Bounding the Optimal Number of Policies for Robust K-Adaptability

In the realm of robust optimization the k-adaptability approach is one promising method to derive approximate solutions for two-stage robust optimization problems. Instead of allowing all possible second-stage decisions, the k-adaptability approach aims at calculating a limited set of k such decisions already in the first-stage before the uncertainty reveals. The parameter k can be … Read more

Robust Appointment Scheduling for General Convex Uncertainty Sets

The Appointment Scheduling Problem (ASP) involves scheduling a finite number of customers with uncertain service times, served consecutively by a single server, with the goal of minimizing the weighted costs of waiting time, idle time, and overtime. Previous studies employing stochastic programming were limited to small instances or constrained by restrictive assumptions. We introduce a … Read more

Energy-efficient Timetables for Railway Traffic: Incorporating DC Power Models

Efficient operation of underground railway systems is critical not only for maintaining punctual service but also for minimizing energy consumption, a key factor in reducing operational costs and environmental impact. To evaluate the energy consumption of the timetables, this paper delves into the development of mathematical models to accurately represent energy dynamics within the underground … Read more

Advances in Polyhedral Relaxations of the Quadratic Linear Ordering Problem

We report on results concerning the polyhedral structure of, and integer linear programming formulations for, the quadratic linear ordering problem. Specifically, we provide a deeper analysis of the characteristic equation system that takes part in the minimal description of the convex hull of its feasible solutions, and we determine an accessible description of a restricted … Read more

Facets from solitary items for the 0/1 knapsack polytope

We introduce a new class of valid inequalities for any 0/1 knapsack polytope, called Solitary item inequality, which are facet-defining. We prove that any facet-defining inequality of a 0/1 knapsack polytope with nonnegative integral coefficients and right hand side 1 belongs to this class, and hence, the set of facet-defining inequalities corresponding to strong covers … Read more

Hybrid iterated local search algorithm for the vehicle routing problem with lockers

In the Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) with Lockers, the vertices in a graph are divided into two key subsets: a customer set and a locker set, with lockers serving as alternative delivery points for the customer’s parcel. This paper presents a generic VRP with lockers, where a customer’s parcel can be delivered either to its … Read more

Social Classroom Seating Assignment Problems

University students benefit academically, personally and professionally from an expansion of their in-class social network. To facilitate this, we present a novel and broadly applicable optimization approach that exposes individuals to as many as possible peers that they do not know. This novel class of ‘social seating assignment problems’ is parameterized by the social network, … Read more

A Line Search Filter Sequential Adaptive Cubic Regularisation Algorithm for Nonlinearly Constrained Optimization

In this paper, a sequential adaptive regularization algorithm using cubics (ARC) is presented to solve nonlinear equality constrained optimization. It is motivated by the idea of handling constraints in sequential quadratic programming methods. In each iteration, we decompose the new step into the sum of the normal step and the tangential step by using composite … Read more

Examples of slow convergence for adaptive regularization optimization methods are not isolated

The adaptive regularization algorithm for unconstrained nonconvex optimization was shown in Nesterov and Polyak (2006) and Cartis, Gould and Toint (2011) to  require, under standard assumptions, at most O(\epsilon^{3/(3-q)}) evaluations of the objective function and its derivatives of degrees one and two to produce an \epsilon-approximate critical point of order q in {1,2}. This bound … Read more

Complexity of the Directed Robust b-matching Problem and its Variants on Different Graph Classes

The b-matching problem is a well-known generalization of the classical matching problem with various applications in operations research and computer science. Given an undirected graph, each vertex v has a capacity b(v), indicating the maximum number of times it can be matched, while edges can also be used multiple times. The problem is solvable in … Read more