categorical variables

A general mathematical framework for constrained mixed-variable blackbox optimization problems with meta and categorical variables

  • Charles Audet
  • Edward Hallé-Hannan
  • Sébastien Le Digabel
    • Categories Nonlinear Optimization Tags , , , ,

    A mathematical framework for modelling constrained mixed-variable optimization problems is presented in a blackbox optimization context. The framework introduces a new notation and allows solution strategies. The notation framework allows meta and categorical variables to be explicitly and efficiently modelled, which facilitates the solution of such problems. The new term meta variables is used to … Read more

    HyperNOMAD: Hyperparameter optimization of deep neural networks using mesh adaptive direct search

  • Dounia Lakhmiri
  • Sébastien Le Digabel
  • Christophe Tribes
    • Categories Nonlinear Optimization, Optimization Software and Modeling Systems Tags , , , , , ,

    The performance of deep neural networks is highly sensitive to the choice of the hyperparameters that define the structure of the network and the learning process. When facing a new application, tuning a deep neural network is a tedious and time consuming process that is often described as a “dark art”. This explains the necessity … Read more

    Mixed variable optimization of the number and composition of heat intercepts in a thermal insulation system

  • Charles Audet
  • John E. Dennis, Jr.
  • Michael Kokkolaras
    • Categories (Mixed) Integer Nonlinear Programming, Bound-constrained Optimization, Mechanical Engineering Tags , , , , ,

    In the literature, thermal insulation systems with a fixed number of heat intercepts have been optimized with respect to intercept locations and temperatures. The number of intercepts and the types of insulators that surround them were chosen by parametric studies. This was because the optimization methods used could not treat such categorical variables. Discrete optimization … Read more