Hybrid high dimensional model representation (HHDMR) on the partitioned data

A multivariate interpolation problem is generally constructed for appropriate determination of a multivariate function whose values are given at a finite number of nodes of a multivariate grid. One way to construct the solution of this problem is to partition the given multivariate data into low-variate data. High dimensional model representation (HDMR) and generalized high dimensional model representation (GHDMR) methods are used to make this partitioning. Using the components of the HDMR or the GHDMR expansions the multivariate data can be partitioned. When a cartesian product set in the space of the independent variables is given, the HDMR expansion is used. On the other hand, if the nodes are the elements of a random discrete data the GHDMR expansion is used instead of HDMR. These two expansions work well for the multivariate data that have the additive nature. If the data have multiplicative nature then factorized high dimensional model representation (FHDMR) is used. But in most cases the nature of the given multivariate data and the sought multivariate function have neither additive nor multiplicative nature. They have a hybrid nature. So, a new method is developed to obtain better results and it is called hybrid high dimensional model representation (HHDMR). This new expansion includes both the HDMR (or GHDMR) and the FHDMR expansions through a hybridity parameter. In this work, the general structure of this hybrid expansion is given. It has tried to obtain the best value for the hybridity parameter. According to this value the analytical structure of the sought multivariate function can be determined via HHDMR.     

An approximation method to model multivariate interpolation problems: Indexing HDMR

Dealing with univariate or bivariate data sets instead of a multivariate data set is an important concern in interpolation problems and computer-based applications. This paper presents a new data partitioning method that partitions the given multivariate data set into univariate and bivariate data sets and constructs an approximate analytical structure that interpolates function values at arbitrarily distributed points of the given grid. A number of numerical implementations are also given to show the performance of this new method.     

分布估计算法中适应度函数模型检验及应用

在一种基于马尔可夫网络的分布估计算法中,利用解的适应度函数模型表示变量的概率分布.通过相关系数检验建立了一种衡量适应度函数模型有效性的方法,同时该方法也可以用来确定初始种群规模大小.在二维相关变量结构下,将该方法应用于一种多变量生物动态模型的优化问题,结论表明通过该方法可以选择适当的种群规模,保证适应度函数模型的有效性,并提高算法的优化性能.     

Multivariate robust second-order stochastic dominance and resulting risk-averse optimization

ABSTRACT

By utilizing a min-biaffine scalarization function, we define the multivariate robust second-order stochastic dominance relationship to flexibly compare two random vectors. We discuss the basic properties of the multivariate robust second-order stochastic dominance and relate it to the nonpositiveness of a functional which is continuous and subdifferentiable everywhere. We study a stochastic optimization problem with multivariate robust second-order stochastic dominance constraints and develop the necessary and sufficient conditions of optimality in the convex case. After specifying an ambiguity set based on moments information, we approximate the ambiguity set by a series of sets consisting of discrete distributions. Furthermore, we design a convex approximation to the proposed stochastic optimization problem with multivariate robust second-order stochastic dominance constraints and establish its qualitative stability under Kantorovich metric and pseudo metric, respectively. All these results lay a theoretical foundation for the modelling and solution of complex stochastic decision-making problems with multivariate robust second-order stochastic dominance constraints.     

大气运动基本方程组的解析解

在已知大气运动基本方程于光滑函数类中具有最好的稳定性前提下,讨论了它的局部解的解空间构造．根据它的解空间构造,分析了这个方程具有代表性和应用性的第三初值问题,在解析函数类中给出了适定的第三初值问题的解析解的计算方法以及具体的关系表达式,在局部解意义下完整的解决了这一点初值问题的解析解所涉及的理论与计算问题．指出其它类型定解问题都可以仿照文中的计算方法和步骤,求出所需要的稳定的解析解．     

