The Proximal Point Method for Nonmonotone Variational Inequalities

We consider an application of the proximal point method to variational inequality problems subject to box constraints, whose cost mappings possess order monotonicity properties instead of the usual monotonicity ones. Usually, convergence results of such methods require the additional boundedness assumption of the solutions set. We suggest another approach to obtaining convergence results for proximal point methods which is based on the assumption that the dual variational inequality is solvable. Then the solutions set may be unbounded. We present classes of economic equilibrium problems which satisfy such assumptions.     

Hybrid proximal methods for equilibrium problems

This paper concerns developing two hybrid proximal point methods (PPMs) for finding a common solution of some optimization-related problems. First we construct an algorithm to solve simultaneously an equilibrium problem and a variational inequality problem, combing the extragradient method for variational inequalities with an approximate PPM for equilibrium problems. Next we develop another algorithm based on an alternate approximate PPM for finding a common solution of two different equilibrium problems. We prove the global convergence of both algorithms under pseudomonotonicity assumptions.     

求解凸规划及鞍点问题定制的PPA 算法及其收敛速率

线性约束的凸优化问题和鞍点问题的一阶最优性条件是一个单调变分不等式. 在变分不等式框架下求解这些问题, 选取适当的矩阵G, 采用G- 模下的PPA 算法, 会使迭代过程中的子问题求解变得相当容易. 本文证明这类定制的PPA 算法的误差界有1/k 的收敛速率.     

Proximal Methods for Mixed Variational Inequalities

A proximal point method for solving mixed variational inequalities is suggested and analyzed by using the auxiliary principle technique. It is shown that the convergence of the proposed method requires only the pseudomonotonicity of the operator, which is a weaker condition than monotonicity. As special cases, we obtain various known and new results for solving variational inequalities and related problems. Our proof of convergence is very simple as compared with other methods.     

Proximal penalty-duality algorithms for mixed optimality conditions

Preconditioned proximal penalty-duality two- and three-field algorithms for mixed optimality conditions, of evolution mixed constrained optimal control problems, are considered. Fixed point existence analysis is performed for corresponding evolution mixed governing variational state systems, in reflexive Banach spaces. Further, convergence analysis of the proximal penalty-duality algorithms is established via fixed point characterizations. In both analysis, a resolvent fixed point variational strategy is applied.     

On the proximal point method for equilibrium problems in Hilbert spaces

We analyse a proximal point method for equilibrium problems in Hilbert spaces, improving upon previously known convergence results. We prove global weak convergence of the generated sequence to a solution of the problem, assuming existence of solutions and rather mild monotonicity properties of the bifunction which defines the equilibrium problem, and we establish existence of solutions of the proximal subproblems. We also present a new reformulation of equilibrium problems as variational inequalities ones.     

On finite convergence of proximal point algorithms for variational inequalities

In this paper, we first characterize finite convergence of an arbitrary iterative algorithm for solving the variational inequality problem (VIP), where the finite convergence means that the algorithm can find an exact solution of the problem in a finite number of iterations. By using this result, we obtain that the well-known proximal point algorithm possesses finite convergence if the solution set of VIP is weakly sharp. As an extension, we show finite convergence of the inertial proximal method for solving the general variational inequality problem under the condition of weak g-sharpness.     

Interior Proximal Algorithm for Quasiconvex Programming Problems and Variational Inequalities with Linear Constraints

In this paper, we propose two interior proximal algorithms inspired by the logarithmic-quadratic proximal method. The first method we propose is for general linearly constrained quasiconvex minimization problems. For this method, we prove global convergence when the regularization parameters go to zero. The latter assumption can be dropped when the function is assumed to be pseudoconvex. We also obtain convergence results for quasimonotone variational inequalities, which are more general than monotone ones.     

Proximal-Point Algorithm Using a Linear Proximal Term

Proximal-point algorithms (PPAs) are classical solvers for convex optimization problems and monotone variational inequalities (VIs). The proximal term in existing PPAs usually is the gradient of a certain function. This paper presents a class of PPA-based methods for monotone VIs. For a given current point, a proximal point is obtained via solving a PPA-like subproblem whose proximal term is linear but may not be the gradient of any functions. The new iterate is updated via an additional slight calculation. Global convergence of the method is proved under the same mild assumptions as the original PPA. Finally, profiting from the less restrictions on the linear proximal terms, we propose some parallel splitting augmented Lagrangian methods for structured variational inequalities with separable operators. B.S. He was supported by NSFC Grant 10571083 and Jiangsu NSF Grant BK2008255.     

Coupling proximal methods and variational convergence

An approximation method which combines a data perturbation by variational convergence with the proximal point algorithm, is presented. Conditions which guarantee convergence, are provided and an application to the partial inverse method is given.     

Generalized mixed quasi-equilibrium problems with trifunction

In this paper, we introduce a new class of equilibrium problems, which is called the generalized mixed quasi-equilibrium problems with trifunction. Using the auxiliary principle technique, we suggest and analyze a proximal point method for solving the generalized mixed quasi-equilibrium problems. It is shown that the convergence of the proposed method requires only pseudomonotonicity, which is a weaker condition than monotonicity. Our results represent an improvement and refinement of previously known results. Since the generalized mixed quasi-equilibrium problems include equilibrium problems and variational inequalities as special cases, results proved in this paper continue to hold for these problems.     

