Computable Error Bounds for Semidefinite Programming

We study computability and applicability of error bounds for a given semidefinite pro-gramming problem under the assumption that the recession function associated with the constraint system satisfies the Slater condition. Specifically, we give computable error bounds for the distances between feasible sets, optimal objective values, and optimal solution sets in terms of an upper bound for the condition number of a constraint system, a Lipschitz constant of the objective function, and the size of perturbation. Moreover, we are able to obtain an exact penalty function for semidefinite programming along with a lower bound for penalty parameters. We also apply the results to a class of statistical problems.     

How to deal with the unbounded in optimization: Theory and algorithms

The aim of this survey is to show how the unbounded arises in optimization problems and how it leads to fundamental notions which are not only useful for proving theoretical results such as convergence of algorithms and the existence of optimal solutions, but also for constructing new methods.     

Exterior Minimum-Penalty Path-Following Methods in Semidefinite Programming

A semidefinite programming problem is a mathematical program in which the objective function is linear in the unknowns and the constraint set is defined by a linear matrix inequality. This problem is nonlinear, nondifferentiable but convex. It covers several standard problems, such as linear and quadratic programming, and has many applications in engineering. In this paper, we introduce the notion of minimal-penalty path, which is defined as the collection of minimizers for a family of convex optimization problems, and propose two methods for solving the problem by following the minimal-penalty path from the exterior of the feasible set. Our first method, which is also a constraint-aggregation method, achieves the solution by solving a sequence of linear programs, but exhibits a zigzagging behavior around the minimal-penalty path. Our second method eliminates the above drawback by following efficiently the minimum-penalty path through the centering and ascending steps. The global convergence of the methods is proved and their performance is illustrated by means of an example.     

Approximate Toeplitz Matrix Problem Using Semidefinite Programming

Given a data matrix, we find its nearest symmetric positive-semidefinite Toeplitz matrix. In this paper, we formulate the problem as an optimization problem with a quadratic objective function and semidefinite constraints. In particular, instead of solving the so-called normal equations, our algorithm eliminates the linear feasibility equations from the start to maintain exact primal and dual feasibility during the course of the algorithm. Subsequently, the search direction is found using an inexact Gauss-Newton method rather than a Newton method on a symmetrized system and is computed using a diagonal preconditioned conjugate-gradient-type method. Computational results illustrate the robustness of the algorithm.     

A Continuous Method for Convex Programming Problems

In this paper, we present a continuous method for convex programming (CP) problems. Our approach converts first the convex problem into a monotone variational inequality (VI) problem. Then, a continuous method, which includes both a merit function and an ordinary differential equation (ODE), is introduced for the resulting variational inequality problem. The convergence of the ODE solution is proved for any starting point. There is no Lipschitz condition required in our proof. We show also that this limit point is an optimal solution for the original convex problem. Promising numerical results are presented.This research was supported in part by Grants FRG/01-02/I-39 and FRG/01-02/II-06 of Hong Kong Baptist University and Grant HKBU2059/02P from the Research Grant Council of Hong Kong.The author thanks Professor Bingsheng He for many helpful suggestions and discussions. The author is also grateful for the comments and suggestions of two anonymous referees. In particular, the author is indebted to one referee who drew his attention to References 15, 17, 18.     

Proximal-Like Algorithm Using the Quasi D-Function for Convex Second-Order Cone Programming

In this paper, we present a measure of distance in a second-order cone based on a class of continuously differentiable strictly convex functions on ℝ₊₊. Since the distance function has some favorable properties similar to those of the D-function (Censor and Zenios in J. Optim. Theory Appl. 73:451–464 [1992]), we refer to it as a quasi D-function. Then, a proximal-like algorithm using the quasi D-function is proposed and applied to the second-cone programming problem, which is to minimize a closed proper convex function with general second-order cone constraints. Like the proximal point algorithm using the D-function (Censor and Zenios in J. Optim. Theory Appl. 73:451–464 [1992]; Chen and Teboulle in SIAM J. Optim. 3:538–543 [1993]), under some mild assumptions we establish the global convergence of the algorithm expressed in terms of function values; we show that the sequence generated by the proposed algorithm is bounded and that every accumulation point is a solution to the considered problem. Research of Shaohua Pan was partially supported by the Doctoral Starting-up Foundation (B13B6050640) of GuangDong Province. Jein-Shan Chen is a member of the Mathematics Division, National Center for Theoretical Sciences, Taipei Office. The author’s work was partially supported by National Science Council of Taiwan.     