The problem of the time-optimal control of spacecraft reorientation

The use of Pontryagin's maximum principle to solve spacecraft motion control problems is demonstrated. The problem of the optimal control of the spatial reorientation of a spacecraft (as a rigid body) from an arbitrary initial angular position to an assigned final angular position in the minimum rotation time is investigated in detail. The case in which velocity parameters of the motion are constrained is considered. An analytical solution of the problem is obtained in closed form using the method of quaternions, and mathematical expressions for synthesizing the optimal control programme are given. The kinematic problem of spacecraft reorientation is solved completely. A design scheme for solving the maximum principle boundary-value problem for arbitrary turning conditions and inertial characteristics of the spacecraft is given. A solution of the problem of the optimal control of spatial reorientation for a dynamically symmetrical spacecraft is presented in analytical form (to expressions in elementary functions). The results of mathematical modelling of the motion of a spacecraft under optimal control, which confirm the practical feasibility of the control algorithm developed, are given. Estimates have shown that the turn time of modern spacecraft with a constrained magnitude of the angular momentum can be reduced by 15–25% compared with conventional reorientation methods. The greatest effect is achieved for turns through large angles (90° or more) when the final rotation vector is equidistant from the longitudinal axis and the transverse plane of the spacecraft.     

Abstract convergence theorem for quasi-convex optimization problems with applications

Abstract

Quasi-convex optimization is fundamental to the modelling of many practical problems in various fields such as economics, finance and industrial organization. Subgradient methods are practical iterative algorithms for solving large-scale quasi-convex optimization problems. In the present paper, focusing on quasi-convex optimization, we develop an abstract convergence theorem for a class of sequences, which satisfy a general basic inequality, under some suitable assumptions on parameters. The convergence properties in both function values and distances of iterates from the optimal solution set are discussed. The abstract convergence theorem covers relevant results of many types of subgradient methods studied in the literature, for either convex or quasi-convex optimization. Furthermore, we propose a new subgradient method, in which a perturbation of the successive direction is employed at each iteration. As an application of the abstract convergence theorem, we obtain the convergence results of the proposed subgradient method under the assumption of the Hölder condition of order p and by using the constant, diminishing or dynamic stepsize rules, respectively. A preliminary numerical study shows that the proposed method outperforms the standard, stochastic and primal-dual subgradient methods in solving the Cobb–Douglas production efficiency problem.     

Modelling in the absence of data: a case study of fleet maintenance in a developing country

Adequate and relevant objective data for modelling maintenance decision problems are often incomplete or not readily accessible. This is particularly true in developing countries. In this paper the experience gained between 1991–95 in conducting a maintenance study of an inter-city express bus fleet in a developing country is presented. The lack of available maintenance records and operating data rendered the study the most data-starved maintenance modelling exercise the authors have met before or since. The study required the use of subjective methods to both define the problem and to estimate parameters, and the application of recently developed concepts in maintenance modelling along with snapshot analysis and delay time modelling. This imposed a structured approach to problem recognition and problem solution. The study contributed both directly and indirectly to a change in work culture and to a reduction in bus breakdown rate. The company was re-visited 5?years later specifically to seek evidence of lasting impact. Some evidence existed and is reported in the paper.     

Coordinated cutting plane generation via multi-objective separation

In cutting plane methods, the question of how to generate the “best possible” set of cuts is both central and crucial. We propose a lexicographic multi-objective cutting plane generation scheme that generates, among all the maximally violated valid inequalities of a given family, an inequality that is undominated and maximally diverse w.r.t. the cuts that were previously found. By optimizing a diversity measure, we introduce a form of coordination between successive cuts. Our focus is on valid inequalities with 0–1 coefficients in the left-hand side and a constant right-hand side, which encompasses several families of valid inequalities. As cut diversity measure, we consider an aggregate of the 1-norm distances w.r.t. the normal vectors of the previous cuts. In this case, our lexicographic multi-objective separation problem reduces to the standard separation problem with different values for the objective function coefficients. The impact of our coordinated cutting plane generation scheme is assessed in a pure cutting plane setting when separating stable set and cut set inequalities for, respectively, the max clique and min Steiner tree problems. Compared to the standard separation of undominated maximally violated cuts, we close the same fraction of the duality gap in a considerably smaller number of rounds and cuts. The potential of our scheme is also indicated by the results obtained in a cut-and-branch setting for max clique, where cut coordination allows for a substantial reduction, on average, of the number of branch-and-bound nodes.     

