Handling of long-term storage in multi-horizon stochastic programs

This paper shows how to implement long-term storage in the multi-horizon modelling paradigm, expanding the range of problems this approach is applicable to. The presented implementation is based on the HyOpt optimization model, but the ideas should be transferable also to other models implementing the multi-horizon approach. We illustrate the effects of several different formulations … Read more

A two-stage stochastic programming approach incorporating spatially-explicit fire scenarios for optimal firebreak placement

Ensuring the effective placement of firebreaks across the landscape is a critical issue in wildfire prevention, as their success relies on their ability to block the spread of future fires. To address this challenge, it is essential to recognize the stochastic nature of fires, which are highly unpredictable from start to finish. The issue is … Read more

Hardness of pricing routes for two-stage stochastic vehicle routing problems with scenarios

The vehicle routing problem with stochastic demands (VRPSD) generalizes the classic vehicle routing problem by considering customer demands as random variables. Similarly to other vehicle routing variants, state-of-the-art algorithms for the VRPSD are often based on set-partitioning formulations, which require efficient routines for the associated pricing problems. However, all these set-partitioning-based approaches have strong assumptions … Read more

Zeroth-order Riemannian Averaging Stochastic Approximation Algorithms

We present Zeroth-order Riemannian Averaging Stochastic Approximation (\texttt{Zo-RASA}) algorithms for stochastic optimization on Riemannian manifolds. We show that \texttt{Zo-RASA} achieves optimal sample complexities for generating $\epsilon$-approximation first-order stationary solutions using only one-sample or constant-order batches in each iteration. Our approach employs Riemannian moving-average stochastic gradient estimators, and a novel Riemannian-Lyapunov analysis technique for convergence analysis. … Read more

A Bilevel Optimization Approach for a Class of Combinatorial Problems with Disruptions and Probing

We consider linear combinatorial optimization problems under uncertain disruptions that increase the cost coefficients of the objective function. A decision-maker, or planner, can invest resources to probe the components (i.e., the coefficients) in order to learn their disruption status. In the proposed probing optimization problem, the planner, knowing just the disruptions’ probabilities, selects which components … Read more

Inexact Newton methods with matrix approximation by sampling for nonlinear least-squares and systems

We develop and analyze stochastic inexact Gauss-Newton methods for nonlinear least-squares problems and inexact Newton methods for nonlinear systems of equations. Random models are formed using suitable sampling strategies for the matrices involved in the deterministic models. The analysis of the expected number of iterations needed in the worst case to achieve a desired level … Read more

The Terminator: An Integration of Inner and Outer Approximations for Solving Regular and Distributionally Robust Chance Constrained Programs via Variable Fixing

We present a novel approach aimed at enhancing the efficacy of solving both regular and distributionally robust chance constrained programs using an empirical reference distribution. In general, these programs can be reformulated as mixed-integer programs (MIPs) by introducing binary variables for each scenario, indicating whether a scenario should be satisfied. While existing methods have predominantly … Read more

Gradient-based rho Parameter for Progressive Hedging

Watson and Woodruff  (2011) developed a heuristic for computing variable-dependent values of the penalty parameter $\rho$ from the model itself. We combine this heuristic with a gradient-based method, in order to obtain a new method for calculating $\rho$ values. We then introduce a method for iteratively computing variable-dependent $\rho$ values. This method is based on … Read more