Lower-Order Penalization Approach to Nonlinear Semidefinite Programming

In this paper, we reformulate a nonlinear semidefinite programming problem into an optimization problem with a matrix equality constraint. We apply a lower-order penalization approach to the reformulated problem. Necessary and sufficient conditions that guarantee the global (local) exactness of the lower-order penalty functions are derived. Convergence results of the optimal values and optimal solutions of the penalty problems to those of the original semidefinite program are established. Since the penalty functions may not be smooth or even locally Lipschitz, we invoke the Ekeland variational principle to derive necessary optimality conditions for the penalty problems. Under certain conditions, we show that any limit point of a sequence of stationary points of the penalty problems is a KKT stationary point of the original semidefinite program. Communicated by Y. Zhang This work was supported by a Postdoctoral Fellowship of Hong Kong Polytechnic University and by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong.     

半定规划问题的一种新的预测-校正算法

本文首先将半定规划转化为一个变分不等式问题,在满足单调性和Lipschitz连续的条件下,提出了一种基于Korpelevich-Khobotv算法的新的预测-校正算法,并给出算法的收敛性分析.     

Exact Penalty Functions for Convex Bilevel Programming Problems

In this paper, we propose a new constraint qualification for convex bilevel programming problems. Under this constraint qualification, a locally and globally exact penalty function of order 1 for a single-level reformulation of convex bilevel programming problems is given without requiring the linear independence condition and the strict complementarity condition to hold in the lower-level problem. Based on these results, locally and globally exact penalty functions for two other single-level reformulations of convex bilevel programming problems can be obtained. Furthermore, sufficient conditions for partial calmness to hold in some single-level reformulations of convex bilevel programming problems can be given.     

A New Semidefinite Programming Bound for Indefinite Quadratic Forms Over a Simplex

The paper describes a method for computing a lower bound of the global minimum of an indefinite quadratic form over a simplex. The bound is derived by computing an underestimator of the convex envelope by solving a semidefinite program (SDP). This results in a convex quadratic program (QP). It is shown that the optimal value of the QP is a lower bound of the optimal value of the original problem. Since there exist fast (polynomial time) algorithms for solving SDP's and QP's the bound can be computed in reasonable time. Numerical experiments indicate that the relative error of the bound is about 10 percent for problems up to 20 variables, which is much better than a known SDP bound.     

半定规划的非内点连续化方法

基于Fischer-Burmeister函数,本文将半定规划(SDP)的中心路径条件转化为非线性方程组,进而用SDCP的非内点连续化方法求解之.证明了牛顿方向的存在性,迭代点列的有界性.在适当的假设条件下,得到算法的全局收敛性及局部二次收敛率.数值结果表明算法的有效性.     

半定规划的PRP~+共轭梯度法(英文)

本文对半定规划(SDP)的最优性条件提出一价值函数并研究其性质.基此,提出半定规划的PRP+共轭梯度法.为得到PRP+共轭梯度法的收敛性,提出一Armijo-型线搜索.无需水平集有界及迭代点列聚点的存在,算法全局收敛.     

A New Self-Dual Embedding Method for Convex Programming

In this paper we introduce a conic optimization formulation to solve constrained convex programming, and propose a self-dual embedding model for solving the resulting conic optimization problem. The primal and dual cones in this formulation are characterized by the original constraint functions and their corresponding conjugate functions respectively. Hence they are completely symmetric. This allows for a standard primal-dual path following approach for solving the embedded problem. Moreover, there are two immediate logarithmic barrier functions for the primal and dual cones. We show that these two logarithmic barrier functions are conjugate to each other. The explicit form of the conjugate functions are in fact not required to be known in the algorithm. An advantage of the new approach is that there is no need to assume an initial feasible solution to start with. To guarantee the polynomiality of the path-following procedure, we may apply the self-concordant barrier theory of Nesterov and Nemirovski. For this purpose, as one application, we prove that the barrier functions constructed this way are indeed self-concordant when the original constraint functions are convex and quadratic. We pose as an open question to find general conditions under which the constructed barrier functions are self-concordant.     

