Optimal simplex tableau characterization of unique and bounded solutions of linear programs

Uniqueness and boundedness of solutions of linear programs are characterized in terms of an optimal simplex tableau. LetM denote the submatrix in an optimal simplex tableau with columns corresponding to degenerate optimal dual basic variables. A primal optimal solution is unique iff there exists a nonvacuous nonnegative linear combination of the rows ofM, corresponding to degenerate optimal primal basic variables, which is positive. The set of primal optimal solutions is bounded iff there exists a nonnegative linear combination of the rows ofM which is positive. WhenM is empty, the primal optimal solution is unique.This research was sponsored by the United States Army under Contract No. DAAG29-75-C-0024. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. MCS-79-01066.     

Robust optimal strategies in Markov decision problems

An optimal strategy in a Markov decision problem is robust if it is optimal in every decision problem (not necessarily stationary) that is close to the original problem. We prove that when the state and action spaces are finite, an optimal strategy is robust if and only if it is the unique optimal strategy.     

On the structure of the optimal server control for fluid networks

This paper derives the optimal trajectories in a general fluid network with server control. The stationary optimal policy in the complete state space is constructed. The optimal policy is constant on polyhedral convex cones. An algorithm is derived that computes these cones and the optimal policy. Generalized Klimov indices are introduced, they are used for characterizing myopic and time-uniformly optimal policies.Received: November 2004 / Revised: February 2005The research of this author has been supported by the project ‘‘Stochastic Networks’’ of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research NWO.     

需求中断下具有提前期的双渠道供应链的风险规避决策

讨论了由一个制造商和一个零售商所组成的双渠道供应链在需求中断下具有提前期的双渠道供应链的风险规避问题.给出了在需求中断前后的最优价格、最优提前期和最优生产决策.研究表明决策变化量是需求中断量的线性函数,在集中式下最优的决策和销售量与供应链的市场份额和需求中断有关,模型的最优生产体现了一定的稳健性.对于提前期来说,当市场份额较大时,最优提前期关于风险规避系数呈正比例,当市场份额较小时,最优提前期关于风险规避系数呈反比例.     

Optimal excess-of-loss reinsurance and investment problem for an insurer with jump–diffusion risk process under the Heston model

In this paper, we study the optimal excess-of-loss reinsurance and investment problem for an insurer with jump–diffusion risk model. The insurer is allowed to purchase reinsurance and invest in one risk-free asset and one risky asset whose price process satisfies the Heston model. The objective of the insurer is to maximize the expected exponential utility of terminal wealth. By applying stochastic optimal control approach, we obtain the optimal strategy and value function explicitly. In addition, a verification theorem is provided and the properties of the optimal strategy are discussed. Finally, we present a numerical example to illustrate the effects of model parameters on the optimal investment–reinsurance strategy and the optimal value function.     

Lower bounding aggregation and direct computation for an infinite horizon one-reservoir model

We present a specialized policy iteration method for the computation of optimal and approximately optimal policies for a discrete-time model of a single reservoir whose discharges generate hydroelectric power. The model is described in (Lamond et al., 1995) and (Drouin et al., 1996), where the special structure of optimal policies is given and an approximate value iteration method is presented, using piecewise affine approximations of the optimal return functions. Here, we present a finite method for computing an optimal policy in O(n³) arithmetic operations, where n is the number of states in the associated Markov decision process, and a finite method for computing a lower bound on the optimal value function in O(m²n) where m is the number of nodes of the piecewise affine approximation.     

JOINT MODEL AND CRITERION OPTIMAL EXPERIMENT DESIGN

In this paper,a new optimal design criterion--joint model and criterion optimal de-sign criterioon is put forward. The design that is subject to this criterion satisfies many kinds of lin-ear optimal criterion and D-optimal criterion on several experiment models at the same time. Theequivalent condition of this optimal design is given. Its iterative algorithm and the algorithm cover-genee are stated.     

