Global optimization of expensive black box problems with a known lower bound

In this paper we propose an algorithm for the global optimization of computationally expensive black–box functions. For this class of problems, no information, like e.g. the gradient, can be obtained and function evaluation is highly expensive. In many applications, however, a lower bound on the objective function is known; in this situation we derive a … Read more

Real-Time Optimization Strategies for Building Systems

We propose real-time optimization strategies for energy management in building systems. We have found that exploiting building-wide multivariable interactions between CO2 and humidity, pressure, occupancy, and temperature leads to significant reductions of energy intensity compared with traditional strategies. Our analysis indicates that it is possible to obtain energy savings of more than 50% compared with … Read more

The optimal harvesting problem with price uncertainty

In this paper we study the exploitation of a one species forest plantation when timber price is governed by a stochastic process. The work focuses on providing closed expressions for the optimal harvesting policy in terms of the parameters of the price process and the discount factor. We assume that harvest is restricted to mature … Read more

Multi-objective GRASP with path-relinking

In this paper we propose an adaptation of the GRASP metaheuristic to solve multi-objective combinatorial optimization problems. In particular we describe several alternatives to specialize the construction and improvement components of GRASP when two or more objectives are considered. GRASP has been successfully coupled with path-relinking for single-objective optimization. In this paper, we propose different … Read more

Coordinated cutting plane generation via multi-objective separation

In cutting plane methods, the question of how to generate the “best possible” set of cuts is both central and crucial. We propose a lexicographic multi-objective cutting plane generation scheme that generates, among all the maximally violated valid inequalities of a given family, an inequality that is undominated and maximally diverse w.r.t. the cuts that … Read more

Inexact projected gradient method for vector optimization

In this work, we propose an inexact projected gradient-like method for solving smooth constrained vector optimization problems. In the unconstrained case, we retrieve the steepest descent method introduced by Graña Drummond and Svaiter. In the constrained setting, the method we present extends the exact one proposed by Graña Drummond and Iusem, since it admits relative … Read more

A Bilevel Direct Search Method for Leader-Follower Optimization Problems and Applications

In the paper, we propose a bilevel direct search method for solving a type of leader-follower problems with each decision maker’s objective being a “black-box” function. First, we give a description for a leader-follower optimization problem. Then, we investigate a bilevel direct search method including two algorithms for combinatorially solving the upper and lower level … Read more

Optimality conditions of set-valued optimization problem involving relative algebraic interior in ordered linear spaces

In this paper, firstly, a generalized subconvexlike set-valued map involving the relative algebraic interior is introduced in ordered linear spaces. Secondly, some properties of a generalized subconvexlike set-valued map are investigated. Finally, the optimality conditions of set-valued optimization problem are established. Citation {\bf AMS 2010 Subject Classifications:} 90C26, 90C29, 90C30ArticleDownload View PDF

Food Regulated Pareto Multi-Species: a new ACO Approach for the Multi-objective Shortest Path Problem

The use of metaheuristics in Multi-objective Combinatorial Optimization, particularly Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), has grown recently. This paper proposes an approach where multi-species ants compete for food resources. Each species has its own search strategy and do not access pheromone information of other species. As in nature, successful ant populations are allowed to grow, whereas … Read more

A surrogate management framework using rigorous trust-regions steps

Surrogate models and heuristics are frequently used in the optimization engineering community as convenient approaches to deal with functions for which evaluations are expensive or noisy, or lack convexity. These methodologies do not typically guarantee any type of convergence under reasonable assumptions and frequently render slow convergence. In this paper we will show how to … Read more