A new approach for solving linear bilevel problems using genetic algorithms

Bilevel programming involves two optimization problems where the constraint region of the first level problem is implicitly determined by another optimization problem. This paper develops a genetic algorithm for the linear bilevel problem in which both objective functions are linear and the common constraint region is a polyhedron. Taking into account the existence of an extreme point of the polyhedron which solves the problem, the algorithm aims to combine classical extreme point enumeration techniques with genetic search methods by associating chromosomes with extreme points of the polyhedron. The numerical results show the efficiency of the proposed algorithm. In addition, this genetic algorithm can also be used for solving quasiconcave bilevel problems provided that the second level objective function is linear.     

交叉数学规划问题

本文提出了一个新的数学规划概念──交叉数学规划问题．该问题的提出是以经济问题为其背景的．许多已有的规划问题上。对偶规划问题、双水平规划问题、多目标规划问题、参数规划问题以及对策问题均可作为交叉规划问题的特例．本文除系统地给出交及数学规划问题的基本定义外，还分别对各类交叉规划问题的有关理论及求解方法进行了初步的探讨．     

On the Quasiconcave Bilevel Programming Problem

Bilevel programming involves two optimization problems where the constraint region of the first-level problem is implicitly determined by another optimization problem. In this paper, we consider the case in which both objective functions are quasiconcave and the constraint region common to both levels is a polyhedron. First, it is proved that this problem is equivalent to minimizing a quasiconcave function over a feasible region comprised of connected faces of the polyhedron. Consequently, there is an extreme point of the polyhedron that solves the problem. Finally, it is shown that this model includes the most important case where the objective functions are ratios of concave and convex functions     

关于双层规划约束规格的一个注记

本文表明了非线性规划中常见的约束规格对一般双层规划不成立,并对双层规划可以满足的较弱的约束规格“部分平静”,给出了使其成立的充分条件．     

二层规划可行解的存在性

二层规划通常是用两个最优化问题来描述，其中第一个问题(上层问题)的约束集部分受限于第二个问题(下层问题)的最优响应。可行解的存在性是二层规划问题中一个基本而重要的研究内容, 该文借助于下层目标函数的Clarke'次微分映射的w伪单调性，着重讨论了这一问题。     

A genetic algorithm for solving linear fractional bilevel problems

Bilevel programming has been proposed for dealing with decision processes involving two decision makers with a hierarchical structure. They are characterized by the existence of two optimization problems in which the constraint region of the upper level problem is implicitly determined by the lower level optimization problem. In this paper a genetic algorithm is proposed for the class of bilevel problems in which both level objective functions are linear fractional and the common constraint region is a bounded polyhedron. The algorithm associates chromosomes with extreme points of the polyhedron and searches for a feasible solution close to the optimal solution by proposing efficient crossover and mutation procedures. The computational study shows a good performance of the algorithm, both in terms of solution quality and computational time.     

Necessary optimality conditions for bilevel set optimization problems

Bilevel programming problems are hierarchical optimization problems where in the upper level problem a function is minimized subject to the graph of the solution set mapping of the lower level problem. In this paper necessary optimality conditions for such problems are derived using the notion of a convexificator by Luc and Jeyakumar. Convexificators are subsets of many other generalized derivatives. Hence, our optimality conditions are stronger than those using e.g., the generalized derivative due to Clarke or Michel-Penot. Using a certain regularity condition Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions are obtained.      

An inexact-restoration method for nonlinear bilevel programming problems

We present a new algorithm for solving bilevel programming problems without reformulating them as single-level nonlinear programming problems. This strategy allows one to take profit of the structure of the lower level optimization problems without using non-differentiable methods. The algorithm is based on the inexact-restoration technique. Under some assumptions on the problem we prove global convergence to feasible points that satisfy the approximate gradient projection (AGP) optimality condition. Computational experiments are presented that encourage the use of this method for general bilevel problems. This work was supported by PRONEX-Optimization (PRONEX—CNPq/FAPERJ E-26/171.164/2003—APQ1), FAPESP (Grants 06/53768-0 and 05-56773-1) and CNPq.     

A hybrid Tabu-ascent algorithm for the linear Bilevel Programming Problem

The linear Bilevel Programming Problem (BLP) is an instance of a linear hierarchical decision process where the lower level constraint set is dependent on decisions taken at the upper level. In this paper we propose to solve this NP-hard problem using an adaptive search method related to the Tabu Search metaheuristic. Numerical results on large scale linear BLPs are presented.     

关于二层规划的逼近问题

下层问题以上层决策变量作为参数,而上层是以下层问题的最优值作为响应 的一类最优化问题——二层规划问题。我们给出了由一系列此类二层规划去逼近原二层规划的逼近法,得到了这种逼近的一些有趣的结果.     

Parametric global optimisation for bilevel programming

We propose a global optimisation approach for the solution of various classes of bilevel programming problems (BLPP) based on recently developed parametric programming algorithms. We first describe how we can recast and solve the inner (follower’s) problem of the bilevel formulation as a multi-parametric programming problem, with parameters being the (unknown) variables of the outer (leader’s) problem. By inserting the obtained rational reaction sets in the upper level problem the overall problem is transformed into a set of independent quadratic, linear or mixed integer linear programming problems, which can be solved to global optimality. In particular, we solve bilevel quadratic and bilevel mixed integer linear problems, with or without right-hand-side uncertainty. A number of examples are presented to illustrate the steps and details of the proposed global optimisation strategy.     

