In this paper we propose two modifications to Nesterov’s algorithms for minimizing convex functions in relative scale. The first is based on a bisection technique and leads to improved theoretical iteration complexity, and the second is a heuristic for avoiding restarting behavior. The fastest of our algorithms produces a solution within relative error O(1/k) of … Read more
We present a line-search algorithm for large-scale continuous optimization. The algorithm is matrix-free in that it does not require the factorization of derivative matrices. Instead, it uses iterative linear system solvers. Inexact step computations are supported in order to save computational expense during each iteration. The algorithm is an interior-point approach derived from an inexact … Read more
The kissing number in n-dimensional Euclidean space is the maximal number of non-overlapping unit spheres which simultaneously can touch a central unit sphere. Bachoc and Vallentin developed a method to find upper bounds for the kissing number based on semidefinite programming. This paper is a report on high accuracy calculations of these upper bounds for … Read more
Consider the following supposedly-simple problem: “compute x \in S” where S is a convex set conveyed by a separation oracle, with no further information (e.g., no bounding ball containing or intersecting S, etc.). Our interest in this problem stems from fundamental issues involving the interplay of computational complexity, the geometry of S, and the stability … Read more
The Mobile Oil Recovery (MOR) unit is a truck able to pump marginal wells in a petrol field. The goal of the MOR optimization Problem (MORP) is to optimize both the oil extraction and the travel costs. We describe several formulations for the MORP using a single vehicle or a fleet of vehicles. We have … Read more
The kissing number in n-dimensional Euclidean space is the maximal number of non-overlapping unit spheres which simultaneously can touch a central unit sphere. Bachoc and Vallentin developed a method to find upper bounds for the kissing number based on semidefinite programming. This paper is a report on high accuracy calculations of these upper bounds for … Read more
We present a new relaxation scheme for mathematical programs with equilibrium constraints (MPEC), where the complementarity constraints are replaced by a reformulation that is exact for the complementarity conditions corresponding to sufficiently non-degenerate complementarity components and relaxes only the remaining complementarity conditions. A positive parameter determines to what extent the complementarity conditions are relaxed. The … Read more
We extend recent work on nonlinear optimal control problems with integer restrictions on some of the control functions (mixed-integer optimal control problems, MIOCP) in two ways. We improve a theorem that states that the solution of a relaxed and convexified problem can be approximated with arbitrary precision by a solution fulfilling the integer requirements. Unlike … Read more
Quadratic assignment problems (QAPs) are among the hardest discrete optimization problems. Recent study shows that even obtaining a strong lower bound for QAPs is a computational challenge. In this paper, we first discuss how to construct new simple convex relaxations of QAPs based on various matrix splitting schemes. Then we introduce the so-called symmetric mappings … Read more
Linear stochastic programming provides a flexible toolbox for analyzing real-life decision situations, but it can become computationally cumbersome when recourse decisions are involved. The latter are usually modelled as decision rules, i.e., functions of the uncertain problem data. It has recently been argued that stochastic programs can quite generally be made tractable by restricting the … Read more