Proximity measures based on KKT points for constrained multi-objective optimization

An important aspect of optimization algorithms, for instance evolutionary algorithms, are termination criteria that measure the proximity of the found solution to the optimal solution set. A frequently used approach is the numerical verification of necessary optimality conditions such as the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) conditions. In this paper, we present a proximity measure which characterizes the violation of the KKT conditions. It can be computed easily and is continuous in every efficient solution. Hence, it can be used as an indicator for the proximity of a certain point to the set of efficient (Edgeworth-Pareto-minimal) solutions and is well suited for algorithmic use due to its continuity properties. This is especially useful within evolutionary algorithms for candidate selection and termination, which we also illustrate numerically for some test problems

Homotopy methods for constraint relaxation in unilevel reliability based design optimization

Reliability based design optimization is a methodology for finding optimized designs that are characterized with a low probability of failure. The main ob jective in reliability based design optimization is to minimize a merit function while satisfying the reliability constraints. The reliability constraints are constraints on the probability of failure corre- sponding to each of the failure modes of the system or a single constraint on the system probability of failure. The probability of failure is usually estimated by performing a relia- bility analysis. During the last few years, a variety of different techniques have been devel- oped for reliability based design optimization. Traditionally, these have been formulated as a double-loop (nested) optimization problem. The upper level optimization loop gen- erally involves optimizing a merit function sub ject to reliability constraints and the lower level optimization loop(s) compute the probabilities of failure corresponding to the failure mode(s) that govern the system failure. This formulation is, by nature, computationally intensive. A new efficient unilevel formulation for reliability based design optimization was developed by the authors in earlier studies. In this formulation, the lower level optimiza- tion (evaluation of reliability constraints in the double loop formulation) was replaced by its corresponding first order Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) necessary optimality conditions at the upper level optimization. It was shown that the unilevel formulation is computation- ally equivalent to solving the original nested optimization if the lower level optimization is solved by numerically satisfying the KKT conditions (which is typically the case), and the two formulations are mathematically equivalent under constraint qualification and general- ized convexity assumptions. In the unilevel formulation, the KKT conditions of the inner optimization for each probabilistic constraint evaluation are imposed at the system level as equality constraints. Most commercial optimizers are usually numerically unreliable when applied to problems accompanied by many equality constraints. In this investigation an optimization framework for reliability based design using the unilevel formulation is de- veloped. Homotopy methods are used for constraint relaxation and to obtain a relaxed feasible design. A series of optimization problems are solved as the relaxed optimization problem is transformed via a homotopy to the original problem. A heuristic scheme is employed in this paper to update the homotopy parameter. The proposed algorithm is illustrated with example problems

Recent advances in multiobjective convex semi-infinite optimization

This paper reviews the existing literature on multiobjective (or vector) semi-infinite optimization problems, which are defined by finitely many convex objective functions of finitely many variables whose feasible sets are described by infinitely many convex constraints. The paper shows several applications of this type of optimization problems and presents a state-of-the-art review of its methods and theoretical developments (in particular, optimality, duality, and stability)

