516 research outputs found
A linear programming based heuristic framework for min-max regret combinatorial optimization problems with interval costs
This work deals with a class of problems under interval data uncertainty,
namely interval robust-hard problems, composed of interval data min-max regret
generalizations of classical NP-hard combinatorial problems modeled as 0-1
integer linear programming problems. These problems are more challenging than
other interval data min-max regret problems, as solely computing the cost of
any feasible solution requires solving an instance of an NP-hard problem. The
state-of-the-art exact algorithms in the literature are based on the generation
of a possibly exponential number of cuts. As each cut separation involves the
resolution of an NP-hard classical optimization problem, the size of the
instances that can be solved efficiently is relatively small. To smooth this
issue, we present a modeling technique for interval robust-hard problems in the
context of a heuristic framework. The heuristic obtains feasible solutions by
exploring dual information of a linearly relaxed model associated with the
classical optimization problem counterpart. Computational experiments for
interval data min-max regret versions of the restricted shortest path problem
and the set covering problem show that our heuristic is able to find optimal or
near-optimal solutions and also improves the primal bounds obtained by a
state-of-the-art exact algorithm and a 2-approximation procedure for interval
data min-max regret problems
Contributions to robust and bilevel optimization models for decision-making
Los problemas de optimización combinatorios han sido ampliamente estudiados en la
literatura especializada desde mediados del siglo pasado. No obstante, en las últimas
décadas ha habido un cambio de paradigma en el tratamiento de problemas cada vez
más realistas, en los que se incluyen fuentes de aleatoriedad e incertidumbre en los
datos, múltiples criterios de optimización y múltiples niveles de decisión. Esta tesis
se desarrolla en este contexto. El objetivo principal de la misma es el de construir
modelos de optimización que incorporen aspectos inciertos en los parámetros que
de nen el problema asà como el desarrollo de modelos que incluyan múltiples niveles
de decisión. Para dar respuesta a problemas con incertidumbre usaremos los modelos
Minmax Regret de Optimización Robusta, mientras que las situaciones con múltiples
decisiones secuenciales serán analizadas usando Optimización Binivel.
En los CapÃtulos 2, 3 y 4 se estudian diferentes problemas de decisión bajo incertidumbre
a los que se dará una solución robusta que proteja al decisor minimizando
el máximo regret en el que puede incurrir. El criterio minmax regret analiza el comportamiento
del modelo bajo distintos escenarios posibles, comparando su e ciencia
con la e ciencia óptima bajo cada escenario factible. El resultado es una solución con
una eviciencia lo más próxima posible a la óptima en el conjunto de las posibles realizaciones
de los parámetros desconocidos. En el CapÃtulo 2 se estudia un problema de
diseño de redes en el que los costes, los pares proveedor-cliente y las demandas pueden
ser inciertos, y además se utilizan poliedros para modelar la incertidumbre, permitiendo
de este modo relaciones de dependencia entre los parámetros. En el CapÃtulo
3 se proponen, en el contexto de la secuenciación de tareas o la computación grid,
versiones del problema del camino más corto y del problema del viajante de comercio
en el que el coste de recorrer un arco depende de la posición que este ocupa en el
camino, y además algunos de los parámetros que de nen esta función de costes son
inciertos. La combinación de la dependencia en los costes y la incertidumbre en los
parámetros da lugar a dependencias entre los parámetros desconocidos, que obliga a
modelar los posibles escenarios usando conjuntos más generales que los hipercubos,
habitualmente utilizados en este contexto. En este capÃtulo, usaremos poliedros generales
para este cometido. Para analizar este primer bloque de aplicaciones, en el CapÃtulo 4, se analiza un modelo de optimización en el que el conjunto de posibles
escenarios puede ser alterado mediante la realización de inversiones en el sistema.
