An interior point multiplicative method for optimization under positivity constraints

We analyze an algorithm for the problem minf(x) s.t.x 0 suggested, without convergence proof, by Eggermont. The iterative step is given by x _j ^k+1 =x _j ^k (1-_kf(x ^k)_j) with _k > 0 determined through a line search. This method can be seen as a natural extension of the steepest descent method for unconstrained optimization, and we establish convergence properties similar to those known for steepest descent, namely weak convergence to a KKT point for a generalf, weak convergence to a solution for convexf and full convergence to the solution for strictly convexf. Applying this method to a maximum likelihood estimation problem, we obtain an additively overrelaxed version of the EM Algorithm. We extend the full convergence results known for EM to this overrelaxed version by establishing local Fejér monotonicity to the solution set.Research for this paper was partially supported by CNPq grant No 301280/86.     

Convex risk measures for portfolio optimization and concepts of flexibility

Due to their axiomatic foundation and their favorable computational properties convex risk measures are becoming a powerful tool in financial risk management. In this paper we will review the fundamental structural concepts of convex risk measures within the framework of convex analysis. Then we will exploit it for deriving strong duality relations in a generic portfolio optimization context. In particular, the duality relationship can be used for designing new, efficient approximation algorithms based on Nesterov's smoothing techniques for non-smooth convex optimization. Furthermore, the presented concepts enable us to formalize the notion of flexibility as the (marginal) risk absorption capacity of a technology or (available) resources. This paper is dedicated to R.T. Rockafellar for his stimulating and impressive work in convex optimization for decades. We thank you for the insights and inspirations we gained from your fundamental research.     

Optimal consumption, investment and insurance with insurable risk for an investor in a Lévy market

Numerous researchers have applied the martingale approach for models driven by Lévy processes to study optimal investment problems. The aim of this paper is to apply the martingale approach to obtain a closed form solution for the optimal investment, consumption and insurance strategies of an individual in the presence of an insurable risk when the insurable risk and risky asset returns are described by Lévy processes and the utility is a constant absolute risk aversion (CARA). The model developed in this paper can potentially be applied to absorb large insurable losses in the absence of insurance protection and to examine the level of diminishing current utility and consumption.     

Optimality conditions in nonconvex optimization via weak subdifferentials

In this paper we study optimality conditions for optimization problems described by a special class of directionally differentiable functions. The well-known necessary and sufficient optimality condition of nonsmooth convex optimization, given in the form of variational inequality, is generalized to the nonconvex case by using the notion of weak subdifferentials. The equivalent formulation of this condition in terms of weak subdifferentials and augmented normal cones is also presented.     

Time consistent dynamic risk processes

A crucial property for dynamic risk measures is the time consistency. In this paper, a characterization of time consistency in terms of a “cocycle condition” for the minimal penalty function is proved for general dynamic risk measures continuous from above. Then the question of the regularity of paths is addressed. It is shown that, for a time consistent dynamic risk measure normalized and non-degenerate, the process associated with any bounded random variable has a càdlàg modification, under a mild condition always satisfied in the case of continuity from below. When normalization is not assumed, a right continuity condition on the penalty has to be added.     

Necessary and sufficient conditions for Kuhn-Tucker type optimality and for weak duality of nonsmooth programming

In this paper, we are concerned with a nonsmooth programming problem with inequality constraints. We obtain an optimality condition for Kuhn-Tucker points to be minimizers. Later on, we present necessary and sufficient conditions for weak duality between the primal problem and its mixed type dual, which help us to extend some earlier work from the literature.     

A representation theorem for maxitive measures

A maxitive measure is a nonnegative function η on a σ-algebra Σ and such that η(U_j A_j ) = sup_j η(A_j) for all countable disjoint families of sets (A_j) in Σ. A representation theorem for such measures is established, and next applied to represent Köthe function M-spaces as L_∞-spaces.     

Second-order optimality conditions using approximations for nonsmooth vector optimization problems under inclusion constraints

Second-order necessary conditions and sufficient conditions for optimality in nonsmooth vector optimization problems with inclusion constraints are established. We use approximations as generalized derivatives and avoid even continuity assumptions. Convexity conditions are not imposed explicitly. Not all approximations in use are required to be bounded. The results improve or include several recent existing ones. Examples are provided to show that our theorems are easily applied in situations where several known results do not work.     

Portfolios with fuzzy returns: Selection strategies based on semi-infinite programming

This paper provides new models for portfolio selection in which the returns on securities are considered fuzzy numbers rather than random variables. The investor's problem is to find the portfolio that minimizes the risk of achieving a return that is not less than the return of a riskless asset. The corresponding optimal portfolio is derived using semi-infinite programming in a soft framework. The return on each asset and their membership functions are described using historical data. The investment risk is approximated by mean intervals which evaluate the downside risk for a given fuzzy portfolio. This approach is illustrated with a numerical example.     

Generalized convex relations with applications to optimization and models of economic dynamics

We examine a notion of generalized convex set-valued mapping, extending the notions of a convex relation and a convex process. Under general conditions, we establish duality results for composite set-valued mappings and for convex programming problems involving convex set-valued mappings. We also present applications to the study of economic dynamical systems, by obtaining the characteristics of optimal paths generated by convex processes, and to optimization problems of a certain class of positively homogeneous increasing functions.     

