Primal and dual multi-objective linear programming algorithms for linear multiplicative programmes

Multiplicative programming problems (MPPs) are global optimization problems known to be NP-hard. In this paper, we employ algorithms developed to compute the entire set of nondominated points of multi-objective linear programmes (MOLPs) to solve linear MPPs. First, we improve our own objective space cut and bound algorithm for convex MPPs in the special case of linear MPPs by only solving one linear programme in each iteration, instead of two as the previous version indicates. We call this algorithm, which is based on Benson’s outer approximation algorithm for MOLPs, the primal objective space algorithm. Then, based on the dual variant of Benson’s algorithm, we propose a dual objective space algorithm for solving linear MPPs. The dual algorithm also requires solving only one linear programme in each iteration. We prove the correctness of the dual algorithm and use computational experiments comparing our algorithms to a recent global optimization algorithm for linear MPPs from the literature as well as two general global optimization solvers to demonstrate the superiority of the new algorithms in terms of computation time. Thus, we demonstrate that the use of multi-objective optimization techniques can be beneficial to solve difficult single objective global optimization problems

Computation with Polynomial Equations and Inequalities arising in Combinatorial Optimization

The purpose of this note is to survey a methodology to solve systems of polynomial equations and inequalities. The techniques we discuss use the algebra of multivariate polynomials with coefficients over a field to create large-scale linear algebra or semidefinite programming relaxations of many kinds of feasibility or optimization questions. We are particularly interested in problems arising in combinatorial optimization.Comment: 28 pages, survey pape

Finding polynomial loop invariants for probabilistic programs

Quantitative loop invariants are an essential element in the verification of probabilistic programs. Recently, multivariate Lagrange interpolation has been applied to synthesizing polynomial invariants. In this paper, we propose an alternative approach. First, we fix a polynomial template as a candidate of a loop invariant. Using Stengle's Positivstellensatz and a transformation to a sum-of-squares problem, we find sufficient conditions on the coefficients. Then, we solve a semidefinite programming feasibility problem to synthesize the loop invariants. If the semidefinite program is unfeasible, we backtrack after increasing the degree of the template. Our approach is semi-complete in the sense that it will always lead us to a feasible solution if one exists and numerical errors are small. Experimental results show the efficiency of our approach.Comment: accompanies an ATVA 2017 submissio

A Geometric Proof of Calibration

We provide yet another proof of the existence of calibrated forecasters; it has two merits. First, it is valid for an arbitrary finite number of outcomes. Second, it is short and simple and it follows from a direct application of Blackwell's approachability theorem to carefully chosen vector-valued payoff function and convex target set. Our proof captures the essence of existing proofs based on approachability (e.g., the proof by Foster, 1999 in case of binary outcomes) and highlights the intrinsic connection between approachability and calibration