Penalty alternating direction methods for mixed-integer optimal control with combinatorial constraints

We consider mixed-integer optimal control problems with combinatorial constraints that couple over time such as minimum dwell times. We analyze a lifting and decom- position approach into a mixed-integer optimal control problem without combinatorial constraints and a mixed-integer problem for the combinatorial constraints in the control space. Both problems can be solved very efficiently with existing methods such as outer convexification with sum-up-rounding strategies and mixed-integer linear programming techniques. The coupling is handled using a penalty-approach. We provide an exactness result for the penalty which yields a solution approach that convergences to partial minima. We compare the quality of these dedicated points with those of other heuristics amongst an academic example and also for the optimization of electric transmission lines with switching of the network topology for flow reallocation in order to satisfy demands

Conic Optimization Theory: Convexification Techniques and Numerical Algorithms

Optimization is at the core of control theory and appears in several areas of this field, such as optimal control, distributed control, system identification, robust control, state estimation, model predictive control and dynamic programming. The recent advances in various topics of modern optimization have also been revamping the area of machine learning. Motivated by the crucial role of optimization theory in the design, analysis, control and operation of real-world systems, this tutorial paper offers a detailed overview of some major advances in this area, namely conic optimization and its emerging applications. First, we discuss the importance of conic optimization in different areas. Then, we explain seminal results on the design of hierarchies of convex relaxations for a wide range of nonconvex problems. Finally, we study different numerical algorithms for large-scale conic optimization problems.Comment: 18 page

State elimination for mixed-integer optimal control of partial differential equations by semigroup theory

Mixed-integer optimal control problems governed by partial differential equations (MIPDECOs) are powerful modeling tools but also challenging in terms of theory and computation. We propose a highly efficient state elimination approach for MIPDECOs that are governed by partial differential equations that have the structure of an abstract ordinary differential equation in function space. This allows us to avoid repeated calculations of the states for all time steps, and our approach is applied only once before starting the optimization. The presentation of theoretical results is complemented by numerical experiments

Approximationseigenschaften von Sum-Up Rounding

Optimization problems that involve discrete variables are exposed to the conflict between being a powerful modeling tool and often being hard to solve. Infinite-dimensional processes, as e.g. described by differential equations, underlying the optimization may lead to the need to solve for distributed discrete control variables. This work analyzes approximation arguments that replace the need for solving the optimization problem by the need for first solving a relaxation and second computing appropriate roundings to regain discrete controls. We provide sufficient conditions on rounding algorithms and their grid refinement strategies that allow to prove approximation of the relaxed controls by the discrete controls in weaker topologies, a feature due to the infinite-dimensional vantage point. If the control-to-state mapping of the underlying process exhibits suitable compactness properties, state vector approximation follows in the norm topology as well as, under additional assumptions, optimality principles of the computed discrete controls. The conditions are verified for representatives of the family of Sum-Up Rounding algorithms. We apply the arguments on different classes of mixed-integer optimization problems that are constrained by partial differential equations. Specifically, we consider discrete control inputs, which are distributed in the time domain, for evolution equations that are governed by a differential operator that generates a strongly continuous semigroup, discrete control inputs, which are distributed in multi-dimensional spatial domains, for elliptic boundary value problems and discrete control inputs, which are distributed in space-time cylinders, for evolution equations that are governed by differential operators such that the corresponding Cauchy problem satisfies maximal parabolic regularity. Furthermore, we apply the arguments outside the scope of partial differential equations to a signal reconstruction problem. Computational results illustrate the findings.Optimierungsprobleme mit diskreten Variablen befinden sich im Spannungsfeld zwischen hoher Modellierungsmächtigkeit und oft schwerer Lösbarkeit. Zur Optimierung unendlichdimensionaler Prozesse, z.B. beschrieben mit Hilfe von Differentialgleichungen, kann die Lösung nach verteilten diskreten Kontrollvariablen erforderlich sein. Diese Arbeit untersucht Approximationsargumente, mit deren Hilfe die Notwendigkeit einer Lösung des Optimierungsproblems durch die Notwendigkeit zuerst eine Relaxierung zu lösen und anschließend eine passende Rundung zu berechnen, um wieder diskrete Kontrollvariablen zu erhalten, ersetzt wird. Wir geben hinreichende Bedingungen an Rundungsalgorithmen und ihre Gitterverfeinerungsstrategien an, um eine Approximation der relaxierten Kontrollvariablen mit den diskreten Kontrollvariablen in schwächeren Topologien zu erhalten, was aus der unendlichdimensionalen Betrachtung des Problems folgt. Falls der Steuerungs-Zustands-Operator des zugrundeliegenden Prozesses passende Kompaktheitseigenschaften aufweist, folgen die Approximation der Zustandsvektoren in der Normtopologie und, unter zusätzlichen Bedingungen, Optimalitätsprinzipien für die berechneten diskreten Kontrollvariablen. Die Bedingungen werden für Repräsentanten der Familie von Sum-Up Rounding Algorithmen nachgewiesen. Wir wenden die Argumente auf verschiedene Klassen von gemischt-ganzzahligen Optimierungsproblemen, die von partiellen Differentialgleichungen beschränkt werden, an. Insbesondere betrachten wir diskrete, in der Zeit verteilte, Steuerungen in Evolutionsgleichungen mit Differentialoperatoren, die stark stetige Halbgruppen erzeugen; diskrete, mehrdimensional im Ort verteilte, Steuerungen in elliptischen Randwertproblemen und diskrete, in Ort und Zeit verteilte, Steuerungen in Evolutionsgleichungen mit Differentialoperatoren, deren zugehörige Cauchyprobleme maximale parabolische Regularität aufweisen. Des Weiteren wenden wir die Argumente außerhalb des Kontexts partieller Differentialgleichungen auf ein Signalrekonstruktionsproblem an. Numerische Beispiele illustrieren die gezeigten Resultate

