Large-scale Influence Maximization via Maximal Covering Location

Influence maximization aims at identifying a limited set of key individuals in a (social) network which spreads information based on some propagation model and maximizes the number of individuals reached. We show that influence maximization based on the probabilistic independent cascade model can be modeled as a stochastic maximal covering location problem. A reformulation based … Read more

Decomposition Methods for Solving Two-Stage Distributionally Robust Optimization Problems

Decomposition methods have been well studied for solving two-stage and multi-stage stochastic programming problems, see [29, 32, 33]. In this paper, we propose an algorithmic framework based on the fundamental ideas of the methods for solving two-stage minimax distributionally robust optimization (DRO) problems where the underlying random variables take a finite number of distinct values. … Read more

Volumetric barrier decomposition algorithms for two-stage stochastic linear semi-infinite programming

In this paper, we study the two-stage stochastic linear semi-infinite programming with recourse to handle uncertainty in data defining (deterministic) linear semi-infinite programming. We develop and analyze volumetric barrier decomposition-based interior point methods for solving this class of optimization problems, and present a complexity analysis of the proposed algorithms. We establish our convergence analysis by … Read more

Stochastic Hydro-thermal Unit Commitment via Multi-level Scenario Trees and Bundle Regularization

For an electric power mix subject to uncertainty, the stochastic unit-commitment problem finds short-term optimal generation schedules that satisfy several system-wide constraints. In regulated electricity markets, this very practical and important problem is used by the system operator to decide when each unit is to be started or stopped, and to define how to generate … Read more

Energy and Reserve Dispatch with Distributionally Robust Joint Chance Constraints

We develop a two-stage stochastic program for energy and reserve dispatch, which ensures the safe operation of a power system with a high penetration of renewables and a strong interdependence with the natural gas system. Distributionally robust joint chance constraints with Wasserstein ambiguity sets ensure that there is no need for load shedding and renewable … Read more

Decomposition Methods for Solving Markov Decision Processes with Multiple Models of the Parameters

We consider the problem of decision-making in Markov decision processes (MDPs) when the reward or transition probability parameters are not known with certainty. We consider an approach in which the decision-maker (DM) considers multiple models of the parameters for an MDP and wishes to find a policy that optimizes an objective function that considers the … Read more

Parallelizing Subgradient Methods for the Lagrangian Dual in Stochastic Mixed-Integer Programming

The dual decomposition of stochastic mixed-integer programs can be solved by the projected subgradient algorithm. We show how to make this algorithm more amenable to parallelization in a master-worker model by describing two approaches, which can be combined in a natural way. The first approach partitions the scenarios into batches, and makes separate use of … Read more

Multi-component Maintenance Optimization: A Stochastic Programming Approach

Maintenance optimization has been extensively studied in the past decades. However, most of the existing maintenance models focus on single-component systems. Multi-component maintenance optimization, which joins the stochastic failure processes with the combinatorial maintenance grouping problems, remains as an open issue. To address this challenge, we study this problem in a finite planning horizon by … Read more

The policy graph decomposition of multistage stochastic optimization problems

We propose the policy graph as a way of formulating multistage stochastic optimization problems. We also propose an extension to the stochastic dual dynamic programming algorithm to solve a class of problems formulated as a policy graph. This class includes discrete-time, infinite horizon, multistage stochastic optimization problems with continuous state and control variables. ArticleDownload View … Read more

A Data-Driven Approach to Multi-Stage Stochastic Linear Optimization

We propose a new data-driven approach for addressing multi-stage stochastic linear optimization problems with unknown distributions. The approach consists of solving a robust optimization problem that is constructed from sample paths of the underlying stochastic process. We provide asymptotic bounds on the gap between the optimal costs of the robust optimization problem and the underlying … Read more