A backbone based TSP heuristic for large instances

We introduce a reduction technique for large instances of the traveling salesman problem (TSP). This approach is based on the observation that tours with good quality are likely to share many edges. We exploit this observation by neglecting the less important tour space defined by the shared edges, and searching the important tour subspace in more depth. More precisely, by using a basic TSP heuristic, we obtain a set of starting tours. We call the set of edges which are contained in each of these starting tours as pseudo-backbone edges. Then we compute the maximal paths consisting only of pseudo-backbone edges, and transform the TSP instance to another one with smaller size by contracting each such path to a single edge. This reduced TSP instance can be investigated more intensively, and each tour of the reduced instance can be expanded to a tour of the original instance. Combining our reduction technique with the currently leading TSP heuristic of Helsgaun, we experimentally investigate 32 difficult VLSI instances from the well-known TSP homepage. In our experimental results we set world records for seven VLSI instances, i.e., find better tours than the best tours known so far (two of these world records have since been improved upon by Keld Helsgaun and Yuichi Nagata, respectively). For the remaining instances we find tours that are equally good or only slightly worse than the world record tours.     

Extremal values of global tolerances in combinatorial optimization with an additive objective function

The currently adopted notion of a tolerance in combinatorial optimization is defined referring to an arbitrarily chosen optimal solution, i.e., locally. In this paper we introduce global tolerances with respect to the set of all optimal solutions, and show that the assumption of nonembededdness of the set of feasible solutions in the provided relations between the extremal values of upper and lower global tolerances can be relaxed. The equality between globally and locally defined tolerances provides a new criterion for the multiplicity (uniqueness) of the set of optimal solutions to the problem under consideration.     

Pullback attractors for a class of extremal solutions of the 3D Navier-Stokes system

In this paper we construct a dynamical process (in general, multivalued) generated by the set of solutions of an optimal control problem for the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes system. We prove the existence of a pullback attractor for such multivalued process. Also, we establish the existence of a uniform global attractor containing the pullback attractor. Moreover, under the unproved assumption that strong globally defined solutions of the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes system exist, which guaranties the existence of a global attractor for the corresponding multivalued semiflow, we show that the pullback attractor of the process coincides with the global attractor of the semiflow.     

The travelling salesman problem: new solvable cases and linkages with the development of approximation algorithms

We identify new solvable cases of the travelling salesman problem (TSP) by an indirect analysis that has useful consequences. First, we develop new procedures for the TSP that require only linear time to execute and yield TSP tours that are better than an exponential number of alternative tours. We then identify special subgraphs, easily generated, so that our method yields these outcomes for every instance of these subgraphs. Finally, when the associated costs satisfy prescribed conditions, we show the solutions produced by these algorithms are optimal and thus we have new solvable cases of the TSP. Besides possible practical applications to problems that may exhibit these cost conditions, our algorithms may also be applied as subroutines within more complex metaheuristics. Our methods extend in a natural way to bottleneck TSP formulations, and their underlying results raise new theoretical questions about the analysis of heuristics for hard combinatorial problems.     

Global tolerances in the problems of combinatorial optimization with an additive objective function

It is known that by means of minimal values of tolerances one can obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for the uniqueness of the optimal solution of a combinatorial optimization problem (COP) with an additive objective function and the set of nonembedded feasible solutions. Moreover, the notion of a tolerance is defined locally, i.e., with respect to a chosen optimal solution. In this paper we introduce the notion of a global tolerance with respect to the whole set of optimal solutions and prove that the nonembeddedness assumption on the set of feasible solutions of the COP can be relaxed, which generalizes the well known relations for the extremal values of the tolerances. In particular, we formulate a new criterion for the uniqueness of the optimal solution of the COP with an additive objective function, which is based on certain equalities between locally and globally defined tolerances.     

Min-weight double-tree shortcutting for Metric TSP: Bounding the approximation ratio

The Metric Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) is a classical NP-hard optimization problem. The double-tree shortcutting method for Metric TSP yields an exponentially-sized space of TSP tours, each of which approximates the optimal solution within at most a factor of 2. We consider the problem of finding among these tours the one that gives the closest approximation, i.e. the minimum-weight double-tree shortcutting. Previously, we gave an efficient algorithm for this problem, and carried out its experimental analysis. In this paper, we address the related question of the worst-case approximation ratio for the minimum-weight double-tree shortcutting method. In particular, we give lower bounds on the approximation ratio in some specific metric spaces: the ratio of 2 in the discrete shortest path metric, 1.622 in the planar Euclidean metric, and 1.666 in the planar Minkowski metric. The first of these lower bounds is tight; we conjecture that the other two bounds are also tight, and in particular that the minimum-weight double-tree method provides a 1.622-approximation for planar Euclidean TSP.     