En los problemas estudiados en este primer bloque, cada decisión factible es evaluada
en base a la reacción más desfavorable que pueda darse en el sistema. En los
CapÃtulos 5 y 6 seguiremos usando esta idea pero ahora se supondrá que esa reacción
a la decisión factible inicial está en manos de un adversario o follower. Estos dos
capÃtulos se centran en el estudio de diferentes modelos binivel. La Optimización
Binivel aborda problemas en los que existen dos niveles de decisión, con diferentes
decisores en cada uno ellos y la decisión se toma de manera jerárquica. En concreto,
en el CapÃtulo 5 se estudian distintos modelos de jación de precios en el contexto
de selección de carteras de valores, en los que el intermediario nanciero, que se
convierte en decisor, debe jar los costes de invertir en determinados activos y el
inversor debe seleccionar su cartera de acuerdo a distintos criterios. Finalmente, en
el CapÃtulo 6 se estudia un problema de localización en el que hay distintos decisores,
con intereses contrapuestos, que deben determinar secuencialmente la ubicación de
distintas localizaciones. Este modelo de localización binivel se puede aplicar en contextos
como la localización de servicios no deseados o peligrosos (plantas de reciclaje,
centrales térmicas, etcétera) o en problemas de ataque-defensa.
Todos estos modelos se abordan mediante el uso de técnicas de Programación
Matemática. De cada uno de ellos se analizan algunas de sus propiedades y se desarrollan
formulaciones y algoritmos, que son examinados también desde el punto de
vista computacional. Además, se justica la validez de los modelos desde un enfoque
de las aplicaciones prácticas. Los modelos presentados en esta tesis comparten la
peculiaridad de requerir resolver distintos problemas de optimización encajados.Combinatorial optimization problems have been extensively studied in the specialized
literature since the mid-twentieth century. However, in recent decades, there
has been a paradigm shift to the treatment of ever more realistic problems, which
include sources of randomness and uncertainty in the data, multiple optimization
criteria and multiple levels of decision. This thesis concerns the development of such
concepts. Our objective is to study optimization models that incorporate uncertainty
elements in the parameters de ning the model, as well as the development of
optimization models integrating multiple decision levels. In order to consider problems
under uncertainty, we use Minmax Regret models from Robust Optimization;
whereas the multiplicity and hierarchy in the decision levels is addressed using Bilevel
Optimization.
In Chapters 2, 3 and 4, we study di erent decision problems under uncertainty
to which we give a robust solution that protects the decision-maker minimizing the
maximum regret that may occur. This robust criterion analyzes the performance
of the system under multiple possible scenarios, comparing its e ciency with the
optimum one under each feasible scenario. We obtain, as a result, a solution whose
e ciency is as close as possible to the optimal one in the set of feasible realizations
of the uncertain parameters. In Chapter 2, we study a network design problem in
which the costs, the pairs supplier-customer, and the demands can take uncertain
values. Furthermore, the uncertainty in the parameters is modeled via polyhedral
sets, thereby allowing relationships among the uncertain parameters. In Chapter
3, we propose time-dependent versions of the shortest path and traveling salesman
problems in which the costs of traversing an arc depends on the relative position
that the arc occupies in the path. Moreover, we assume that some of the parameters
de ning these costs can be uncertain. These models can be applied in the context of
task sequencing or grid computing. The incorporation of time-dependencies together
with uncertainties in the parameters gives rise to dependencies among the uncertain
parameters, which require modeling the possible scenarios using more general sets
than hypercubes, normally used in this context. In this chapter, we use general
polyhedral sets with this purpose. To nalize this rst block of applications, in Chapter 4, we analyze an optimization model in which the set of possible scenarios
can be modi ed by making some investments in the system.
In the problems studied in this rst block, each feasible decision is evaluated
based on the most unfavorable possible reaction of the system. In Chapters 5 and
6, we will still follow this idea, but assuming that the reaction to the initial feasible
decision will be held by a follower or an adversary, instead of assuming the most
unfavorable one. These two chapters are focused on the study of some bilevel models.
