Testing composite hypotheses via convex duality

We study the problem of testing composite hypotheses versus composite alternatives, using a convex duality approach. In contrast to classical results obtained by Krafft and Witting (Z. Wahrsch. Verw. Gebiete 7 (1967) 289--302), where sufficient optimality conditions are derived via Lagrange duality, we obtain necessary and sufficient optimality conditions via Fenchel duality under compactness assumptions. This approach also differs from the methodology developed in Cvitani\'{c} and Karatzas (Bernoulli 7 (2001) 79--97).Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.3150/10-BEJ249 the Bernoulli (http://isi.cbs.nl/bernoulli/) by the International Statistical Institute/Bernoulli Society (http://isi.cbs.nl/BS/bshome.htm

A recursive algorithm for multivariate risk measures and a set-valued Bellman's principle

A method for calculating multi-portfolio time consistent multivariate risk measures in discrete time is presented. Market models for $d$ assets with transaction costs or illiquidity and possible trading constraints are considered on a finite probability space. The set of capital requirements at each time and state is calculated recursively backwards in time along the event tree. We motivate why the proposed procedure can be seen as a set-valued Bellman's principle, that might be of independent interest within the growing field of set optimization. We give conditions under which the backwards calculation of the sets reduces to solving a sequence of linear, respectively convex vector optimization problems. Numerical examples are given and include superhedging under illiquidity, the set-valued entropic risk measure, and the multi-portfolio time consistent version of the relaxed worst case risk measure and of the set-valued average value at risk.Comment: 25 pages, 5 figure

Multiportfolio time consistency for set-valued convex and coherent risk measures

Equivalent characterizations of multiportfolio time consistency are deduced for closed convex and coherent set-valued risk measures on $L^p(\Omega,\mathcal F, P; R^d)$ with image space in the power set of $L^p(\Omega,\mathcal F_t,P;R^d)$. In the convex case, multiportfolio time consistency is equivalent to a cocycle condition on the sum of minimal penalty functions. In the coherent case, multiportfolio time consistency is equivalent to a generalized version of stability of the dual variables. As examples, the set-valued entropic risk measure with constant risk aversion coefficient is shown to satisfy the cocycle condition for its minimal penalty functions, the set of superhedging portfolios in markets with proportional transaction costs is shown to have the stability property and in markets with convex transaction costs is shown to satisfy the composed cocycle condition, and a multiportfolio time consistent version of the set-valued average value at risk, the composed AV@R, is given and its dual representation deduced

On the Dual of the Solvency Cone

A solvency cone is a polyhedral convex cone which is used in Mathematical Finance to model proportional transaction costs. It consists of those portfolios which can be traded into nonnegative positions. In this note, we provide a characterization of its dual cone in terms of extreme directions and discuss some consequences, among them: (i) an algorithm to construct extreme directions of the dual cone when a corresponding "contribution scheme" is given; (ii) estimates for the number of extreme directions; (iii) an explicit representation of the dual cone for special cases. The validation of the algorithm is based on the following easy-to-state but difficult-to-solve result on bipartite graphs: Running over all spanning trees of a bipartite graph, the number of left degree sequences equals the number of right degree sequences.Comment: 15 page

A Supermartingale Relation for Multivariate Risk Measures

The equivalence between multiportfolio time consistency of a dynamic multivariate risk measure and a supermartingale property is proven. Furthermore, the dual variables under which this set-valued supermartingale is a martingale are characterized as the worst-case dual variables in the dual representation of the risk measure. Examples of multivariate risk measures satisfying the supermartingale property are given. Crucial for obtaining the results are dual representations of scalarizations of set-valued dynamic risk measures, which are of independent interest in the fast growing literature on multivariate risks.Comment: 40 page

A Parametric Simplex Algorithm for Linear Vector Optimization Problems

In this paper, a parametric simplex algorithm for solving linear vector optimization problems (LVOPs) is presented. This algorithm can be seen as a variant of the multi-objective simplex (Evans-Steuer) algorithm [12]. Different from it, the proposed algorithm works in the parameter space and does not aim to find the set of all efficient solutions. Instead, it finds a solution in the sense of Loehne [16], that is, it finds a subset of efficient solutions that allows to generate the whole frontier. In that sense, it can also be seen as a generalization of the parametric self-dual simplex algorithm, which originally is designed for solving single objective linear optimization problems, and is modified to solve two objective bounded LVOPs with the positive orthant as the ordering cone in Ruszczynski and Vanderbei [21]. The algorithm proposed here works for any dimension, any solid pointed polyhedral ordering cone C and for bounded as well as unbounded problems. Numerical results are provided to compare the proposed algorithm with an objective space based LVOP algorithm (Benson algorithm in [13]), that also provides a solution in the sense of [16], and with Evans-Steuer algorithm [12]. The results show that for non-degenerate problems the proposed algorithm outperforms Benson algorithm and is on par with Evan-Steuer algorithm. For highly degenerate problems Benson's algorithm [13] excels the simplex-type algorithms; however, the parametric simplex algorithm is for these problems computationally much more efficient than Evans-Steuer algorithm.Comment: 27 pages, 4 figures, 5 table

Primal and Dual Approximation Algorithms for Convex Vector Optimization Problems

Two approximation algorithms for solving convex vector optimization problems (CVOPs) are provided. Both algorithms solve the CVOP and its geometric dual problem simultaneously. The first algorithm is an extension of Benson's outer approximation algorithm, and the second one is a dual variant of it. Both algorithms provide an inner as well as an outer approximation of the (upper and lower) images. Only one scalar convex program has to be solved in each iteration. We allow objective and constraint functions that are not necessarily differentiable, allow solid pointed polyhedral ordering cones, and relate the approximations to an appropriate \epsilon-solution concept. Numerical examples are provided