旅行商问题的基因整合算法

本文针对旅行商问题提出了基因整合算法。它是通过设置扰动矩阵构造与原商问题等价的近似问题，使用最优罚函数选择回路分枝得到一系列局部最优回路，从中提取频度高的分技——基因进行整合，得到更优的回路。该算法计算量小，对大规模问题计算效果显著。利用该算法对CHN144问题给出了目前最件的结果。     

A branch-and-price algorithm for the capacitated facility location problem

The capacitated facility location problem (CFLP) is a well-known combinatorial optimization problem with applications in distribution and production planning. It consists in selecting plant sites from a finite set of potential sites and in allocating customer demands in such a way as to minimize operating and transportation costs. A number of solution approaches based on Lagrangean relaxation and subgradient optimization has been proposed for this problem. Subgradient optimization does not provide a primal (fractional) optimal solution to the corresponding master problem. However, in order to compute optimal solutions to large or difficult problem instances by means of a branch-and-bound procedure information about such a primal fractional solution can be advantageous. In this paper, a (stabilized) column generation method is, therefore, employed in order to solve a corresponding master problem exactly. The column generation procedure is then employed within a branch-and-price algorithm for computing optimal solutions to the CFLP. Computational results are reported for a set of larger and difficult problem instances.     

Geometric programming problem with single-term exponents subject to max-product fuzzy relational equations

In this paper, an optimization model for minimizing an objective function with single-term exponents subject to fuzzy relational equations specified in max-product composition is presented. The solution set of such a fuzzy relational equation is a non-convex set. First, we present some properties for the optimization problem under the assumptions of both negative and nonnegative exponents in the objective function. Second, an efficient procedure is developed to find an optimal solution without looking for all the potential minimal solutions and without using the value matrix. An example is provided to illustrate the procedure.     

A Non-Interior Continuation Algorithm for the P0 or P* LCP with Strong Global and Local Convergence Properties

We propose a non-interior continuation algorithm for the solution of the linear complementarity problem (LCP) with a P₀ matrix. The proposed algorithm differentiates itself from the current continuation algorithms by combining good global convergence properties with good local convergence properties under unified conditions. Specifically, it is shown that the proposed algorithm is globally convergent under an assumption which may be satisfied even if the solution set of the LCP is unbounded. Moreover, the algorithm is globally linearly and locally superlinearly convergent under a nonsingularity assumption. If the matrix in the LCP is a P_* matrix, then the above results can be strengthened to include global linear and local quadratic convergence under a strict complementary condition without the nonsingularity assumption.     

Local search with a generalized neighborhood in the optimization problem for pseudo-Boolean functions

In the optimization problem for pseudo-Boolean functions we consider a local search algorithm with a generalized neighborhood. This neighborhood is constructed for a locally optimal solution and includes nearby locally optimal solutions. We present some results of simulations for pseudo-Boolean functions whose optimization is equivalent to the problems of facility location, set covering, and competitive facility location. The goal of these experiments is to obtain a comparative estimate for the locally optimal solutions found by the standard local search algorithm and the local search algorithm using a generalized neighborhood.     

Asymptotic regularity of trajectory attractor and trajectory statistical solution for the 3D globally modified Navier–Stokes equations

We first prove the existence and regularity of the trajectory attractor for a three-dimensional system of globally modified Navier–Stokes equations. Then we use the natural translation semigroup and trajectory attractor to construct the trajectory statistical solutions in the trajectory space. In our construction the trajectory statistical solution is an invariant Borel probability measure, which is supported by the trajectory attractor and is invariant under the action of the translation semigroup. As a byproduct of the regularity of the trajectory attractor, we obtain the asymptotic regularity of the trajectory statistical solution in the sense that it is supported by a set in the trajectory space in which all weak solutions are in fact strong solutions.     

A new Pareto set generating method for multi-criteria optimization problems

This paper proposes a new classical method to capture the complete Pareto set of a multi-criteria optimization problem (MOP) even without having any prior information about the location of Pareto surface. The solutions obtained through the proposed method are globally Pareto optimal. Moreover, each and every global Pareto optimal point is within the attainable range. This paper also suggests a procedure to ensure the proper Pareto optimality of the outcomes if slight modifications are allowed in the constraint set of the MOP under consideration. Among the set of all outcomes, the proposed method can effectively detect the regions of unbounded trade-offs between the criteria, if they exist.     