Random algorithms for convex minimization problems

This paper deals with iterative gradient and subgradient methods with random feasibility steps for solving constrained convex minimization problems, where the constraint set is specified as the intersection of possibly infinitely many constraint sets. Each constraint set is assumed to be given as a level set of a convex but not necessarily differentiable function. The proposed algorithms are applicable to the situation where the whole constraint set of the problem is not known in advance, but it is rather learned in time through observations. Also, the algorithms are of interest for constrained optimization problems where the constraints are known but the number of constraints is either large or not finite. We analyze the proposed algorithm for the case when the objective function is differentiable with Lipschitz gradients and the case when the objective function is not necessarily differentiable. The behavior of the algorithm is investigated both for diminishing and non-diminishing stepsize values. The almost sure convergence to an optimal solution is established for diminishing stepsize. For non-diminishing stepsize, the error bounds are established for the expected distances of the weighted averages of the iterates from the constraint set, as well as for the expected sub-optimality of the function values along the weighted averages.     

Clustering with a constraining variable

Clustering can be treated as an optimization problem over a set of feasible clusterings. This paper deals with a clustering problem where the set of feasible clusterings is determined by constraining the function of values of a given (constraining) variable in each cluster. It can be shown that agglomerative clustering methods are not suitable for solving problems with constraining variables. For solving clustering problems of this type, local optimization procedures can be adapted. In the study of the influence of constraints on the clustering, a special coefficient is defined. The proposed procedures of clustering with constraining variables are illustrated by clustering the Slovene communes on the basis of the socioeconomic indicators.     

On the selection of the most adequate radial basis function

Radial basis function (RBF) methods can provide excellent interpolants for a large number of poorly distributed data points. For any finite data set in any Euclidean space, one can construct an interpolation of the data by using RBFs. However, RBF interpolant trends between and beyond the data points depend on the RBF used and may exhibit undesirable trends using some RBFs while the trends may be desirable using other RBFs. The fact that a certain RBF is commonly used for the class of problems at hand, previous good behavior in that (or other) class of problems, and bibliography, are just some of the many valid reasons given to justify a priori selection of RBF. Even assuming that the justified choice of the RBF is most likely the correct choice, one should nonetheless confirm numerically that, in fact, the most adequate RBF for the problem at hand is the RBF chosen a priori. The main goal of this paper is to alert the analyst as to the danger of a priori selection of RBF and to present a strategy to numerically choose the most adequate RBF that better captures the trends of the given data set. The wing weight data fitting problem is used to illustrate the benefits of an adequate choice of RBF for each given data set.     

Manufacturing constraints in parameter–free shape optimization

Structural shape optimization has become an important tool for engineers when it comes to improving components with respect to a given goal function. During this process the designer has to ensure that the optimized part stays manufacturable. Depending on the manufacturing process several requirements could be relevant such as demolding or different kinds of symmetry. This work introduces two approaches on how to handle manufacturing constraints in parameter-free shape optimization. In the so–called explicit approach equality and inequality equations are formulated using the coordinates of the FE-nodes. These equations can be used to extend the optimization problem. Since the number of the additional constraint equations may be very large we apply aggregation formulations, e.g. the Kreisselmeier-Steinhauser function, if necessary. In the second approach, the so–called implicit method, the set of design nodes is split in two groups called optimization nodes and dependent nodes. The optimization nodes are now handled as design nodes but the dependent nodes are coupled to the optimization nodes in such a way that the manufacturing constraint is fulfilled. (© 2014 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A global continuation algorithm for solving binary quadratic programming problems

In this paper, we propose a new continuous approach for the unconstrained binary quadratic programming (BQP) problems based on the Fischer-Burmeister NCP function. Unlike existing relaxation methods, the approach reformulates a BQP problem as an equivalent continuous optimization problem, and then seeks its global minimizer via a global continuation algorithm which is developed by a sequence of unconstrained minimization for a global smoothing function. This smoothing function is shown to be strictly convex in the whole domain or in a subset of its domain if the involved barrier or penalty parameter is set to be sufficiently large, and consequently a global optimal solution can be expected. Numerical results are reported for 0-1 quadratic programming problems from the OR-Library, and the optimal values generated are made comparisons with those given by the well-known SBB and BARON solvers. The comparison results indicate that the continuous approach is extremely promising by the quality of the optimal values generated and the computational work involved, if the initial barrier parameter is chosen appropriately. This work is partially supported by the Doctoral Starting-up Foundation (B13B6050640) of GuangDong Province.     