On multiobjective optimization from the nonsmooth perspective

Practical applications usually have multiobjective nature rather than having only one objective to optimize. A multiobjective problem cannot be solved with a single-objective solver as such. On the other hand, optimization of only one objective may lead to an arbitrary bad solutions with respect to other objectives. Therefore, special techniques for multiobjective optimization are vital. In addition to multiobjective nature, many real-life problems have nonsmooth (i.e. not continuously differentiable) structure. Unfortunately, many smooth (i.e. continuously differentiable) methods adopt gradient-based information which cannot be used for nonsmooth problems. Since both of these characteristics are relevant for applications, we focus here on nonsmooth multiobjective optimization. As a research topic, nonsmooth multiobjective optimization has gained only limited attraction while the fields of nonsmooth single-objective and smooth multiobjective optimization distinctively have attained greater interest. This dissertation covers parts of nonsmooth multiobjective optimization in terms of theory, methodology and application. Bundle methods are widely considered as effective and reliable solvers for single-objective nonsmooth optimization. Therefore, we investigate the use of the bundle idea in the multiobjective framework with three different methods. The first one generalizes the single-objective proximal bundle method for the nonconvex multiobjective constrained problem. The second method adopts the ideas from the classical steepest descent method into the convex unconstrained multiobjective case. The third method is designed for multiobjective problems with constraints where both the objectives and constraints can be represented as a difference of convex (DC) functions. Beside the bundle idea, all three methods are descent, meaning that they produce better values for each objective at each iteration. Furthermore, all of them utilize the improvement function either directly or indirectly. A notable fact is that none of these methods use scalarization in the traditional sense. With the scalarization we refer to the techniques transforming a multiobjective problem into the single-objective one. As the scalarization plays an important role in multiobjective optimization, we present one special family of achievement scalarizing functions as a representative of this category. In general, the achievement scalarizing functions suit well in the interactive framework. Thus, we propose the interactive method using our special family of achievement scalarizing functions. In addition, this method utilizes the above mentioned descent methods as tools to illustrate the range of optimal solutions. Finally, this interactive method is used to solve the practical case studies of the scheduling the final disposal of the spent nuclear fuel in Finland.Käytännön optimointisovellukset ovat usein luonteeltaan ennemmin moni- kuin yksitavoitteisia. Erityisesti monitavoitteisille tehtäville suunnitellut menetelmät ovat tarpeen, sillä monitavoitteista optimointitehtävää ei sellaisenaan pysty ratkaisemaan yksitavoitteisilla menetelmillä eikä vain yhden tavoitteen optimointi välttämättä tuota mielekästä ratkaisua muiden tavoitteiden suhteen. Monitavoitteisuuden lisäksi useat käytännön tehtävät ovat myös epäsileitä siten, etteivät niissä esiintyvät kohde- ja rajoitefunktiot välttämättä ole kaikkialla jatkuvasti differentioituvia. Kuitenkin monet optimointimenetelmät hyödyntävät gradienttiin pohjautuvaa tietoa, jota ei epäsileille funktioille ole saatavissa. Näiden molempien ominaisuuksien ollessa keskeisiä sovelluksia ajatellen, keskitytään tässä työssä epäsileään monitavoiteoptimointiin. Tutkimusalana epäsileä monitavoiteoptimointi on saanut vain vähän huomiota osakseen, vaikka sekä sileä monitavoiteoptimointi että yksitavoitteinen epäsileä optimointi erikseen ovat aktiivisia tutkimusaloja. Tässä työssä epäsileää monitavoiteoptimointia on käsitelty niin teorian, menetelmien kuin käytännön sovelluksien kannalta. Kimppumenetelmiä pidetään yleisesti tehokkaina ja luotettavina menetelminä epäsileän optimointitehtävän ratkaisemiseen ja siksi tätä ajatusta hyödynnetään myös tässä väitöskirjassa kolmessa eri menetelmässä. Ensimmäinen näistä yleistää yksitavoitteisen proksimaalisen kimppumenetelmän epäkonveksille monitavoitteiselle rajoitteiselle tehtävälle sopivaksi. Toinen menetelmä hyödyntää klassisen nopeimman laskeutumisen menetelmän ideaa konveksille rajoitteettomalle tehtävälle. Kolmas menetelmä on suunniteltu erityisesti monitavoitteisille rajoitteisille tehtäville, joiden kohde- ja rajoitefunktiot voidaan ilmaista kahden konveksin funktion erotuksena. Kimppuajatuksen lisäksi kaikki kolme menetelmää ovat laskevia eli ne tuottavat joka kierroksella paremman arvon jokaiselle tavoitteelle. Yhteistä on myös se, että nämä kaikki hyödyntävät parannusfunktiota joko suoraan sellaisenaan tai epäsuorasti. Huomattavaa on, ettei yksikään näistä menetelmistä hyödynnä skalarisointia perinteisessä merkityksessään. Skalarisoinnilla viitataan menetelmiin, joissa usean tavoitteen tehtävä on muutettu sopivaksi yksitavoitteiseksi tehtäväksi. Monitavoiteoptimointimenetelmien joukossa skalarisoinnilla on vankka jalansija. Esimerkkinä skalarisoinnista tässä työssä esitellään yksi saavuttavien skalarisointifunktioiden perhe. Yleisesti saavuttavat skalarisointifunktiot soveltuvat hyvin interaktiivisten menetelmien rakennuspalikoiksi. Täten kuvaillaan myös esiteltyä skalarisointifunktioiden perhettä hyödyntävä interaktiivinen menetelmä, joka lisäksi hyödyntää laskevia menetelmiä optimaalisten ratkaisujen havainnollistamisen apuna. Lopuksi tätä interaktiivista menetelmää käytetään aikatauluttamaan käytetyn ydinpolttoaineen loppusijoitusta Suomessa

