Combinatorial optimization - Polyhedra and efficiency: A book review

We review the recent three-volume monograph authored by Alexander Schrijver, Combinatorial Optimization - Polyhedra and Efficiency, Springer-Verlag, 2003, ISBN 3-540-44389-4, 1881 pages (in a slip-case), price: € 89,95 .Received: November 2003, Revised: January 2004, AMS classification: 90C57, 68R10, 05C99     

On the Notion of the Combinatorial p-Parameter Property for Polyhedra

We introduce some versions of the notion of the combinatorial p-parameter property for polyhedra whose general meaning reduces to search for the number of parameters ensuring unique determination of a polyhedron locally on assuming given edge lengths and combinatorial structure.     

Combinatorial Optimization by Dynamic Contraction

A heuristic optimization methodology, Dynamic Contraction (DC), is introduced as an approach for solving a wide variety of hard combinatorial problems. Contraction is an operation that maps an instance of a problem to a smaller instance of the same problem. DC is an iterative improvement strategy that relies on contraction as a mechanism for escaping local minima. As a byproduct of contraction, efficiency is improved due to a reduction of problem size. Effectiveness of DC is shown through simple applications to two classical combinatorial problems: The graph bisection problem and the traveling salesman problem.     

Model-Based Search for Combinatorial Optimization: A Critical Survey

In this paper we introduce model-based search as a unifying framework accommodating some recently proposed metaheuristics for combinatorial optimization such as ant colony optimization, stochastic gradient ascent, cross-entropy and estimation of distribution methods. We discuss similarities as well as distinctive features of each method and we propose some extensions.     

Correction to: On the Approximation of Unbounded Convex Sets by Polyhedra

Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications - In this article, Algorithm 1 was duplicated instead of Algorithm 2.     

离散变量结构优化设计的组合算法*

本文首先给出了离散变量优化设计局部最优解的定义,然后提出了一种综合的组合算法.该算法采用分级优化的方法,第一级优化首先采用计算效率很高且经过随机抽样性能实验表明性能较高的启发式算法─—相对差商法,求解离散变量结构优化设计问题近似最优解 X ;第二级采用组合算法,在 X 的离散邻集内建立离散变量结构优化设计问题的(-1,0.1)规划模型,再进一步将其化为(0,1)规划模型,应用定界组合算法或相对差商法求解该(0,1)规划模型,求得局部最优解.解决了采用启发式算法无法判断近似最优解是否为局部最优解这一长期未得到解决的问题,提高了计算精度,同时,由于相对差商法的高效率与高精度,以上综合的组合算法的计算效率也还是较高的.     

评新书《组合优化导论》和《现代排序论》

对最优化有兴趣的读者可能会注意到，近来接连出版了两本关于组合最优化的新书，一本是2002年出版的《组合优化导论》(越民义著，浙江科学技术出版社出版，浙江省科技专著出版基金资助)，一本是2003年出版的《现代排序论》(唐国春、张峰、罗守成和刘丽丽著，上海     

A Theorem on Strict Separability of Convex Polyhedra and Its Applications in Optimization

We propose a new approach to the strict separation of convex polyhedra. This approach is based on the construction of the set of normal vectors for the hyperplanes, such that each one strict separates the polyhedra A and B. We prove the necessary and sufficient conditions of strict separability for convex polyhedra in the Euclidean space and present its applications in optimization.     

关于组合最优化理论的多媒体教学实践

本文讨论和分析了开发组合最比化理论系列课程多媒体课件的基本认识、课件的主要特色和体会，并提出了使用多媒体课件中应注意的问题．