Penalization in non-classical convex programming via variational convergence

A penalty method for convex functions which cannot necessarily be extended outside their effective domains by an everywhere finite convex function is proposed and combined with the proximal method. Proofs of convergence rely on variational convergence theory.     

Proximal Methods for Mixed Quasivariational Inequalities

A proximal method for solving mixed quasivariational inequalities is suggested and analyzed by using the auxiliary principle technique. We show that the convergence of the proposed method requires only the pseudomonotonicity, which is a weaker condition than monotonicity. Since mixed quasivariational inequalities include variational and complementarity problems as special cases, the result proved in this paper continues to hold for these problems.     

Pseudomonotone Variational Inequalities: Convergence of Proximal Methods

In this paper, we study the convergence of proximal methods for solving pseudomonotone (in the sense of Karamardian) variational inequalities. The main result is given in the finite-dimensional case, but we show that we still obtain convergence in an infinite-dimensional Hilbert space under a strong pseudomonotonicity or a pseudo-Dunn assumption on the operator involved in the variational inequality problem.     

Solving policy design problems: Alternating direction method of multipliers-based methods for structured inverse variational inequalities

Inverse variational inequalities have broad applications in various disciplines, and some of them have very appealing structures. There are several algorithms (e.g., proximal point algorithms and projection-type algorithms) for solving the inverse variational inequalities in general settings, while few of them have fully exploited the special structures. In this paper, we consider a class of inverse variational inequalities that has a separable structure and linear constraints, which has its root in spatial economic equilibrium problems. To design an efficient algorithm, we develop an alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) based method by utilizing the separable structure. Under some mild assumptions, we prove its global convergence. We propose an improved variant that makes the subproblems much easier and derive the convergence result under the same conditions. Finally, we present the preliminary numerical results to show the capability and efficiency of the proposed methods.     

A hybrid proximal point algorithm for finding minimizers and fixed points in CAT(0) spaces

We introduce a hybrid proximal point algorithm and establish its strong convergence to a common solution of a proximal point of a lower semi-continuous mapping and a fixed point of a demicontractive mapping in the framework of a CAT(0) space. As applications of our new result, we solve variational inequality problems for these mappings on a Hilbert space. Illustrative example is given to validate theoretical result obtained herein.     

An LQP-based descent method for structured monotone variational inequalities

This paper proposes a descent method to solve a class of structured monotone variational inequalities. The descent directions are constructed from the iterates generated by a prediction-correction method [B.S. He, Y. Xu, X.M. Yuan, A logarithmic-quadratic proximal prediction-correction method for structured monotone variational inequalities, Comput. Optim. Appl. 35 (2006) 19-46], which is based on the logarithmic-quadratic proximal method. In addition, the optimal step-sizes along these descent directions are identified to accelerate the convergence of the new method. Finally, some numerical results for solving traffic equilibrium problems are reported.     

Convergence analysis of non-quadratic proximal methods for variational inequalities in Hilbert spaces

We consider a general approach for the convergence analysis of proximal-like methods for solving variational inequalities with maximal monotone operators in a Hilbert space. It proves to be that the conditions on the choice of a non-quadratic distance functional depend on the geometrical properties of the operator in the variational inequality, and –- in particular –- a standard assumption on the strict convexity of the kernel of the distance functional can be weakened if this operator possesses a certain `reserve of monotonicity'. A successive approximation of the `feasible set' is performed, and the arising auxiliary problems are solved approximately. Weak convergence of the proximal iterates to a solution of the original problem is proved.     

An interior-proximal method for convex linearly constrained problems and its extension to variational inequalities

In this paper, an entropy-like proximal method for the minimization of a convex function subject to positivity constraints is extended to an interior algorithm in two directions. First, to general linearly constrained convex minimization problems and second, to variational inequalities on polyhedra. For linear programming, numerical results are presented and quadratic convergence is established.Corresponding author. His research has been supported by C.E.E grants: CI1* CT 92-0046.     

An inexact logarithmic-quadratic proximal augmented Lagrangian method for a class of constrained variational inequalities

The augmented Lagrangian method is attractive in constraint optimizations. When it is applied to a class of constrained variational inequalities, the sub-problem in each iteration is a nonlinear complementarity problem (NCP). By introducing a logarithmic-quadratic proximal term, the sub-NCP becomes a system of nonlinear equations, which we call the LQP system. Solving a system of nonlinear equations is easier than the related NCP, because the solution of the NCP has combinatorial properties. In this paper, we present an inexact logarithmic-quadratic proximal augmented Lagrangian method for a class of constrained variational inequalities, in which the LQP system is solved approximately under a rather relaxed inexactness criterion. The generated sequence is Fejér monotone and the global convergence is proved. Finally, some numerical test results for traffic equilibrium problems are presented to demonstrate the efficiency of the method.