Solving bilevel programs based on lower-level Mond-Weir duality

This paper focuses on developing effective algorithms for solving bilevel program. The most popular approach is to replace the lower-level problem by its Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions to generate a mathematical program with complementarity constraints (MPCC). However, MPCC does not satisfy the Mangasarian-Fromovitz constraint qualification (MFCQ) at any feasible point. In this paper, inspired by a recent work using the lower-level Wolfe duality (WDP), we apply the lower-level Mond-Weir duality to present a new reformulation, called MDP, for bilevel program. It is shown that, under mild assumptions, they are equivalent in globally or locally optimal sense. An example is given to show that, different from MPCC, MDP may satisfy the MFCQ at its feasible points. Relations among MDP, WDP, and MPCC are investigated. Furthermore, in order to compare the new MDP approach with the MPCC and WDP approaches, we design a procedure to generate 150 tested problems randomly and comprehensive numerical experiments showed that MDP has evident advantages over MPCC and WDP in terms of feasibility to the original bilevel programs, success efficiency, and average CPU time.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2302.0683

Symbolic approaches and artificial intelligence algorithms for solving multi-objective optimisation problems

Problems that have more than one objective function are of great importance in engineering sciences and many other disciplines. This class of problems are known as multi-objective optimisation problems (or multicriteria). The difficulty here lies in the conflict between the various objective functions. Due to this conflict, one cannot find a single ideal solution which simultaneously satisfies all the objectives. But instead one can find the set of Pareto-optimal solutions (Pareto-optimal set) and consequently the Pareto-optimal front is established. Finding these solutions plays an important role in multi-objective optimisation problems and mathematically the problem is considered to be solved when the Pareto-optimal set, i.e. the set of all compromise solutions is found. The Pareto-optimal set may contain information that can help the designer make a decision and thus arrive at better trade-off solutions. The aim of this research is to develop new multi-objective optimisation symbolic algorithms capable of detecting relationship(s) among decision variables that can be used for constructing the analytical formula of Pareto-optimal front based on the extension of the current optimality conditions. A literature survey of theoretical and evolutionary computation techniques for handling multiple objectives, constraints and variable interaction highlights a lack of techniques to handle variable interaction. This research, therefore, focuses on the development of techniques for detecting the relationships between the decision variables (variable interaction) in the presence of multiple objectives and constraints. It attempts to fill the gap in this research by formally extending the theoretical results (optimality conditions). The research then proposes first-order multi-objective symbolic algorithm or MOSA-I and second-order multi-objective symbolic algorithm or MOSA-II that are capable of detecting the variable interaction. The performance of these algorithms is analysed and compared to a current state-of-the-art optimisation algorithm using popular test problems. The performance of the MOSA-II algorithm is finally validated using three appropriately chosen problems from literature. In this way, this research proposes a fully tested and validated methodology for dealing with multi-objective optimisation problems. In conclusion, this research proposes two new symbolic algorithms that are used for identifying the variable interaction responsible for constructing Pareto-optimal front among objectives in multi-objective optimisation problems. This is completed based on a development and relaxation of the first and second-order optimality conditions of Karush-Kuhn-Tucker.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Duality in mathematical programming.

In this thesis entitled, “Duality in Mathematical Programming”, the emphasis is given on formulation and conceptualization of the concepts of second-order duality, second-order mixed duality, second-order symmetric duality in a variety of nondifferentiable nonlinear programming under suitable second-order convexity/second-order invexity and generalized second-order convexity / generalized second-order invexity. Throughout the thesis nondifferentiablity occurs due to square root function and support functions. A support function which is more general than square root of a positive definite quadratic form. This thesis also addresses second-order duality in variational problems under suitable second-order invexity/secondorder generalized invexity. The duality results obtained for the variational problems are shown to be a dynamic generalization for thesis of nonlinear programming problem.Digital copy of Thesis.University of Kashmir

Advances in Optimization and Nonlinear Analysis

The present book focuses on that part of calculus of variations, optimization, nonlinear analysis and related applications which combines tools and methods from partial differential equations with geometrical techniques. More precisely, this work is devoted to nonlinear problems coming from different areas, with particular reference to those introducing new techniques capable of solving a wide range of problems. The book is a valuable guide for researchers, engineers and students in the field of mathematics, operations research, optimal control science, artificial intelligence, management science and economics

An enumerative method for convex programs with linear complementarity constraints and application to the bilevel problem of a forecast model for high complexity products

The increasing variety of high complexity products presents a challenge in acquiring detailed demand forecasts. Against this backdrop, a convex quadratic parameter dependent forecast model is revisited, which calculates a prognosis for structural parts based on historical order data. The parameter dependency inspires a bilevel problem with convex objective function, that allows for the calculation of optimal parameter settings in the forecast model. The bilevel problem can be formulated as a mathematical problem with equilibrium constraints (MPEC), which has a convex objective function and linear constraints. Several new enumerative methods are presented, that find stationary points or global optima for this problem class. An algorithmic concept shows a recursive pattern, which finds global optima of a convex objective function on a general non-convex set defined by a union of polytopes. Inspired by these concepts the thesis investigates two implementations for MPECs, a search algorithm and a hybrid algorithm