Mathematical models for the minimization of open stacks problem

In this paper, we address the Minimization of Open Stacks Problem (MOSP). This problem often appears during production planning of manufacturing industries, such as in the cutting of objects to comply with space constraints around the cutting machine in the glass, furniture, and metallurgical industries. The MOSP is also pertinent to the field of VLSI … Read more

Appointment Scheduling for Medical Diagnostic Centers considering Time-sensitive Pharmaceuticals: A Dynamic Robust Optimization Approach

This paper studies optimal criteria for the appointment scheduling of outpatients in a medical imaging center. The main goal of this study is to coordinate the assignments of radiopharmaceuticals and the scheduling of outpatients on imaging scanners. We study a special case of a molecular imaging center that offers services for various diagnostic procedures for … Read more

Scenario Consensus Algorithms for Solving Stochastic and Dynamic Problems

In transportation problems and in many other planning problems, there are important sources of uncertainty that must be addressed to find effective and efficient solutions. A common approach for solving these dynamic and stochastic problems is the Multiple Scenario Approach (MSA), that has been proved effective for transportation problems, but it does not provide flexibility … Read more

MILP models for the continuous Berth Allocation and Quay Crane Assignment Problem considering crane movement and setup times

In this technical report we present several Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) models for the Berth Allocation and Quay Crane Assignment Problem (BACASP) considering crane movement and setup time (from now on: BACASP-S). First, we propose a MILP for the continuous-quay time-invariant BACASP in which both berthing time and position variables are continuous. Then, we … Read more

On fault-tolerant low-diameter clusters in graphs

Cliques and their generalizations are frequently used to model “tightly knit” clusters in graphs and identifying such clusters is a popular technique used in graph-based data mining. One such model is the $s$-club, which is a vertex subset that induces a subgraph of diameter at most $s$. This model has found use in a variety … Read more

On Properties of Univariate Max Functions at Local Maximizers

More than three decades ago, Boyd and Balakrishnan established a regularity result for the two-norm of a transfer function at maximizers. Their result extends easily to the statement that the maximum eigenvalue of a univariate real analytic Hermitian matrix family is twice continuously differentiable, with Lipschitz second derivative, at all local maximizers, a property that … Read more

Interdicting Low-Diameter Cohesive Subgroups in Large-Scale Social Networks

The s-clubs model cohesive social subgroups as vertex subsets that induce subgraphs of diameter at most s. In defender-attacker settings, for low values of s, they can represent tightly-knit communities whose operation is undesirable for the defender. For instance, in online social networks, large communities of malicious accounts can effectively propagate undesirable rumors. In this … Read more

Accelerated Stochastic Peaceman-Rachford Method for Empirical Risk Minimization

This work is devoted to studying an Accelerated Stochastic Peaceman-Rachford Splitting Method (AS-PRSM) for solving a family of structural empirical risk minimization problems. The objective function to be optimized is the sum of a possibly nonsmooth convex function and a finite-sum of smooth convex component functions. The smooth subproblem in AS-PRSM is solved by a stochastic gradient method using variance reduction … Read more

Time-Domain Decomposition for Mixed-Integer Optimal Control Problems

We consider mixed-integer optimal control problems, whose optimality conditions involve global combinatorial optimization aspects for the corresponding Hamiltonian pointwise in time. We propose a time-domain decomposition, which makes this problem class accessible for mixed-integer programming using parallel-in-time direct discretizations. The approach is based on a decomposition of the optimality system and the interpretation of the … Read more

Energy-efficient Automated Vertical Farms

Autonomous vertical farms (VFs) are becoming increasingly more popular, because they allow to grow food minimising water consumption and the use of pesticides, while greatly increasing the yield per square metre, compared with traditional agriculture. To meet sustainability goals, however, VFs must operate at maximum efficiency; it would be otherwise impossible to compete with the … Read more