MIDAS: A Mixed Integer Dynamic Approximation Scheme

Mixed Integer Dynamic Approximation Scheme (MIDAS) is a new sampling-based algorithm for solving finite-horizon stochastic dynamic programs with monotonic Bellman functions. MIDAS approximates these value functions using step functions, leading to stage problems that are mixed integer programs. We provide a general description of MIDAS, and prove its almost-sure convergence to an epsilon-optimal policy when … Read more

An Exact Algorithm for a Resource Allocation Problem in Mobile Wireless Communications

We consider a challenging resource allocation problem arising in mobile wireless communications. The goal is to allocate the available channels and power in a so-called OFDMA system, in order to maximise the transmission rate, subject to quality of service (QoS) constraints. Standard MINLP software struggled to solve even small instances of this problem. Using outer … Read more

Scenario Tree Reduction Methods Through Changing Node Values

To develop practical and efficient scenario tree reduction methods, we introduce a new methodology which allows for changing node values, and an easy-to-calculate distance function to measure the difference between two scenario trees. Based on minimizing the new distance, we first construct a primitive scenario tree reduction model which also minimizes the Wasserstein distance between … Read more

A Polyhedral Study on Chance Constrained Program with Random Right-Hand Side

The essential structure of the mixed–integer programming formulation for chance–constrained program (CCP) is the intersection of multiple mixing sets with a $0-1$ knapsack. To improve our computational capacity on CCP, an underlying substructure, the (single) mixing set with a $0-1$ knapsack, has received substantial attentions recently. In this study, we consider a CCP problem with … Read more

A unified convergence bound for conjugate gradient and accelerated gradient

Nesterov’s accelerated gradient method for minimizing a smooth strongly convex function $f$ is known to reduce $f(\x_k)-f(\x^*)$ by a factor of $\eps\in(0,1)$ after $k\ge O(\sqrt{L/\ell}\log(1/\eps))$ iterations, where $\ell,L$ are the two parameters of smooth strong convexity. Furthermore, it is known that this is the best possible complexity in the function-gradient oracle model of computation. The … Read more

Mathematical Programs with Equilibrium Constraints: A sequential optimality condition, new constraint qualifications and algorithmic consequences.

Mathematical programs with equilibrium (or complementarity) constraints, MPECs for short, are a difficult class of constrained optimization problems. The feasible set has a very special structure and violates most of the standard constraint qualifications (CQs). Thus, the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) conditions are not necessarily satisfied by minimizers and the convergence assumptions of many methods for solving … Read more

A new customized proximal point algorithm for linearly constrained convex optimization

In this paper, we propose a new customized proximal point algorithm for linearly constrained convex optimization problem, and further use it to solve the separable convex optimization problem with linear constraints. Which is different to the existing customized proximal point algorithms, the proposed algorithm does not involve any relaxation step but still ensure the convergence. … Read more

Accelerated first-order methods for large-scale convex minimization

This paper discusses several (sub)gradient methods attaining the optimal complexity for smooth problems with Lipschitz continuous gradients, nonsmooth problems with bounded variation of subgradients, weakly smooth problems with H\”older continuous gradients. The proposed schemes are optimal for smooth strongly convex problems with Lipschitz continuous gradients and optimal up to a logarithmic factor for nonsmooth problems … Read more

Resource-constrained scheduling with non-constant capacity and non-regular activities

This work is inspired by very challenging issues arising in space logistics. The problem of scheduling a number of activities, in a given time elapse, optimizing the resource exploitation is discussed. The available resources are not constant, as well as the request, relative to each job. The mathematical aspects are illustrated, providing a time-indexed MILP … Read more

Completely positive semidefinite rank

An $n\times n$ matrix $X$ is called completely positive semidefinite (cpsd) if there exist $d\times d$ Hermitian positive semidefinite {matrices} $\{P_i\}_{i=1}^n$ (for some $d\ge 1$) such that $X_{ij}= {\rm Tr}(P_iP_j),$ for all $i,j \in \{ 1, \ldots, n \}$. The cpsd-rank of a cpsd matrix is the smallest $d\ge 1$ for which such a representation … Read more