We consider a linear problem over a finite set of integer vectors and assume that there is a verification oracle, which is an algorithm being able to verify whether a given vector optimizes a given linear function over the feasible set. Given an initial solution, the algorithm proposed in this paper finds an optimal solution … Read more
In this paper we propose a new Riemannian conjugate gradient method for optimization on the Stiefel manifold. We introduce two novel vector transports associated with the retraction constructed by the Cayley transform. Both of them satisfy the Ring-Wirth nonexpansive condition, which is fundamental for convergence analysis of Riemannian conjugate gradient methods, and one of them … Read more
The max-$k$-sum of a set of real scalars is the maximum sum of a subset of size $k$, or alternatively the sum of the $k$ largest elements. We study two extensions: First, we show how to obtain smooth approximations to functions that are pointwise max-$k$-sums of smooth functions. Second, we discuss how the max-$k$-sum can … Read more
The graph bisection problem is the problem of partitioning the vertex set of a graph into two sets of given sizes such that the sum of weights of edges joining these two sets is optimized. We present a semidefinite programming relaxation for the graph bisection problem with a matrix variable of order $n$ – the … Read more
We consider operators acting on convex subsets of the unit hypercube. These operators are used in constructing convex relaxations of combinatorial optimization problems presented as a 0,1 integer programming problem or a 0,1 polynomial optimization problem. Our focus is mostly on operators that, when expressed as a lift-and-project operator, involve the use of semidefiniteness constraints … Read more
Minimization of the nuclear norm is often used as a surrogate, convex relaxation, for finding the minimum rank completion (recovery) of a partial matrix. The minimum nuclear norm problem can be solved as a trace minimization semidefinite programming problem (\SDP). The \SDP and its dual are regular in the sense that they both satisfy strict … Read more
We propose a very simple preprocessing algorithm for semidefinite programming. Our algorithm inspects the constraints of the problem, deletes redundant rows and columns in the constraints, and reduces the size of the variable matrix. It often detects infeasibility. Our algorithm does not rely on any optimization solver: the only subroutine it needs is Cholesky factorization, … Read more
A class of interior point methods using inexact directions is analysed. The linear system arising in interior point methods for linear programming is reformulated such that the solution is less sensitive to perturbations in the right-hand side. For the new system an implementable condition is formulated that controls the relative error in the solution. Based … Read more
A dual logarithmic barrier method for solving large, sparse semidefinite programs is proposed in this paper. The method avoids any explicit use of the primal variable X and therefore is well-suited to problems with a sparse dual matrix S. It relies on inexact Newton steps in dual space which are computed by the conjugate gradient … Read more
Standard load profiles (SLPs) are used to calculate the natural gas demand of non-daily metered customers based on temperature forecasts. The most recent version of natural gas SLPs in Germany was published by the Federal Association of Energy and Water in June 2015. With the concept SigLinDE, a linearization of the old SLPs was carried … Read more