Distributionally Robust Convex Optimization

Distributionally robust optimization is a paradigm for decision-making under uncertainty where the uncertain problem data is governed by a probability distribution that is itself subject to uncertainty. The distribution is then assumed to belong to an ambiguity set comprising all distributions that are compatible with the decision maker’s prior information. In this paper, we propose … Read more

Second-Order Variational Analysis in Conic Programming with Applications to Optimality and Stability

This paper is devoted to the study of a broad class of problems in conic programming modeled via parameter-dependent generalized equations. In this framework we develop a second-order generalized di erential approach of variational analysis to calculate appropriate derivatives and coderivatives of the corresponding solution maps. These developments allow us to resolve some important issues related … Read more

An adaptive accelerated first-order method for convex optimization

This paper presents a new accelerated variant of Nesterov’s method for solving composite convex optimization problems in which certain acceleration parameters are adaptively (and aggressively) chosen so as to substantially improve its practical performance compared to existing accelerated variants while at the same time preserve the optimal iteration-complexity shared by these methods. Computational results are … Read more

A first-order block-decomposition method for solving two-easy-block structured semidefinite programs

In this paper, we consider a first-order block-decomposition method for minimizing the sum of a convex differentiable function with Lipschitz continuous gradient, and two other proper closed convex (possibly, nonsmooth) functions with easily computable resolvents. The method presented contains two important ingredients from a computational point of view, namely: an adaptive choice of stepsize for … Read more

A conic representation of the convex hull of disjunctive sets and conic cuts for integer second order cone optimization

We study the convex hull of the intersection of a convex set E and a linear disjunction. This intersection is at the core of solution techniques for Mixed Integer Conic Optimization. We prove that if there exists a cone K (resp., a cylinder C) that has the same intersection with the boundary of the disjunction … Read more

Nonsmooth cone-constrained optimization with applications to semi-infinite programming

The paper is devoted to the study of general nonsmooth problems of cone-constrained optimization (or conic programming) important for various aspects of optimization theory and applications. Based on advanced constructions and techniques of variational analysis and generalized differentiation, we derive new necessary optimality conditions (in both “exact” and “fuzzy” forms) for nonsmooth conic programs, establish … Read more

Warmstarting the Homogeneous and Self-Dual Interior Point Method for Linear and Conic Quadratic Problems

We present two strategies for warmstarting primal-dual interior point methods for the homogeneous self-dual model when applied to mixed linear and quadratic conic optimization problems. Common to both strategies is their use of only the final (optimal) iterate of the initial problem and their negligible computational cost. This is a major advantage when comparing to … Read more

A Polynomial-Time Solution Scheme for Quadratic Stochastic Programs

We consider quadratic stochastic programs with random recourse – a class of problems which is perceived to be computationally demanding. Instead of using mainstream scenario tree-based techniques, we reduce computational complexity by restricting the space of recourse decisions to those linear and quadratic in the observations, thereby obtaining an upper bound on the original problem. … Read more

Strong Dual for Conic Mixed-Integer Programs

Mixed-integer conic programming is a generalization of mixed-integer linear programming. In this paper, we present an extension of the duality theory for mixed-integer linear programming to the case of mixed-integer conic programming. In particular, we construct a subadditive dual for mixed-integer conic programming problems. Under a simple condition on the primal problem, we are able … Read more

A lower bound on the optimal self-concordance parameter of convex cones

Let $K \subset \mathbb R^n$ be a regular convex cone, let $e_1,\dots,e_n \in \partial K$ be linearly independent points on the boundary of a compact affine section of the cone, and let $x^* \in K^o$ be a point in the relative interior of this section. For $k = 1,\dots,n$, let $l_k$ be the line through … Read more