Superlinear Convergence of Interior-Point Algorithms for Semidefinite Programming

We prove the superlinear convergence of the primal-dual infeasible interior-point path-following algorithm proposed recently by Kojima, Shida, and Shindoh and by the present authors, under two conditions: (i) the semidefinite programming problem has a strictly complementary solution; (ii) the size of the central path neighborhood approaches zero. The nondegeneracy condition suggested by Kojima, Shida, and Shindoh is not used in our analysis. Our result implies that the modified algorithm of Kojima, Shida, and Shindoh, which enforces condition (ii) by using additional corrector steps, has superlinear convergence under the standard assumption of strict complementarity. Finally, we point out that condition (ii) can be made weaker and show the superlinear convergence under the strict complementarity assumption and a weaker condition than (ii).     

An Efficient Algorithm for Min-Max Convex Semi-Infinite Programming Problems

In this article, we consider the convex min-max problem with infinite constraints. We propose an exchange method to solve the problem by using efficient inactive constraint dropping rules. There is no need to solve the maximization problem over the metric space, as the algorithm has merely to find some points in the metric space such that a certain criterion is satisfied at each iteration. Under some mild assumptions, the proposed algorithm is shown to terminate in a finite number of iterations and to provide an approximate solution to the original problem. Preliminary numerical results with the algorithm are promising. To our knowledge, this article is the first one conceived to apply explicit exchange methods for solving nonlinear semi-infinite convex min-max problems.     

Optimal Hoffman-Type Estimates in Eigenvalue and Semidefinite Inequality Constraints

Starting from a general Hoffman-type estimate for inequalities defined via convex functions, we derive estimates of the same type for inequality constraints expressed in terms of eigenvalue functions (as in eigenvalue optimization) or positive semidefiniteness (as in semidefinite programming).     

凸半定规划中关于非奇异性的一个等价条件

本文将给出凸半定规划中关于非奇异性的一个等价条件,它可以看作线性半定规划中非奇异性的等价条件的推广.     

Local Minima and Convergence in Low-Rank Semidefinite Programming

The low-rank semidefinite programming problem LRSDP_r is a restriction of the semidefinite programming problem SDP in which a bound r is imposed on the rank of X, and it is well known that LRSDP_r is equivalent to SDP if r is not too small. In this paper, we classify the local minima of LRSDP_r and prove the optimal convergence of a slight variant of the successful, yet experimental, algorithm of Burer and Monteiro [5], which handles LRSDP_r via the nonconvex change of variables X=RR^T. In addition, for particular problem classes, we describe a practical technique for obtaining lower bounds on the optimal solution value during the execution of the algorithm. Computational results are presented on a set of combinatorial optimization relaxations, including some of the largest quadratic assignment SDPs solved to date.This author was supported in part by NSF Grant CCR-0203426.This author was supported in part by NSF Grants CCR-0203113 and INT-9910084 and ONR grant N00014-03-1-0401.     

The volumetric barrier for convex quadratic constraints

Let where and _i is an n×n positive semidefinite matrix. We prove that the volumetric and combined volumetric-logarithmic barriers for are and self-concordant, respectively. Our analysis uses the semidefinite programming (SDP) representation for the convex quadratic constraints defining , and our earlier results on the volumetric barrier for SDP. The self-concordance results actually hold for a class of SDP problems more general than those corresponding to the SDP representation of .Mathematics Subject Classification (1991):90C25, 90C30     

Central Paths in Semidefinite Programming, Generalized Proximal-Point Method and Cauchy Trajectories in Riemannian Manifolds

The relationships among the central path in the context of semidefinite programming, generalized proximal-point method and Cauchy trajectory in a Riemannian manifolds is studied in this paper. First, it is proved that the central path associated to a general function is well defined. The convergence and characterization of its limit point is established for functions satisfying a certain continuity property. Also, the generalized proximal-point method is considered and it is proved that the correspondingly generated sequence is contained in the central path. As a consequence, both converge to the same point. Finally, it is proved that the central path coincides with the Cauchy trajectory in a Riemannian manifold. This work was supported in part by CNPq Grant 302618/2005-8, by PRONEX(CNPq), CAPES-PICDT and FUNAPE/UFG.