Second-order conditions in C 1,1 constrained vector optimization

We consider the constrained vector optimization problem min _C f(x), g(x) ∈ ?K, where f:? ⁿ →? ^m and g:? ⁿ →? ^p are C ^1,1 functions, and C ? ^m and K ? ^p are closed convex cones with nonempty interiors. Two type of solutions are important for our considerations, namely w-minimizers (weakly efficient points) and i-minimizers (isolated minimizers). We formulate and prove in terms of the Dini directional derivative second-order necessary conditions for a point x ⁰ to be a w-minimizer and second-order sufficient conditions for x ⁰ to be an i-minimizer of order two. We discuss the reversal of the sufficient conditions under suitable constraint qualifications of Kuhn-Tucker type. The obtained results improve the ones in Liu, Neittaanmäki, K?í?ek [21].     

The use of piecewise polynomial interpolation to generate best L1 approximates

For a locally convex space E and f :E→R¯, we introduce and study surrogate conjugate functionals of f, which en¬compass the quasi-conjugates [1] , pseudo-conjugates [2] and semi-conjugates [3] of f. Also, we introduce and study surro¬gate convexity of sets GcE and of functionals f:E→R¯ and show their connections with surrogate conjugation and with W-conve-xity of sets [4] and of functionals [5], where WcR¯^E. We outline some further developments (surrogate conjugates at a point, surrogate subdifferentials) and an application to optimization. A basic role is played by the concept of a universally defined multifunction A:RXE^*→2^E     

A path to the Arrow–Debreu competitive market equilibrium

We present polynomial-time interior-point algorithms for solving the Fisher and Arrow–Debreu competitive market equilibrium problems with linear utilities and n players. Both of them have the arithmetic operation complexity bound of )) for computing an -equilibrium solution. If the problem data are rational numbers and their bit-length is L, then the bound to generate an exact solution is O(n ⁴ L) which is in line with the best complexity bound for linear programming of the same dimension and size. This is a significant improvement over the previously best bound )) for approximating the two problems using other methods. The key ingredient to derive these results is to show that these problems admit convex optimization formulations, efficient barrier functions and fast rounding techniques. We also present a continuous path leading to the set of the Arrow–Debreu equilibrium, similar to the central path developed for linear programming interior-point methods. This path is derived from the weighted logarithmic utility and barrier functions and the Brouwer fixed-point theorem. The defining equations are bilinear and possess some primal-dual structure for the application of the Newton-based path-following method. Dedicated to Clovis Gonzaga on the occassion of his 60th birthday. This author was supported in part by NSF Grants DMS-0306611 and DMS-0604513. The author would like to thank Curtis Eaves, Osman Güler, Kamal Jain and Mike Todd for insightful discussions on this subject, especially on their mathematical references and economic interpretations of the fixed-point model presented in this paper.     

Non-coalitional Core-Walras Equivalence in Finitely Additive Economies with Extremely Desirable Commodities

We prove an individualistic Core-Walras equivalence for finitely additive economies with a reflexive and separable commodity space, and with proper preferences.     

Cash subadditive risk measures for portfolio vectors

In this paper, from the viewpoint of the time value of money, we study the risk measures for portfolio vectors with discount factor. Cash subadditive risk measures for portfolio vectors are proposed. Representation results are given by two different methods which are convex analysis and enlarging space. Especially, the method of convex analysis make the line of reasoning and the representation result be simpler. Meanwhile, spot and forward risk measures for portfolio vectors are also introduced, and the relationships between them are investigated.     

Orlicz capacities and Hausdorff measures on metric spaces

In the setting of doubling metric measure spaces with a 1-Poincaré inequality, we show that sets of Orlicz Φ-capacity zero have generalized Hausdorff h-measure zero provided thatwhere Θ⁻¹ is the inverse of the function Θ(t)=Φ(t)/t, and s is the “upper dimension” of the metric measure space. This condition is a generalization of a well known condition in Rⁿ. For spaces satisfying the weaker q-Poincaré inequality, we obtain a similar but slightly more restrictive condition. Several examples are also provided.     

Dunford-Pettis like properties on tensor products

In this paper we study equivalent formulations of the DP^? P_p (1 < p < ∞). We show that X has the DP^? P_p if and only if every weakly-p-Cauchy sequence in X is a limited subset of X. We give su?cient conditions on Banach spaces X and Y so that the projective tensor product X ?_π Y, the dual (X ?_? Y)^? of their injective tensor product, and the bidual (X ?_π Y)^?? of their projective tensor product, do not have the DP P_p, 1 < p < ∞. We also show that in some cases, the projective and the injective tensor products of two spaces do not have the DP^? P_p, 1 < p < ∞.     

A forward scheme for backward SDEs

We introduce a forward scheme for simulating backward SDEs. Compared to existing schemes, ours avoids high order nestings of conditional expectations backwards in time. In this way the error, when approximating the conditional expectation, depending on the time partition, is significantly reduced. Besides this generic result, we present an implementable algorithm and prove its convergence. Finally, we demonstrate the strength of the new algorithm by solving a financial problem numerically.     

On the approximate augmented Lagrangian for nonlinear symmetric cone programming

This paper studies the approximate augmented Lagrangian for nonlinear symmetric cone programming. The analysis is based on some results under the framework of Euclidean Jordan algebras. We formulate the approximate Lagrangian dual problem and study conditions for approximate strong duality results and an approximate exact penalty representation. We also show, under Robinson’s constraint qualification, that the sequence of stationary points of the approximate augmented Lagrangian problems converges to a stationary point of the original nonlinear symmetric cone programming.