnson model which is not extreme, but which is not a convex combination of other piecewise linear minimal valid functions. This anomalous behavior results from combining features of Hildebrand’s two-sided discontinuous extreme functions and Basu–Hildebrand–Koeppe’s piecewise linear extreme function with irrational breakpoints. … Read more

Equivariant Perturbation in Gomory and Johnson’s Infinite Group Problem. V. Software for the continuous and discontinuous 1-row case

We present software for investigations with cut generating functions in the Gomory-Johnson model and extensions, implemented in the computer algebra system SageMath. CitationAn extended abstract of 8 pages appeared under the title “Software for cut-generating functions in the Gomory–Johnson model and beyond” in Proc. International Congress on Mathematical Software 2016ArticleDownload View PDF

Numerically safe lower bounds for the Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem

The resolution of integer programming problems is typically performed via branch-and-bound. Nodes of the branch-and-bound tree are pruned whenever the corresponding subproblem is proven not to contain a solution better than the best solution found so far. This is a key ingredient for achieving reasonable solution times. However, since subproblems are solved in floating-point arithmetic, … Read more

Exact Algorithms for the Chance-Constrained Vehicle Routing Problem

We study the chance-constrained vehicle routing problem (CCVRP), a version of the vehicle routing problem (VRP) with stochastic demands, where a limit is imposed on the probability that each vehicle’s capacity is exceeded. A distinguishing feature of our proposed methodologies is that they allow correlation between random demands, whereas nearly all existing exact methods for … Read more

Stochastic Dual Dynamic Integer Programming

Multistage stochastic integer programming (MSIP) combines the difficulty of uncertainty, dynamics, and non-convexity, and constitutes a class of extremely challenging problems. A common formulation for these problems is a dynamic programming formulation involving nested cost-to-go functions. In the linear setting, the cost-to-go functions are convex polyhedral, and decomposition algorithms, such as nested Benders’ decomposition and … Read more