A linearization method inN-person nonzero-sum differential games

In the present treatment, a nonlinear system of anN-person nonzero-sum differential game is linearized with respect to the controls. It is shown that the optimal trajectory and the optimal costs of the linearized system lead, under certain conditions, to an approximation of the optimal trajectory and the optimal costs of the original nonlinear system.     

Lower semicontinuity property of multiparameter optimal stopping value and its application to multiparameter prophet inequalities

This paper is concerned with the optimal stopping problem for discrete time multiparameter stochastic processes with the index set Nd. The optimal stopping value of a discrete time multiparameter integrable stochastic process whose negative part is uniformly integrable, is lower semicontinuous for the topology of convergence in distribution. The multiparameter version of prophet inequality for the one-parameter optimal stopping problem is formulated and the lower semicontinuity property of the optimal stopping value is applied to the multiparameter prophet inequality.     

An Isotonic Regression Problem for Infinite-Dimensional Parameters

We consider an infinite-dimensional isotonic regression problem which is an extension of the suitably revised classical isotonic regression problem. Given p-summable data, for p finite and at least one, there exists an optimal estimator to our problem. For p greater than one, this estimator is unique and is the limit in the p-norm of the sequence of unique estimators in canonical finite-dimensional truncations of our problem. However, for p equal to one, our problem, as well as the finite-dimensional truncations, admit multiple optimal estimators in general. In this case, the sequence of optimal estimator sets to the truncations converges to the optimal estimator set of the infinite problem in the sense of Kuratowski. Moreover, the selection of natural best optimal estimators to the truncations converges in the 1-norm to an optimal estimator of the infinite problem.     

Finite horizon approximations of infinite horizon linear programs

This paper describes the class of infinite horizon linear programs that have finite optimal values. A sequence of finite horizon (T period) problems is shown to approximate the infinite horizon problems in the following sense: the optimal values of theT period problems converge monotonically to the optimal value of the infinite problem and the limit of any convergent subsequence of initialT period optimal decisions is an optimal decision for the infinite horizon problem.     

Flexible capacity strategy with multiple market periods under demand uncertainty and investment constraint

We establish a flexible capacity strategy model with multiple market periods under demand uncertainty and investment constraints. In the model, a firm makes its capacity decision under a financial budget constraint at the beginning of the planning horizon which embraces n market periods. In each market period, the firm goes through three decision-making stages: the safety production stage, the additional production stage and the optimal sales stage. We formulate the problem and obtain the optimal capacity, the optimal safety production, the optimal additional production and the optimal sales of each market period under different situations. We find that there are two thresholds for the unit capacity cost. When the capacity cost is very low, the optimal capacity is determined by its financial budget; when the capacity cost is very high, the firm keeps its optimal capacity at its safety production level; and when the cost is in between of the two thresholds, the optimal capacity is determined by the capacity cost, the number of market periods and the unit cost of additional production. Further, we explore the endogenous safety production level. We verify the conditions under which the firm has different optimal safety production levels. Finally, we prove that the firm can benefit from the investment only when the designed planning horizon is longer than a threshold. Moreover, we also derive the formulae for the above three thresholds.     

Optimal policy for minimizing risk models in Markov decision processes

We consider the minimizing risk problems in discounted Markov decisions processes with countable state space and bounded general rewards. We characterize optimal values for finite and infinite horizon cases and give two sufficient conditions for the existence of an optimal policy in an infinite horizon case. These conditions are closely connected with Lemma 3 in White (1993), which is not correct as Wu and Lin (1999) point out. We obtain a condition for the lemma to be true, under which we show that there is an optimal policy. Under another condition we show that an optimal value is a unique solution to some optimality equation and there is an optimal policy on a transient set.     

