On lifting strategies for optimal control problems

The representation of a function in a higher-dimensional space, often referred to as lifting, can be used to reduce complexity. We investigate how lifting affects the convergence properties of Newton-type methods. For the first time, we conduct a systematic comparison of several lifting strategies on a set of 40 optimal control problems. In addition, we … Read more

Context-Aware Cluster-Based Multi-Uncertainty-Set Distributionally Robust Chance-Constrained DC Optimal Power Flow

This paper proposes a context-aware multi-uncertainty-set distributionally robust chance-constrained DC optimal power flow model. Meteorological features are projected to partition the non-convex error support into a context-dependent decomposition of conditional local ambiguity sets, with conditional weights inferred via kernel regression. The minimax problem is reformulated into a finite-dimensional second-order cone program with proven asymptotic consistency. … Read more

Time-of-Use Pump Scheduling for Flow Transmission

We study time-of-use pump scheduling to deliver a required volume using a finite set of pump combinations with empirical flow–power performance, subject to per-shift caps on pump switches. We prove a structural theorem: partitioning the horizon into maximal intervals with constant tariff and shift (atoms), there always exists an optimal schedule with at most one … Read more

Stochastic set-valued optimization and its application to robust learning

In this paper, we develop a stochastic set-valued optimization (SVO) framework tailored for robust machine learning. In the SVO setting, each decision variable is mapped to a set of objective values, and optimality is defined via set relations. We focus on SVO problems with hyperbox sets, which can be reformulated as multi-objective optimization (MOO) problems … Read more

Zeroth-Order Methods for Nonconvex-Strongly Concave Stochastic Minimax Problems with Decision-Dependent Distributions

Stochastic minimax problems with decision-dependent distributions (SMDD) have emerged as a crucial framework for modeling complex systems where data distributions drift in response to decision variables. Most existing methods for SMDD rely on an explicit functional relationship between the decision variables and the probability distribution. In this paper, we propose two sample-based zeroth-order algorithms, namely … Read more

Hardness of some optimization problems over correlation polyhedra

We prove the NP-hardness, using Karp reductions, of some problems related to the correlation polytope and its corresponding cone, spanned by all of the n×n rank-one matrices over {0, 1}. The problems are: membership, rank of the decomposition, and a “relaxed rank” obtained from relaxing the zero-norm expression for the rank to an ℓ1 norm. … Read more

Bregman Regularized Proximal Point Methods for Computing Projected Solutions of Quasi-equilibrium Problems

In this paper, we propose two Bregman regularized proximal point methods that provide flexibility to compute projected solutions for quasi-equilibrium problems. Each method has one Bregman projection onto the feasible set and the regularized equilibrium problem. Under standard assumptions, we prove that the methods are well-defined and that the sequences they generate converge to a … Read more

Modeling Adversarial Wildfires for Power Grid Disruption

Electric power infrastructure faces increasing risk of damage and disruption due to wildfire. Operators of power grids in wildfire-prone regions must consider the potential impacts of unpredictable fires. However, traditional wildfire models do not effectively describe worst-case, or even high-impact, fire behavior. To address this issue, we propose a mixed-integer conic program to characterize an … Read more

A Newsvendor Model for Last-Mile Fleet Sizing

We study the tactical problem of determining a last-mile delivery fleet size while accounting for day-to-day uncertainty in the number and location of customer requests. An optimally sized fleet must balance the cost of contracting vehicles against the penalty costs of unserved customers: a larger fleet reduces the risk of unserved demand, but a smaller … Read more

Finding Minimal Discretizations in Dynamic Discretization Discovery for Continuous-Time Service Network Design

The dynamic discretization discovery framework is a powerful tool for solving network design problems with a temporal component by iteratively refining a time-discretized model. Existing approaches refine the time discretization in ways that guarantee eventual termination. However, refinement choices are not unique, and better choices can yield smaller and easier-to-solve time-discretized models. We pose the … Read more