Bayesian Copulae Distributions, with Application to Operational Risk Management

The aim of this paper is to introduce a new methodology for operational risk management, based on Bayesian copulae. One of the main problems related to operational risk management is understanding the complex dependence structure of the associated variables. In order to model this structure in a flexible way, we construct a method based on copulae. This allows us to split the joint multivariate probability distribution of a random vector of losses into individual components characterized by univariate marginals. Thus, copula functions embody all the information about the correlation between variables and provide a useful technique for modelling the dependency of a high number of marginals. Another important problem in operational risk modelling is the lack of loss data. This suggests the use of Bayesian models, computed via simulation methods and, in particular, Markov chain Monte Carlo. We propose a new methodology for modelling operational risk and for estimating the required capital. This methodology combines the use of copulae and Bayesian models.      

On the suitability of minimum and product operators for the intersection of fuzzy sets

In many papers concerning fuzzy set theory it is assumed that the membership or an element in the intersection of two or more fuzzy sets is given by the minimum of product of the corresponding membership values. To use these operators in modelling aspects of the real world, such as decision making, however, it is necessary to prove their appropriateness empirically. The main question of this study is whether people rating the membership of objects in the intersection of two fuzzy sets behave in accordance with one of these models. An important problem in answering this question is how to measure membership which seems to have the characteristics of an absolute scale. No measurement structure is available at present, but a practical method for scaling is suggested. The results of our experiments indicate that neither the product nor the minimum fit the data sufficiently well, but the latter seems to be preferable.     

Bounds for a multivariate extension of range over standard deviation based on the Mahalanobis distance

The range over standard deviation of a set of univariate data points is given a natural multivariate extension through the Mahalanobis distance. The problem of finding extrema of this multivariate extension of “range over standard deviation” is investigated. The supremum (maximum) is found using Lagrangian methods and an interval is given for the infinimum. The independence of optimizing the Mahalanobis distance and the multivariate extension of range is demonstrated and connections are explored in several examples using an analogue of the “hat” matrix of linear regression.     

Lower complexity bounds for interpolation algorithms

We introduce and discuss a new computational model for the Hermite-Lagrange interpolation with nonlinear classes of polynomial interpolants. We distinguish between an interpolation problem and an algorithm that solves it. Our model includes also coalescence phenomena and captures a large variety of known Hermite-Lagrange interpolation problems and algorithms. Like in traditional Hermite-Lagrange interpolation, our model is based on the execution of arithmetic operations (including divisions) in the field where the data (nodes and values) are interpreted and arithmetic operations are counted at unit cost. This leads us to a new view of rational functions and maps defined on arbitrary constructible subsets of complex affine spaces. For this purpose we have to develop new tools in algebraic geometry which themselves are mainly based on Zariski’s Main Theorem and the theory of places (or equivalently: valuations). We finish this paper by exhibiting two examples of Lagrange interpolation problems with nonlinear classes of interpolants, which do not admit efficient interpolation algorithms (one of these interpolation problems requires even an exponential quantity of arithmetic operations in terms of the number of the given nodes in order to represent some of the interpolants).In other words, classic Lagrange interpolation algorithms are asymptotically optimal for the solution of these selected interpolation problems and nothing is gained by allowing interpolation algorithms and classes of interpolants to be nonlinear. We show also that classic Lagrange interpolation algorithms are almost optimal for generic nodes and values. This generic data cannot be substantially compressed by using nonlinear techniques.We finish this paper highlighting the close connection of our complexity results in Hermite-Lagrange interpolation with a modern trend in software engineering: architecture tradeoff analysis methods (ATAM).