A filled function method for constrained global optimization

In this paper, a filled function method for solving constrained global optimization problems is proposed. A filled function is proposed for escaping the current local minimizer of a constrained global optimization problem by combining the idea of filled function in unconstrained global optimization and the idea of penalty function in constrained optimization. Then a filled function method for obtaining a global minimizer or an approximate global minimizer of the constrained global optimization problem is presented. Some numerical results demonstrate the efficiency of this global optimization method for solving constrained global optimization problems.     

A new filled function method for nonlinear equations

In this paper, a new global optimization approach based on the filled function method is proposed for solving box-constrained systems of nonlinear equations. We first convert the nonlinear system into an equivalent global optimization problem, and then propose a new filled function method to solve the converted global optimization problem. Several numerical examples are presented and solved by using different local minimization methods, which illustrate the efficiency of the present approach.     

A new augmented penalty function technique for optimal control problems

This note presents an extension of the Miele—Cragg-Iyer-Levy augmented function method for finite-dimensional optimization problems to optimal control problems. A numerical study is provided.     

A new filled function method for unconstrained global optimization

In this paper, a new filled function which has better properties is proposed for identifying a global minimum point for a general class of nonlinear programming problems within a closed bounded domain. An algorithm for unconstrained global optimization is developed from the new filled function. Theoretical and numerical properties of the proposed filled function are investigated. The implementation of the algorithm on seven test problems is reported with satisfactory numerical results.     

A filled function method with one parameter for unconstrained global optimization

The filled function method is considered as an efficient approach to solve the global optimization problems. In this paper, a new filled function method is proposed. Its main idea is as follows: a new continuously differentiable filled function with only one parameter is constructed for unconstrained global optimization when a minimizer of the objective function is found, then a minimizer of the filled function will be found in a lower basin of the objective function, thereafter, a better minimizer of the objective function will be found. The above process is repeated until the global optimal solution is found. The numerical experiments show the efficiency of the proposed filled function method.     

A new filled function method for an unconstrained nonlinear equation

In this paper, we transform an unconstrained system of nonlinear equations into a special optimization problem. A new filled function is constructed by employing the special properties of the transformed optimization problem. Theoretical and numerical properties of the proposed filled function are investigated and a solution of the algorithm is proposed. Under some conditions, we can find a solution or an approximate solution to the system of nonlinear equations in finite iterations. The implementation of the algorithm on six test problems is reported with satisfactory numerical results.     

A control reduced primal interior point method for a class of control constrained optimal control problems

A primal interior point method for control constrained optimal control problems with PDE constraints is considered. Pointwise elimination of the control leads to a homotopy in the remaining state and dual variables, which is addressed by a short step pathfollowing method. The algorithm is applied to the continuous, infinite dimensional problem, where discretization is performed only in the innermost loop when solving linear equations. The a priori elimination of the least regular control permits to obtain the required accuracy with comparatively coarse meshes. Convergence of the method and discretization errors are studied, and the method is illustrated at two numerical examples. Supported by the DFG Research Center Matheon “Mathematics for key technologies” in Berlin. This paper appeared as ZIB Report 04-38.     

Convergent computational method for relaxed optimal control problems

A class of relaxed optimal control problems for ordinary differential equations with a state-space constraint is considered. The discretization by the control parametrization method, formerly proposed by Teo and Goh (Refs. 1, 2), is modified by admitting a tolerance in the state constraint, which enables one to prove a conditional convergence under certain additional qualification on the dynamics. Also, a counterexample is constructed, showing that the original, nonmodified discretization need not approximate the continuous problem.The author is grateful to Professor K. L. Teo for useful comments on this paper.     

Computational method for optimal control of switched systems with input and state constraints

In this paper, we consider an optimal control problem of switched systems with input and state constraints. Since the complexity of such constraint and switching laws, it is difficult to solve the problem using standard optimization techniques. In addition, although conjugate gradient algorithms are very useful for solving nonlinear optimization problem, in practical implementations, the existing Wolfe condition may never be satisfied due to the existence of numerical errors. And the mode insertion technique only leads to suboptimal solutions, due to only certain mode insertions being considered. Thus, based on an improved conjugate gradient algorithm and a discrete filled function method, an improved bi-level algorithm is proposed to solve this optimization problem. Convergence results indicate that the proposed algorithm is globally convergent. Three numerical examples are solved to illustrate the proposed algorithm converges faster and yields a better cost function value than existing bi-level algorithms.     

A parameter free filled function for unconstrained global optimization

The filled function method is considered as an efficient method to find the global minimum of multidimensional functions. A number of filled functions were proposed recently, most of which have one or two adjustable parameters. However, there is no efficient criterion to choose the parameter appropriately. In this paper, we propose a filled function without parameter. And this function includes neither exponential terms nor logarithmic terms so it is superior to the traditional ones. Theories of the filled function are investigated. And an algorithm which does not compute gradients during minimizing the filled function is presented. Moreover, the numerical experiments demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed filled function.     

