A convex cone K is said to be homogeneous if its group of automorphisms acts transitively on its relative interior. Important examples of homogeneous cones include symmetric cones and cones of positive semidefinite (PSD) matrices that follow a sparsity pattern given by a homogeneous chordal graph. Our goal in this paper is to elucidate the … Read more
We show that for separable convex optimization, random stepsizes fully accelerate Gradient Descent. Specifically, using inverse stepsizes i.i.d. from the Arcsine distribution improves the convergence rate from $O(k)$ to $O(\sqrt(k))$, where $k$ is the condition number. No momentum or other algorithmic modifications are required. Our starting point is a remarkable “equalization property” of the Arcsine … Read more
We present a novel framework that combines machine learning with mixed-integer optimization to solve the Capacitated Location-Routing Problem (CLRP). The CLRP is a classical yet NP-hard problem that integrates strategic facility location with operational vehicle routing decisions, aiming to simultaneously minimize both fixed and variable costs. The proposed method first trains a permutationally invariant neural … Read more
This paper studies effective scenarios in Distributionally Robust Optimization (DRO) problems defined on a finite number of realizations (also called scenarios) of the uncertain parameters. Effective scenarios are critical scenarios in DRO in the sense that their removal from the support of the considered distributions alters the optimal value. Ineffective scenarios are those whose removal … Read more
In this paper, we revisit the convergence theory of the inexact restoration paradigm for non-linear optimization. The paper first identifies the basic elements of a globally convergent method based on merit functions. Then, the inexact restoration method that employs a two-phase iteration is introduced as a special case. A specific implementation is presented that is … Read more
This paper develops a unified game-theoretical framework for data classification and network discovery based on pairwise influences in multivariate categorical choices. Data points, interpreted as individuals, are connected through a signed weighted graph and take values according to a voting rule that aggregates the influence of attractive (friend-like) and repulsive (enemy-like) neighbors. The framework consists … Read more
We study bilevel problems with a convex quadratic mixed-integer upper-level, integer linking variables, and a nonconvex quadratic, purely continuous lower-level problem. We prove $\Sigma_p^2$-hardness of this class of problems, derive an iterative lower- and upper-bounding scheme, and show its finiteness and correctness in the sense that it computes globally optimal points or proves infeasibility of … Read more
The traveling salesman problem is a widely studied classical combinatorial problem for which there are several integer linear formulations. In this work, we consider the Miller-Tucker-Zemlin (MTZ), Desrochers-Laporte (DL) and Single Commodity Flow (SCF) formulations. We argue that the choice of some parameters of these formulations is arbitrary and, therefore, there are families of formulations … Read more
Given graph G = (V,E) with vertex set V and edge set E, the max k-cut problem seeks to partition the vertex set V into at most k subsets that maximize the weight (number) of edges with endpoints in different parts. This paper proposes a graph folding procedure (i.e., a procedure that reduces the number … Read more
In this paper, we reveal a new characterization of the super-efficiency model for Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). In DEA, the efficiency of each decision making unit (DMU) is measured by the ratio the weighted sum of outputs divided by the weighted sum of inputs.In order to measure efficiency of a DMU, ${\rm DMU}_j$, say, in CCR … Read more