Distributed algorithms for nonlinear tree-sparse problems

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Recent Advances in Randomized Methods for Big Data Optimization

In this thesis, we discuss and develop randomized algorithms for big data problems. In particular, we study the finite-sum optimization with newly emerged variance- reduction optimization methods (Chapter 2), explore the efficiency of second-order information applied to both convex and non-convex finite-sum objectives (Chapter 3) and employ the fast first-order method in power system problems (Chapter 4).In Chapter 2, we propose two variance-reduced gradient algorithms – mS2GD and SARAH. mS2GD incorporates a mini-batching scheme for improving the theoretical complexity and practical performance of SVRG/S2GD, aiming to minimize a strongly convex function represented as the sum of an average of a large number of smooth con- vex functions and a simple non-smooth convex regularizer. While SARAH, short for StochAstic Recursive grAdient algoritHm and using a stochastic recursive gradient, targets at minimizing the average of a large number of smooth functions for both con- vex and non-convex cases. Both methods fall into the category of variance-reduction optimization, and obtain a total complexity of O((n+κ)log(1/ε)) to achieve an ε-accuracy solution for strongly convex objectives, while SARAH also maintains a sub-linear convergence for non-convex problems. Meanwhile, SARAH has a practical variant SARAH+ due to its linear convergence of the expected stochastic gradients in inner loops.In Chapter 3, we declare that randomized batches can be applied with second- order information, as to improve upon convergence in both theory and practice, with a framework of L-BFGS as a novel approach to finite-sum optimization problems. We provide theoretical analyses for both convex and non-convex objectives. Meanwhile, we propose LBFGS-F as a variant where Fisher information matrix is used instead of Hessian information, and prove it applicable to a distributed environment within the popular applications of least-square and cross-entropy losses.In Chapter 4, we develop fast randomized algorithms for solving polynomial optimization problems on the applications of alternating-current optimal power flows (ACOPF) in power system field. The traditional research on power system problem focuses on solvers using second-order method, while no randomized algorithms have been developed. First, we propose a coordinate-descent algorithm as an online solver, applied for solving time-varying optimization problems in power systems. We bound the difference between the current approximate optimal cost generated by our algorithm and the optimal cost for a relaxation using the most recent data from above by a function of the properties of the instance and the rate of change to the instance over time. Second, we focus on a steady-state problem in power systems, and study means of switching from solving a convex relaxation to Newton method working on a non-convex (augmented) Lagrangian of the problem

An Optimal and Distributed Method for Voltage Regulation in Power Distribution Systems

This paper addresses the problem of voltage regulation in power distribution networks with deep-penetration of distributed energy resources, e.g., renewable-based generation, and storage-capable loads such as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. We cast the problem as an optimization program, where the objective is to minimize the losses in the network subject to constraints on bus voltage magnitudes, limits on active and reactive power injections, transmission line thermal limits and losses. We provide sufficient conditions under which the optimization problem can be solved via its convex relaxation. Using data from existing networks, we show that these sufficient conditions are expected to be satisfied by most networks. We also provide an efficient distributed algorithm to solve the problem. The algorithm adheres to a communication topology described by a graph that is the same as the graph that describes the electrical network topology. We illustrate the operation of the algorithm, including its robustness against communication link failures, through several case studies involving 5-, 34-, and 123-bus power distribution systems.Comment: To Appear in IEEE Transaction on Power System