In this paper we consider a particular method of clustering for graphs, namely the modularity density maximization. We propose a hierarchical divisive heuristic which works by splitting recursively a cluster into two new clusters by maximizing the modularity density, and we derive four reformulations for the mathematical programming model used to obtain the optimal splitting. … Read more
We discuss an application of the well-known Multiplicative Weights Update (MWU) algorithm to non-convex and mixed-integer nonlinear programming. We present applications to: (a) the distance geometry problem, which arises in the positioning of mobile sensors and in protein conformation; (b) a hydro unit commitment problem arising in the energy industry, and (c) a class of … Read more
Augmentation methods for mixed-integer (linear) programs are a class of primal solution approaches in which a current iterate is augmented to a better solution or proved optimal. It is well known that the performance of these methods, i.e., number of iterations needed, can theoretically be improved by scaling methods. We extend these results by an … Read more
This paper considers a family of cutting planes, recently developed for mixed 0-1 polynomial programs and shows that they define facets for the maximum edge-weighted clique problem. There exists a polynomial time exact separation algorithm for these in- equalities. The result of this paper may contribute to the development of more efficient algorithms for the … Read more
We consider a single-server scheduling problem given a fixed sequence of appointment arrivals with random no-shows and service durations. The probability distribution of the uncertain parameters is assumed to be ambiguous and only the support and first moments are known. We formulate a class of distributionally robust (DR) optimization models that incorporate the worst-case expectation/conditional … Read more
We consider a version of the knapsack problem in which an item size is random and revealed only when the decision maker attempts to insert it. After every successful insertion the decision maker can choose the next item dynamically based on the remaining capacity and available items, while an unsuccessful insertion terminates the process. We … Read more
When using the standard McCormick inequalities twice to convexify trilinear monomials, as is often the practice in modeling and software, there is a choice of which variables to group first. For the important case in which the domain is a nonnegative box, we calculate the volume of the resulting relaxation, as a function of the … Read more
Sequencing activities over time is a fundamental optimization problem. The problem can be modeled using a directed network in which activities are represented by nodes and pairs of activities that can be performed consecutively are represented by arcs. A sequence of activities then corresponds to a path in the directed network, and an optimal sequence … Read more
In this paper, we address a new version of the Uncapacitated Single Allocation p-Hub Median Problem (USApHMP) in which transportation costs on each edge are given by piecewise constant cost functions. In the classical USApHMP, transportation costs are modelled as linear functions of the transport volume, where a fixed discount factor on hub-hub connections is … Read more
The pooling problem is a nonconvex nonlinear programming problem (NLP) with applications in the refining and petrochemical industries, but also the coal mining industry. The problem can be stated as follows: given a set of raw material suppliers (inputs) and qualities of the supplies, find a cost-minimising way of blending these raw materials in intermediate … Read more