Bilevel Optimization addresses optimization problems with multiple decision
levels, di erent decision-makers in each level and a hierarchical decision order. In
particular, in Chapter 5, we study some price setting problems in the context of
portfolio selection. In these problems, the nancial intermediary becomes a decisionmaker
and sets the transaction costs for investing in some securities, and the investor
chooses her portfolio according to di erent criteria. Finally, in Chapter 6, we study
a location problem with several decision-makers and opposite interests, that must
set, sequentially, some location points. This bilevel location model can be applied
in practical applications such as the location of semi-obnoxious facilities (power or
electricity plants, waste dumps, etc.) or interdiction problems.
All these models are stated from a Mathematical Programming perspective, analyzing
their properties and developing formulations and algorithms, that are tested
from a computational point of view. Furthermore, we pay special attention to justifying
the validity of the models from the practical applications point of view. The
models presented in this thesis share the characteristic of involving the resolution of
nested optimization problems.Premio Extraordinario de Doctorado U
Randomized Strategies for Robust Combinatorial Optimization
In this paper, we study the following robust optimization problem. Given an
independence system and candidate objective functions, we choose an independent
set, and then an adversary chooses one objective function, knowing our choice.
Our goal is to find a randomized strategy (i.e., a probability distribution
over the independent sets) that maximizes the expected objective value. To
solve the problem, we propose two types of schemes for designing approximation
algorithms. One scheme is for the case when objective functions are linear. It
first finds an approximately optimal aggregated strategy and then retrieves a
desired solution with little loss of the objective value. The approximation
ratio depends on a relaxation of an independence system polytope. As
applications, we provide approximation algorithms for a knapsack constraint or
a matroid intersection by developing appropriate relaxations and retrievals.
The other scheme is based on the multiplicative weights update method. A key
technique is to introduce a new concept called -reductions for
objective functions with parameters . We show that our scheme
outputs a nearly -approximate solution if there exists an
-approximation algorithm for a subproblem defined by
-reductions. This improves approximation ratio in previous
results. Using our result, we provide approximation algorithms when the
objective functions are submodular or correspond to the cardinality robustness
for the knapsack problem
RIGA: A Regret-Based Interactive Genetic Algorithm
In this paper, we propose an interactive genetic algorithm for solving
multi-objective combinatorial optimization problems under preference
imprecision. More precisely, we consider problems where the decision maker's
preferences over solutions can be represented by a parameterized aggregation
function (e.g., a weighted sum, an OWA operator, a Choquet integral), and we
assume that the parameters are initially not known by the recommendation
system. In order to quickly make a good recommendation, we combine elicitation
and search in the following way: 1) we use regret-based elicitation techniques
to reduce the parameter space in a efficient way, 2) genetic operators are
applied on parameter instances (instead of solutions) to better explore the
parameter space, and 3) we generate promising solutions (population) using
existing solving methods designed for the problem with known preferences. Our
algorithm, called RIGA, can be applied to any multi-objective combinatorial
optimization problem provided that the aggregation function is linear in its
parameters and that a (near-)optimal solution can be efficiently determined for
the problem with known preferences. We also study its theoretical performances:
RIGA can be implemented in such way that it runs in polynomial time while
asking no more than a polynomial number of queries. The method is tested on the
multi-objective knapsack and traveling salesman problems. For several
performance indicators (computation times, gap to optimality and number of
queries), RIGA obtains better results than state-of-the-art algorithms
Online Submodular Maximization via Online Convex Optimization
We study monotone submodular maximization under general matroid constraints
in the online setting. We prove that online optimization of a large class of
submodular functions, namely, weighted threshold potential functions, reduces
to online convex optimization (OCO). This is precisely because functions in
this class admit a concave relaxation; as a result, OCO policies, coupled with
an appropriate rounding scheme, can be used to achieve sublinear regret in the
combinatorial setting. We show that our reduction extends to many different
versions of the online learning problem, including the dynamic regret, bandit,
and optimistic-learning settings.Comment: Under revie
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