TY - JOUR A1 - Gugat, Martin A1 - Keimer, Alexander A1 - Leugering, Günter A1 - Wang, Zhiqiang ED - Piccoli, Benedetto T1 - Analysis of a system of nonlocal conservation laws for multi-commodity flow on networks JF -  Networks and Heterogeneous Media N2 - We consider a system of scalar nonlocal conservation laws on networks that model a highly re-entrant multi-commodity manufacturing system as encountered in semiconductor production. Every single commodity is mod-eled by a nonlocal conservation law, and the corresponding PDEs are coupled via a collective load, the work in progress. We illustrate the dynamics for two commodities. In the applications, directed acyclic networks naturally occur, therefore this type of networks is considered. On every edge of the network we have a system of coupled conservation laws with nonlocal velocity. At the junctions the right hand side boundary data of the foregoing edges is passed as left hand side boundary data to the following edges and PDEs. For distributing junctions, where we have more than one outgoing edge, we impose time dependent distribution functions that guarantee conservation of mass. We provide results of regularity, existence and well-posedness of the multi-commodity network model for L p-, BV-and W 1,p-data. Moreover, we define an L 2-tracking type objective and show the existence of minimizers that solve the corresponding optimal control problem. KW - conservation laws on network KW - nonlocal conservation laws KW - optimal nodal control KW - systems of hyperbolic pdes Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/DOI: 10.3934/nhm.2015.10.749 VL - 10 IS - 4 SP - 749 EP - 785 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gugat, Martin A1 - Leugering, Günter ED - Zuazua, Enrique T1 - Time delay in optimal control loops for wave equations JF - ESAIM: COCV N2 - In optimal control loops delays can occur, for example through transmission via digital communication channels. Such delays influence the state that is generated by the implemented control. We study the effect of a delay in the implementation of L 2-norm minimal Neumann boundary controls for the wave equation. The optimal controls are computed as solutions of problems of exact optimal control, that is if they are implemented without delay, they steer the system to a position of rest in a given finite time T. We show that arbitrarily small delays δ > 0 can have a destabilizing effect in the sense that we can find initial states such that if the optimal control u is implemented in the form yx(t, 1) = u(t − δ) for t > δ, the energy of the system state at the terminal time T is almost twice as big as the initial energy. We also show that for more regular initial states, the effect of a delay in the implementation of the optimal control is bounded above in the sense that for initial positions with derivatives of BV-regularity and initial velocities with BV-regularity, the terminal energy is bounded above by the delay δ multiplied with a factor that depends on the BV-norm of the initial data. We show that for more general hyperbolic optimal exact control problems the situation is similar. For systems that have arbitrarily large eigenvalues, we can find terminal times T and arbitrarily small time delays δ, such that at the time T + δ, in the optimal control loop with delay the norm of the state is twice as large as the corresponding norm for the initial state. Moreover, if the initial state satisfies an additional regularity condition, there is an upper bound for the effect of time delay of the order of the delay with a constant that depends on the initial state only. KW - PDE constrained optimization KW - delay KW - wave equation KW - boundary control KW - hyperbolic system Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/cocv/2015038 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gugat, Martin A1 - Wintergerst, David A1 - Schultz, Rüdiger ED - Iske, Armin T1 - Networks of pipelines for gas with nonconstant compressibility factor: stationary states JF - Computational and Applied Mathematics N2 - For the management of gas transportation networks, it is essential to know how the stationary states of the system are determined by the boundary data. The isothermal Euler equations are an accurate pde-model for the gas flow through each pipe. A compressibility factor is used to model the nonlinear relationship between density and pressure that occurs in real gas in contrast to ideal gas. The gas flow through the nodes is governed by algebraic node conditions that require the conservation of mass and the continuity of the pressure. We examine networks that are described by arbitrary finite graphs and show that for suitably chosen boundary data, subsonic stationary states exist and are uniquely determined by the boundary data. Our construction of the stationary states is based upon explicit representations of the stationary states on each single pipe that can easily be evaluated numerically. We also use the monotonicity properties of these states as functions of the boundary data. Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s40314-016-0383-z ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bärmann, Andreas A1 - Liers, Frauke A1 - Martin, Alexander A1 - Merkert, Maximilian A1 - Thurner, Christoph A1 - Weninger, Dieter T1 - Solving network design problems via iterative aggregation JF - Mathematical Programming Computation N2 - In this work, we present an exact approach for solving network design problems that is based on an iterative graph aggregation procedure. The scheme allows existing preinstalled capacities. Starting with an initial aggregation, we solve a sequence of network design master problems over increasingly fine-grained representations of the original network. In each step, a subproblem is solved that either proves optimality of the solution or gives a directive where to refine the representation of the network in the subsequent iteration. The algorithm terminates with a globally optimal solution to the original problem. Our implementation uses a standard integer programming solver for solving the master problems as well as the subproblems. The computational results on random and realistic instances confirm the profitable use of the iterative aggregation technique. The computing time often reduces drastically when our method is compared to solving the original problem from scratch. KW - Aggregation KW - Network design KW - Combinatorial optimization KW - Mixed-integer programming KW - Branch-and-cut Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s12532-015-0079-1 VL - 7 IS - 2 SP - 189 EP - 217 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Bärmann, Andreas A1 - Gellermann, Thorsten A1 - Merkert, Maximilian A1 - Schneider, Oskar T1 - Staircase Compatibility and its Applications in Scheduling and Piecewise Linearization N2 - We consider the clique problem with multiple-choice constraints (CPMC) and characterize a case where it is possible to give an efficient description of the convex hull of its feasible solutions. This case, which we call staircase compatibility, generalizes common properties in applications and allows for a linear description of the integer feasible solutions to (CPMC) with a totally unimodular constraint matrix of polynomial size. We derive two such totally unimodular reformulations for the problem: one that is obtained by a strengthening of the compatibility constraints and one that is based on a representation as a dual network flow problem. Furthermore, we show a natural way to derive integral solutions from fractional solutions to the problem by determining integral extreme points generating this fractional solution. We also evaluate our reformulations from a computational point of view by applying them to two different real-world applications. The first one is a problem in railway timetabling where we try to adapt a given timetable slightly such that energy costs from operating the trains are reduced. The second one is the piecewise linearization of non-linear flow problems on a gas network. In both cases, we are able to reduce the solution times significantly by passing to the theoretically stronger formulations of the problem. KW - Clique Problem KW - Multiple-Choice Constraints KW - Total Unimodularity KW - Scheduling KW - Piecewise Linearization Y1 - 2016 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schmidt, Martin A1 - Aßmann, Denis A1 - Burlacu, Robert A1 - Humpola, Jesco A1 - Joormann, Imke A1 - Kanelakis, Nikolaos A1 - Koch, Thorsten A1 - Oucherif, Djamal A1 - Pfetsch, Marc E. A1 - Schewe, Lars A1 - Schwarz, Robert A1 - Sirvent, Mathias T1 - GasLib – A Library of Gas Network Instances JF - Data N2 - The development of mathematical simulation and optimization models and algorithms for solving gas transport problems is an active field of research. In order to test and compare these models and algorithms, gas network instances together with demand data are needed. The goal of GasLib is to provide a set of publicly available gas network instances that can be used by researchers in the field of gas transport. The advantages are that researchers save time by using these instances and that different models and algorithms can be compared on the same specified test sets. The library instances are encoded in an XML format. In this paper, we explain this format and present the instances that are available in the library. KW - Gas Transport KW - Networks KW - Problem Instances KW - Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Optimization KW - GasLib Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/data2040040 VL - 4 IS - 2 ER - TY - JFULL A1 - Leugering, Günter T1 - Domain Decomposition of an Optimal Control Problem for Semi-Linear Elliptic Equations on Metric Graphs with Application to Gas Networks N2 - We consider optimal control problems for the flow of gas in a pipe network. The equations of motions are taken to be represented by a semi-linear model derived from the fully nonlinear isothermal Euler gas equations. We formulate an optimal control problem on a given network and introduce a time discretization thereof. We then study the well-posedness of the corresponding time-discrete optimal control problem. In order to further reduce the complexity, we consider an instantaneous control strategy. The main part of the paper is concerned with a non-overlapping domain decomposition of the semi-linear elliptic optimal control problem on the graph into local problems on a small part of the network, ultimately on a single edge. KW - 28 KW - nonoverlapping omain decomposition, optimal control of semi-linear ellioptic systems on netowrks Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4236/am.2017.88082 SN - 2152-7393 VL - 8 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hante, Falk A1 - Leugering, Günter A1 - Martin, Alexander A1 - Schewe, Lars A1 - Schmidt, Martin T1 - Challenges in optimal control problems for gas and fluid flow in networks of pipes and canals: From modeling to industrial applications N2 - We consider optimal control problems for the flow of gas or fresh water in pipe networks as well as drainage or sewer systems in open canals. The equations of motion are taken to be represented by the nonlinear isothermal Euler gas equations, the water hammer equations, or the St.