Finding low cost TSP and 2-matching solutions using certain half-integer subtour vertices

Consider the traveling salesman problem (TSP) defined on the complete graph, where the edge costs satisfy the triangle inequality. Let TOUR denote the optimal solution value for the TSP. Two well-known relaxations of the TSP are the subtour elimination problem and the 2-matching problem. If we let SUBT and 2M represent the optimal solution values for these two relaxations, then it has been conjectured that TOUR/SUBT ≤4/3, and that 2M/SUBT ≤10/9.In this paper, we exploit the structure of certain 1/2-integer solutions for the subtour elimination problem in order to obtain low cost TSP and 2-matching solutions. In particular, we show that for cost functions for which the optimal subtour elimination solution found falls into our classes, the above two conjectures are true. Our proofs are constructive and could be implemented in polynomial time, and thus, for such cost functions, provide a 4/3 (or better) approximation algorithm for the TSP.     

A general method for determining the set of all efficient solutions to a linear vectormaximum problem

To solve a linear vectormaximum problem means, in general, to determine the set E of all efficient solutions. A multiparametric method based on earlier works of the author is presented. In the procedure efficient vertices and efficient edges are generated via one subprogram, which works as a simple linear programming problem, and just by inspection of these results higher dimensional efficient faces are determined. The procedure does not depend on special properties of the restriction set and/or of the system of given objective functions. Illustrative examples are presented. Two appendixes provide a survey on a multiparametric algorithm and on a solution procedure for the auxiliary problem, both of which are the background for the method.     

An alternating variable method for the maximal correlation problem

The maximal correlation problem (MCP) aiming at optimizing correlations between sets of variables plays an important role in many areas of statistical applications. Up to date, algorithms for the general MCP stop at solutions of the multivariate eigenvalue problem (MEP), which serves only as a necessary condition for the global maxima of the MCP. For statistical applications, the global maximizer is quite desirable. In searching the global solution of the MCP, in this paper, we propose an alternating variable method (AVM), which contains a core engine in seeking a global maximizer. We prove that (i) the algorithm converges globally and monotonically to a solution of the MEP, (ii) any convergent point satisfies a global optimal condition of the MCP, and (iii) whenever the involved matrix A is nonnegative irreducible, it converges globally to the global maximizer. These properties imply that the AVM is an effective approach to obtain a global maximizer of the MCP. Numerical testings are carried out and suggest a superior performance to the others, especially in finding a global solution of the MCP.     

EB-GLS: an improved guided local search based on the big valley structure

Local search is a basic building block in memetic algorithms. Guided local search (GLS) can improve the efficiency of local search. By changing the guide function, GLS guides a local search to escape from locally optimal solutions and find better solutions. The key component of GLS is its penalizing mechanism which determines which feature is selected to penalize when the search is trapped in a locally optimal solution. The original GLS penalizing mechanism only makes use of the cost and the current penalty value of each feature. It is well known that many combinatorial optimization problems have a big valley structure, i.e., the better a solution is, the more the chance it is closer to a globally optimal solution. This paper proposes to use big valley structure assumption to improve the GLS penalizing mechanism. An improved GLS algorithm called elite biased GLS (EB-GLS) is proposed. EB-GLS records and maintains an elite solution as an estimate of the globally optimal solutions, and reduces the chance of penalizing the features in this solution. We have systematically tested the proposed algorithm on the symmetric traveling salesman problem. Experimental results show that EB-GLS is significantly better than GLS.     

On the recoverable robust traveling salesman problem

We consider an uncertain traveling salesman problem, where distances between nodes are not known exactly, but may stem from an uncertainty set of possible scenarios. This uncertainty set is given as intervals with an additional bound on the number of distances that may deviate from their expected, nominal values. A recoverable robust model is proposed, that allows a tour to change a bounded number of edges once a scenario becomes known. As the model contains an exponential number of constraints and variables, an iterative algorithm is proposed, in which tours and scenarios are computed alternately. While this approach is able to find a provably optimal solution to the robust model, it also needs to solve increasingly complex subproblems. Therefore, we also consider heuristic solution procedures based on local search moves using a heuristic estimate of the actual objective function. In computational experiments, these approaches are compared.     

Quantitative stability of full random two-stage stochastic programs with recourse

In this paper, we consider quantitative stability analysis for two-stage stochastic linear programs when recourse costs, the technology matrix, the recourse matrix and the right-hand side vector are all random. For this purpose, we first investigate continuity properties of parametric linear programs. After deriving an explicit expression for the upper bound of its feasible solutions, we establish locally Lipschitz continuity of the feasible solution sets of parametric linear programs. These results are then applied to prove continuity of the generalized objective function derived from the full random second-stage recourse problem, from which we derive new forms of quantitative stability results of the optimal value function and the optimal solution set with respect to the Fortet–Mourier probability metric. The obtained results are finally applied to establish asymptotic behavior of an empirical approximation algorithm for full random two-stage stochastic programs.     

带有约束线性分式规划问题的最优性条件

In this article,the authors discuss the optimal conditions of the linear fractional programming problem and prove that a locally optional solution is a globally optional so- lution and the locally optimal solution can be attained at a basic feasible solution with constraint condition.