求解弱线性双层规划问题的一种全局优化方法

双层规划在经济、交通、生态、工程等领域有着广泛而重要的应用.目前对双层规划的研究主要是基于强双层规划和弱双层规划.然而,针对弱双层规划的求解方法却鲜有研究.研究求解弱线性双层规划问题的一种全局优化方法,首先给出弱线性双层规划问题与其松弛问题在最优解上的关系,然后利用线性规划的对偶理论和罚函数方法,讨论该松弛问题和它的罚问题之间的关系.进一步设计了一种求解弱线性双层规划问题的全局优化方法,该方法的优势在于它仅仅需要求解若干个线性规划问题就可以获得原问题的全局最优解.最后,用一个简单算例说明了所提出的方法是可行的.     

L-shaped decomposition of two-stage stochastic programs with integer recourse

We consider two-stage stochastic programming problems with integer recourse. The L-shaped method of stochastic linear programming is generalized to these problems by using generalized Benders decomposition. Nonlinear feasibility and optimality cuts are determined via general duality theory and can be generated when the second stage problem is solved by standard techniques. Finite convergence of the method is established when Gomory’s fractional cutting plane algorithm or a branch-and-bound algorithm is applied.     

The Deregulated Electricity Market Viewed as a Bilevel Programming Problem

In this paper, we present a bilevel programming formulation of a deregulated electricity market. By examining the electricity market in this format, we achieve two things. First, the relation of the deregulated electricity market to general economic models that can be formulated as bilevel programming problems (e.g. Stackelberg leader-follower games and principal-agency models) becomes clear. Secondly, it provides an explanation of the reason why the so-called “folk theorems” can be proven to be false for electricity networks. The interpretation of the deregulated electricity market as a bilevel program also indicates the magnitude of the error that can be made if the electricity market model studied does not take into account the physical constraints of the electric grid, or oversimplifies the electricity network to a radial network.     

A Unified Monotonic Approach to Generalized Linear Fractional Programming

We present an efficient unified method for solving a wide class of generalized linear fractional programming problems. This class includes such problems as: optimizing (minimizing or maximizing) a pointwise maximum or pointwise minimum of a finite number of ratios of linear functions, optimizing a sum or product of such ratios, etc. – over a polytope. Our approach is based on the recently developed theory of monotonic optimization.     

带有限反馈下层的二层规划问题的部分合作模型

对下层最优反馈为离散有限多个的二层规划问题的部分合作模型进行探讨. 当下层的合作程度依赖于上层的决策变量时, 给出一个确定合作系数函数的一般方法, 进而得到一个新的部分合作模型. 在适当地假设下, 可保证所给的部分合作模型一定可以找到比悲观解要好的解, 并结合新的部分合作模型对原不适定问题进行分析, 得到了一些有益的结论. 最后以实际算例说明了所给部分合作模型的可行性.     

THE CONVERGENCE OF APPROACH PENALTY FUNCTION METHOD FOR APPROXIMATE BILEVEL PROGRAMMING PROBLEM

' 1 IntroductionWe collsider the fOllowi11g bilevel programndng problen1:max f(x, y),(BP) s.t.x E X = {z E RnIAx = b,x 2 0}, (1)y e Y(x).whereY(x) = {argmaxdTyIDx Gy 5 g, y 2 0}, (2)and b E R", d, y E Rr, g E Rs, A, D.and G are m x n1 s x n aild 8 x r matrices respectively. If itis not very difficult to eva1uate f(and/or Vf) at all iteration points, there are many algorithmeavailable fOr solving problem (BP) (see [1,2,3etc1). However, in some problems (see [4]), f(x, y)is too com…     

An SQP algorithm for extended linear-quadratic problems in stochastic programming

Extended Linear-Quadratic Programming (ELQP) problems were introduced by Rockafellar and Wets for various models in stochastic programming and multistage optimization. Several numerical methods with linear convergence rates have been developed for solving fully quadratic ELQP problems, where the primal and dual coefficient matrices are positive definite. We present a two-stage sequential quadratic programming (SQP) method for solving ELQP problems arising in stochastic programming. The first stage algorithm realizes global convergence and the second stage algorithm realizes superlinear local convergence under a condition calledB-regularity.B-regularity is milder than the fully quadratic condition; the primal coefficient matrix need not be positive definite. Numerical tests are given to demonstrate the efficiency of the algorithm. Solution properties of the ELQP problem underB-regularity are also discussed.Supported by the Australian Research Council.     

Grundzüge des Dynamic Programming

Zusammenfassung Es wird ein kurzer Überblick über einige Hauptprobleme des Dynamic Programming — einer speziellen Lösungsmethode zur Auffindung optimaler Lösungen bei mehrstufigen Extremwertsaufgaben — gegeben. Es wird gezeigt, wie in gewissen Fällen die Problemstellung des Linear Programming verallgemeinert und die Aufgabe mit Hilfe dieser Methode gelöst werden kann. Abschließend wird ein Optimalisierungsprinzip angegeben, das eine Kennzeichnung der Aufgaben gestattet, die einer Lösung durch die Methode des Dynamic Programming zugänglich sind.

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Summary A brief survey is given about several main problems of dynamic programming — a special procedure for finding optimal solutions of multi-stage extremal value problems. It is shown that in certain cases the approach of linear programming can be generalized and the problem be solved by means of this procedure. Finally a principle of optimization is stated which permits a characterization of the problems lending themselves to a solution by means of dynamic programming.

     

A re-scaled twin augmented Lagrangian algorithm for saddle point seeking

In [A. Ouorou, A primal-dual algorithm for monotropic programming and its application to network optimization, Computational Optimization and Application 15 (2002) 125–143], a block-wise Gauss–Seidel method has been developed for monotropic programming problems, using two different quadratic augmented Lagrangian functions defined for the primal and the dual problems. In this paper, we extend the concept by introducing a nonlinear re-scaling principle obtained recently by Polyak [R. Polyak, Nonlinear rescaling vs smoothing technique in constrained optimization, Mathematical Programming 92 (2002) 197–235].