Scheduling the technical sessions of scientific events is an arduous task commonly faced by many organizers worldwide. Due the particularities of each conference, there is no consensus regarding the problem definition, and researchers have tackled each specific case individually. Despite their distinct characteristics, one often expects the sessions to be composed of presentations of similar … Read more
Branch-and-bound is the workhorse of all state-of-the-art mixed integer linear programming (MILP) solvers. These implementations of branch-and-bound typically use variable branching, that is, the child nodes are obtained by fixing some variable to an integer value v in one node and to v + 1 in the other node. Even though modern MILP solvers are … Read more
Many practical integer programming problems involve variables with one or two-sided bounds. Dunkel and Schulz (2012) considered a strengthened version of Chvatal-Gomory (CG) inequalities that use 0-1 bounds on variables, and showed that the set of points in a rational polytope that satisfy all these strengthened inequalities is a polytope. Recently, we generalized this result … Read more
The restoration of a power system after an extended blackout starts around units with enhanced technical capabilities, referred to as black start units (BSUs). We examine the planning problem of optimally allocating these units on the grid subject to a budget constraint. We present a mixed integer programming model based on current literature in power … Read more
We study deep neural networks with binary activation functions (BDNN), i.e. the activation function only has two states. We show that the BDNN can be reformulated as a mixed-integer linear program which can be solved to global optimality by classical integer programming solvers. Additionally, a heuristic solution algorithm is presented and we study the model … Read more
A generating function technique for solving integer programs via the evaluation of complex path integrals is discussed from a theoretical and computational perspective. Applying the method to solve knapsack feasibility problems, it is demonstrated how the presented numerical integration algorithm benefits from pre-optimizing the path of integration. After discussing the algorithmic set-up in detail, a … Read more
Using the weighted geometric series expansion, it is shown how integer programming can be solved by evaluating complex path integrals based on a multi-path version of Cauchy’s integral formula. In contrast to existing generating function approaches, the algorithm relies only on complex quadrature and no algebraic techniques are needed. In view of fast implementations of … Read more
In most project portfolio selection (PPS) situations, the presence of multiple attributes and decision-maker preference is inevitable. As Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methods provide a framework well-suited to deal with these challenges in PPS problems, the use of MCDA methods in real-life PPS problems has increased in recent years. This paper provides a comprehensive literature … Read more
We consider the task of proving integer infeasibility of a bounded convex set K in R^n using a general branching proof system. In a general branching proof, one constructs a branching tree by adding an integer disjunction at each node, such that the leaves of the tree correspond to empty sets (i.e., K together with … Read more
This paper addresses a real-life personnel scheduling problem in the context of Covid-19 pandemic, arising in a large Italian pharmaceutical distribution warehouse. In this case study, the challenge is to determine a schedule that attempts to meet the contractual working time of the employees, considering the fact that they must be divided into mutually exclusive … Read more