Continuous time control of Markov processes on an arbitrary state space: Average return criterion

The paper deals with continuous time Markov decision processes on a fairly general state space. The economic criterion is the long-run average return. A set of conditions is shown to be sufficient for a constant g to be optimal average return and a stationary policy π¹ to be optimal. This condition is shown to be satisfied under appropriate assumptions on the optimal discounted return function. A policy improvement algorithm is proposed and its convergence to an optimal policy is proved.     

pth Power Lagrangian Method for Integer Programming

When does there exist an optimal generating Lagrangian multiplier vector (that generates an optimal solution of an integer programming problem in a Lagrangian relaxation formulation), and in cases of nonexistence, can we produce the existence in some other equivalent representation space? Under what conditions does there exist an optimal primal-dual pair in integer programming? This paper considers both questions. A theoretical characterization of the perturbation function in integer programming yields a new insight on the existence of an optimal generating Lagrangian multiplier vector, the existence of an optimal primal-dual pair, and the duality gap. The proposed pth power Lagrangian method convexifies the perturbation function and guarantees the existence of an optimal generating Lagrangian multiplier vector. A condition for the existence of an optimal primal-dual pair is given for the Lagrangian relaxation method to be successful in identifying an optimal solution of the primal problem via the maximization of the Lagrangian dual. The existence of an optimal primal-dual pair is assured for cases with a single Lagrangian constraint, while adopting the pth power Lagrangian method. This paper then shows that an integer programming problem with multiple constraints can be always converted into an equivalent form with a single surrogate constraint. Therefore, success of a dual search is guaranteed for a general class of finite integer programming problems with a prominent feature of a one-dimensional dual search.     

Nonlinear Periodic Optimal Control: A Pseudospectral Fourier Approach

Abstract

A pseudospectral method for generating optimal trajectories of the class of periodic optimal control problems is proposed. The method consists of representing the solution of the periodic optimal control problem by an mth degree trigonometric interpolating polynomial, using Fourier nodes as grid points, and then discretizing the problem using the trapezoidal rule as the quadrature formula for smoothly differentiable periodic functions. The periodic optimal control problem is thereby transformed into an algebraic nonlinear programming problem. Due to its dynamic nature, the pseudospectral Fourier approach avoids many of the numerical difficulties typically encountered in solving standard periodic optimal control problems. An illustrative example is provided to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method.     

Uniformly Lipschitz feedback optimal controls in a linear-quadratic framework

A uniformly k-Lipschitz feedback optimal control problem is considered in a linear quadratic framework. The value function is derived by a comparison-based reasoning, via which a necessary condition to the existence of optimal solutions is obtained: optimal feedback controls must be linear.     

Periodic optimal control for parabolic Volterra-Lotka type equations

This paper considers the optimal harvesting control of a biological species, whose growth is governed by the parabolic diffusive Volterra-Lotka equation. We prove that such equation with L^∞ periodic coefficients has an unique positive periodic solution. We show the existence and uniqueness of an optimal control, and under certain conditions, we characterize the optimal control in terms of a parabolic optimality system. A monotone sequence which converges to the optimal control is constructed.     

Retailer’s optimal replenishment and payment policies in the EPQ model under cash discount and two-level trade credit policy

The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the retailer’s optimal cycle time and optimal payment time under the supplier’s cash discount and trade credit policy within the economic production quantity (EPQ) framework. In this paper, we assume that the retailer will provide a full trade credit to his/her good credit customers and request his/her bad credit customers pay for the items as soon as receiving them. Under this assumption, we model the retailer’s inventory system as a cost minimization problem to determine the retailer’s optimal inventory cycle time and optimal payment time under the replenishment rate is finite. Then, an algorithm is established to obtain the optimal strategy. Finally, numerical examples are given to illustrate the theoretical results and obtain some managerial phenomena.     

An optimal stopping problem for a geometric Brownian motion with poissonian jumps

This paper examines an optimal stopping problem for a geometric Brownian motion with random jumps. It is assumed that jumps occur according to a time-homogeneous Poisson process and the proportions of these sizes are independent and identically distributed nonpositive random variables. The objective is to find an optimal stopping time of maximizing the expected discounted terminal reward which is defined as a nondecreasing power function of the stopped state. By applying the “smooth pasting technique” [1,2], we derive almost explicitly an optimal stopping rule of a threshold type and the optimal value function of the initial state. That is, we express the critical state of the optimal stopping region and the optimal value function by formulae which include only given problem parameters except an unknown to be uniquely determined by a nonlinear equation.