New Constraint Qualification and Conjugate Duality for Composed Convex Optimization Problems

The approach to optimal control problems based on a purely variational reformulation may lead to new existence results by using fine, general existence theorems for variational problems without convexity assumptions. We illustrate this perspective here for autonomous one-dimensional problems and defer the study of more complex situations to later work. This research was supported by Project MTM2004-07114 from Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia (Spain) and by Grant PAI05-029 from JCCM (Castilla-La Mancha).     

Strong Duality for Generalized Convex Optimization Problems

In this paper, strong duality for nearly-convex optimization problems is established. Three kinds of conjugate dual problems are associated to the primal optimization problem: the Lagrange dual, Fenchel dual, and Fenchel-Lagrange dual problems. The main result shows that, under suitable conditions, the optimal objective values of these four problems coincide. The first author was supported in part by Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz Stiftung 02-48/99. This research has been performed while the second author visited Chemnitz University of Technology under DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) Grant A/02/12866. Communicated by T. Rapcsák     

Fenchel’s Duality Theorem for Nearly Convex Functions

We present an extension of Fenchel’s duality theorem by weakening the convexity assumptions to near convexity. These weak hypotheses are automatically fulfilled in the convex case. Moreover, we show by a counterexample that a further extension to closely convex functions is not possible under these hypotheses. The authors are grateful to the Associate Editor for helpful suggestions and remarks which improved the quality of the paper. The second author was supported by DFG (German Research Foundation), project WA 922/1.     

Generalized Fenchel’s Conjugation Formulas and Duality for Abstract Convex Functions

In this paper, we present a generalization of Fenchel’s conjugation and derive infimal convolution formulas, duality and subdifferential (and ε-subdifferential) sum formulas for abstract convex functions. The class of abstract convex functions covers very broad classes of nonconvex functions. A nonaffine global support function technique and an extended sum-epiconjugate technique of convex functions play a crucial role in deriving the results for abstract convex functions. An additivity condition involving global support sets serves as a constraint qualification for the duality. Work of Z.Y. Wu was carried out while the author was at the Department of Applied Mathematics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.     

复合凸优化问题的Fenchel-Lagrange强对偶之研究

利用共轭函数的上图性质,引入新的约束规范条件,等价刻画了目标函数为凸函数与凸复合函数之和的复合优化问题及其Fenchel-Lagrange对偶问题之间的强对偶与稳定强对偶.     

Fenchel-Lagrange Duality Versus Geometric Duality in Convex Optimization

We present a new duality theory to treat convex optimization problems and we prove that the geometric duality used by Scott and Jefferson in different papers during the last quarter of century is a special case of it. Moreover, weaker sufficient conditions to achieve strong duality are considered and optimality conditions are derived. Next, we apply our approach to some problems considered by Scott and Jefferson, determining their duals. We give weaker sufficient conditions to achieve strong duality and the corresponding optimality conditions. Finally, posynomial geometric programming is viewed also as a particular case of the duality approach that we present. Communicated by V. F. Demyanov The first author was supported in part by Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz Stiftung 02-48/99. The second author was supported in part by Karl und Ruth Mayer Stiftung.     

Dual Problems and Separation of Sets: Lagrange and Fenchel Duality

An extremum problem is embedded in a parametric scheme which contains, as a particular case, the classic perturbation function. The introduction of the image of the embedded problem allows one to derive a generalized duality and, in particular, Lagrangian and Fenchel duality.     

Duality Principles for Optimization Problems Dealing with the Difference of Vector-Valued Convex Mappings

Using the concept of a subdifferential of a vector-valued convex mapping, we provide duality formulas for the minimization of nonconvex composite functions and related optimization problems such as the minimization of a convex function over a vectorial DC constraint.     

Robust Duality in Parametric Convex Optimization

Modelling of convex optimization in the face of data uncertainty often gives rise to families of parametric convex optimization problems. This motivates us to present, in this paper, a duality framework for a family of parametric convex optimization problems. By employing conjugate analysis, we present robust duality for the family of parametric problems by establishing strong duality between associated dual pair. We first show that robust duality holds whenever a constraint qualification holds. We then show that this constraint qualification is also necessary for robust duality in the sense that the constraint qualification holds if and only if robust duality holds for every linear perturbation of the objective function. As an application, we obtain a robust duality theorem for the best approximation problems with constraint data uncertainty under a strict feasibility condition.     

Duality for Convex Monoids

Every C*-algebra gives rise to an effect module and a convex space of states, which are connected via Kadison duality. We explore this duality in several examples, where the C*-algebra is equipped with the structure of a finite-dimensional Hopf algebra. When the Hopf algebra is the function algebra or group algebra of a finite group, the resulting state spaces form convex monoids. We will prove that both these convex monoids can be obtained from the other one by taking a coproduct of density matrices on the irreducible representations. We will also show that the same holds for a tensor product of a group and a function algebra.     

Conjugate Duality for Constrained Vector Optimization in Abstract Convex Frame

This article focuses on a conjugate duality for a constrained vector optimization in the framework of abstract convexity. With the aid of the extension for the notion of infimum to the vector space, a set-valued topical function and the corresponding conjugate map, subdifferentials are presented. Following this, a conjugate dual problem is proposed via this conjugate map. Then, inspired by some ideas in the image space analysis, some equivalent characterizations of the zero duality gap are established by virtue of the subdifferentials.     

Constraint Qualifications Characterizing Lagrangian Duality in Convex Optimization

In convex optimization, a constraint qualification (CQ) is an essential ingredient for the elegant and powerful duality theory. Various constraint qualifications which are sufficient for the Lagrangian duality have been given in the literature. In this paper, we present constraint qualifications which characterize completely the Lagrangian duality.     

A Unifying Approach to Robust Convex Infinite Optimization Duality

This paper considers an uncertain convex optimization problem, posed in a locally convex decision space with an arbitrary number of uncertain constraints. To this problem, where the uncertainty only affects the constraints, we associate a robust (pessimistic) counterpart and several dual problems. The paper provides corresponding dual variational principles for the robust counterpart in terms of the closed convexity of different associated cones.     

Fenchel Duality and the Strong Conical Hull Intersection Property

We study a special dual form of a convex minimization problem in a Hilbert space, which is formally suggested by Fenchel dualityand is useful for the Dykstra algorithm. For this special duality problem, we prove that strong duality holds if and only if the collection of underlying constraint sets {C ₁,...,C _m} has the strong conical hull intersection property. That is,

Conjugate Functions for Convex and Nonconvex Duality

We study conjugate duality with arbitrary coupling functions. Our only tool is a certain support property, which is automatically fulfilled in the two most widely used special cases, namely the case where the underlying space is a topological vector space and the coupling functions are the continuous linear ones, and the case where the underlying space is a metric space and the coupling functions are the continuous ones. We obtain thereby a simultaneous axiomatic extension of these two classical models. Also included is a condition for global optimality, which requires only the mentioned support property.     

On Duality Theorems for Nonsmooth Lipschitz Optimization Problems

A nonsmooth Lipschitz vector optimization problem (VP) is considered. Using the Fritz John type necessary optimality conditions for (VP), we formulate the Mond–Weir dual problem (VD) and establish duality theorems for (VP) and (VD) under (strict) pseudoinvexity assumptions on the functions. Our duality theorems do not require a constraint qualification.