A new filled function algorithm for constrained global optimization problems

A new filled function with one parameter is proposed for solving constrained global optimization problems without the coercive condition, in which the filled function contains neither exponential term nor fractional term and is easy to be calculated. A corresponding filled function algorithm is established based on analysis of the properties of the filled function. At last, we perform numerical experiments on some typical test problems using the algorithm and the detailed numerical results show that the algorithm is effective.     

A computational method for a class of optimal relaxed control problems

In the present paper, we propose a computational scheme for solving a class of optimal relaxed control problems, using the concept of control parametrization. Furthermore, some important convergence properties of the proposed computational scheme are investigated. For illustration, a numerical example is also included.     

A solution method for regular optimal control problems with state constraints

A method of region analysis is developed for solving a class of optimal control problems with one state and one control variable, including state and control constraints. The performance index is strictly convex with respect to the control variable, while this variable appears only linearly in the state equation. The convexity or linearity assumption of the performance index or the state equation with respect to the state variable is not required.The author would like to express his sincere gratitude to Prof. R. Klötzler, Prof. E. Zeidler, Prof. H. Schumann, Prof. J. Focke, and other colleagues of the Department of Mathematics, Karl Marx University, Leipzig, GDR, for their support during his stay in Leipzig.     

An exact penalty function algorithm for optimal control problems with control and terminal equality constraints,part 1

The presence of control constraints, because they are nondifferentiable in the space of control functions, makes it difficult to cope with terminal equality constraints in optimal control problems. Gradient-projection algorithms, for example, cannot be employed easily. These difficulties are overcome in this paper by employing an exact penalty function to handle the cost and terminal equality constraints and using the control constraints to define the space of permissible search directions in the search-direction subalgorithm. The search-direction subalgorithm is, therefore, more complex than the usual linear program employed in feasible-directions algorithms. The subalgorithm approximately solves a convex optimal control problem to determine the search direction; in the implementable version of the algorithm, the accuracy of the approximation is automatically increased to ensure convergence.This work was supported by the United Kingdom Science Research Council, by the US Army Research Office, Contract No. DAAG-29-73-C-0025, and by the National Science Foundation, Grant No. ENG-73-08214-A01.     

A discrete filled function algorithm for approximate global solutions of max-cut problems

A discrete filled function algorithm is proposed for approximate global solutions of max-cut problems. A new discrete filled function is defined for max-cut problems and the properties of the filled function are studied. Unlike general filled function methods, using the characteristic of max-cut problems, the parameters in proposed filled function need not be adjusted. This greatly increases the efficiency of the filled function method. By combining a procedure that randomly generates initial points for minimization of the filled function, the proposed algorithm can greatly reduce the calculation cost and be applied to large scale max-cut problems. Numerical results on different sizes and densities test problems indicate that the proposed algorithm is efficient and stable to get approximate global solutions of max-cut problems.     

A control parametrization algorithm for optimal control problems involving linear systems and linear 1

Computational schemes based on control parametrization techniques are known to be very efficient for solving optimal control problems. However, the convergence result is only available for the case in which the dynamic system is linear and without the terminal equality and inequality constraints. This paper is to improve this convergence result by allowing the presence of the linear terminal inequality. For illustration, an example arising in the study of optimally one-sided heating of a metal slab in a furnace is considered.     

Augmented Lagrangian method for distributed optimal control problems with state constraints

We consider state-constrained optimal control problems governed by elliptic equations. Doing Slater-like assumptions, we know that Lagrange multipliers exist for such problems, and we propose a decoupled augmented Lagrangian method. We present the algorithm with a simple example of a distributed control problem.     

A virtual control concept for state constrained optimal control problems

A linear elliptic control problem with pointwise state constraints is considered. These constraints are given in the domain. In contrast to this, the control acts only at the boundary. We propose a general concept using virtual control in this paper. The virtual control is introduced in objective, state equation, and constraints. Moreover, additional control constraints for the virtual control are investigated. An error estimate for the regularization error is derived as main result of the paper. The theory is illustrated by numerical tests.     

A discrete filled function algorithm embedded with continuous approximation for solving max-cut problems

In this paper, a discrete filled function algorithm embedded with continuous approximation is proposed to solve max-cut problems. A new discrete filled function is defined for max-cut problems, and properties of the function are studied. In the process of finding an approximation to the global solution of a max-cut problem, a continuation optimization algorithm is employed to find local solutions of a continuous relaxation of the max-cut problem, and then global searches are performed by minimizing the proposed filled function. Unlike general filled function methods, characteristics of max-cut problems are used. The parameters in the proposed filled function need not to be adjusted and are exactly the same for all max-cut problems that greatly increases the efficiency of the filled function method. Numerical results and comparisons on some well known max-cut test problems show that the proposed algorithm is efficient to get approximate global solutions of max-cut problems.     

A combination of penalty function and multiplier methods for solving optimal control problems

The properties of combined multiplier and penalty function methods are investigated using a second-order expansion and results known for the Riccati equation. It is shown that the lower bound of the values of the penalty constant necessary to obtain a minimum is given by a certain Riccati equation. The convergence rate of a common updating rule for the multipliers is shown to be linear.This work has been supported by the Swedish Institute of Applied Mathematics.