Multi-stage robust optimization problems, where the decision maker can dynamically react to consecutively observed realizations of the uncertain problem parameters, pose formidable theoretical and computational challenges. As a result, the existing solution approaches for this problem class typically determine subopti- mal solutions under restrictive assumptions. In this paper, we propose a robust dual dynamic programming … Read more
Crashing is a method for optimally shortening the project makespan by reducing the time of one or more activities in a project network by allocating resources to it. Activity durations are however uncertain and techniques in stochastic optimization, robust optimization and distributionally robust optimization have been developed to tackle this problem. In this paper, we … Read more
We study stochastic bilevel programs where the leader chooses a binary here-and-now decision and the follower responds with a continuous wait-and-see-decision. Using modern decision rule approximations, we construct lower bounds on an optimistic version and upper bounds on a pessimistic version of the leader’s problem. Both bounding problems are equivalent to explicit mixed-integer linear programs … Read more
We consider decision making problems under uncertainty, assuming that only partial distributional information is available – as is often the case in practice. In such problems, the goal is to determine here-and-now decisions, which optimally balance deterministic immediate costs and worst-case expected future costs. These problems are challenging, since the worst-case distribution needs to be … Read more
Given a polytope X, a monotone concave univariate function g, and two vectors c and d, we study the discrete optimization problem of finding a vertex of X that maximizes the utility function c’x + g(d’x). This problem has numerous applications in combinatorial optimization with a probabilistic objective, including estimation of project duration with stochastic … Read more
We study two-stage adjustable robust linear programming in which the right-hand sides are uncertain and belong to a convex, compact uncertainty set. This problem is NP-hard, and the affine policy is a popular, tractable approximation. We prove that under standard and simple conditions, the two-stage problem can be reformulated as a copositive optimization problem, which … Read more
Adaptive robust optimization problems are usually solved approximately by restricting the adaptive decisions to simple parametric decision rules. However, the corresponding approximation error can be substantial. In this paper we show that two-stage robust and distributionally robust linear programs can often be reformulated exactly as conic programs that scale polynomially with the problem dimensions. Specifically, … Read more
A joint chance constrained optimization problem involves multiple uncertain constraints, i.e., constraints with stochastic parameters, that are jointly required to be satisfied with probability exceeding a prespecified threshold. In a distributionally robust joint chance constrained optimization problem (DRCCP), the joint chance constraint is required to hold for all probability distributions of the stochastic parameters from … Read more
A new scheme to cope with two-stage stochastic optimization problems uses a risk measure as the objective function of the recourse action, where the risk measure is defined as the worst-case expected values over a set of constrained distributions. This paper develops an approach to deal with the case where both the first and second … Read more
Optimization problems face random constraint violations when uncertainty arises in constraint parameters. Effective ways of controlling such violations include risk constraints, e.g., chance constraints and conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) constraints. This paper studies these two types of risk constraints when the probability distribution of the uncertain parameters is ambiguous. In particular, we assume that the distributional … Read more