~Venant equations for flow. We formulate model hierarchies and derive an abstract model for such network flow problems including pipes, junctions, and controllable elements such as valves, weirs, pumps, as well as compressors. We use the abstract model to give an overview of the known results and challenges concerning equilibria, well-posedness, controllability, and optimal control. A major challenge concerning the optimization is to deal with switching on-off states that are inherent to controllable devices in such applications combined with continuous simulation and optimization of the gas flow. We formulate the corresponding mixed-integer nonlinear optimal control problems and outline a decomposition approach as a solution technique. KW - Networks KW - pipes KW - optimal control KW - Euler and St. Venant equations KW - hierarchy of models Y1 - 2016 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Lang, Jens A1 - Leugering, Günter A1 - Martin, Alexander A1 - Tischendorf, Caren T1 - Gasnetzwerke: Mathematische Modellierung, Simulation und Optimierung N2 - Im Mai 2014 wurde seitens der DFG der Transregio 154 Mathematische Modellierung, Simulation und Optimierung am Beispiel von Gasnetzwerken bewilligt. Die Forschungsarbeiten an den beteiligten Standorten, der Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (Sprecheruniversität; Sprecher: Alexander Martin), der Technischen Universität Darmstadt (stellvertretender Sprecher: Jens Lang), der Technischen Universität Berlin, der Humboldt Universität (stellvertretende Sprecherin: Caren Tischendorf) sowie den Partnerinstitutionen Weierstraß-Institut (Berlin), Konrad-Zuse-Zentrum (Berlin) und Universität Duisburg-Essen haben im Oktober 2014 begonnen. Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1515/dmvm-2015-0013 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Leugering, Günter A1 - Martin, Alexander A1 - Schmidt, Martin A1 - Sirvent, Mathias T1 - Nonoverlapping Domain Decomposition for Optimal Control Problems governed by Semilinear Models for Gas Flow in Networks N2 - We consider optimal control problems for gas flow in pipeline networks. The equations of motion are taken to be represented by a first-order system of hyperbolic semilinear equations derived from the fully nonlinear isothermal Euler gas equations. We formulate an optimal control problem on a network and introduce a tailored time discretization thereof. In order to further reduce the complexity, we consider an instantaneous control strategy. The main part of the paper is concerned with a nonoverlapping domain decomposition of the optimal control problem on the graph into local problems on smaller sub-graphs - ultimately on single edges. We prove convergence of the domain decomposition method on networks and study the wellposedness of the corresponding time-discrete optimal control problems. The point of the paper is that we establish virtual control problems on the decomposed subgraphs such that the corresponding optimality systems are in fact equal to the systems obtained via the domain decomposition of the entire optimality system. KW - Optimal control, Gas networks, Euler's equation, Semilinear PDE, Nonoverlapping domain decomposition Y1 - 2017 VL - 46 IS - 3 SP - 191 EP - 225 PB - Control and Cybernetics ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Grimm, Veronika A1 - Martin, Alexander A1 - Schmidt, Martin A1 - Weibelzahl, Martin A1 - Zöttl, Gregor T1 - Transmission and generation investment in electricity markets: The effects of market splitting and network fee regimes JF - European Journal of Operational Research N2 - We propose an equilibrium model that allows to analyze the long-run impact of the electricity market design on transmission line expansion by the regulator and investment in generation capacity by private firms in liberalized electricity markets. The model incorporates investment decisions of the transmission system operator and private firms in expectation of an energy-only market and cost-based redispatch. In different specifications we consider the cases of one vs. multiple price zones (market splitting) and analyze different approaches to recover network cost—in particular lump sum, generation capacity based, and energy based fees. In order to compare the outcomes of our multilevel market model with a first best benchmark, we also solve the corresponding integrated planner problem. Using two test networks we illustrate that energy-only markets can lead to suboptimal locational decisions for generation capacity and thus imply excessive network expansion. Market splitting heals these problems only partially. These results are valid for all considered types of network tariffs, although investment slightly differs across those regimes. KW - Electricity market modeling KW - Mixed-integer nonlinear optimization KW - Multilevel programming KW - Network expansion KW - Transmission management Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2016.03.044 VL - 254 IS - 2 SP - 493 EP - 509 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gugat, Martin A1 - Leugering, Günter A1 - Martin, Alexander A1 - Schmidt, Martin A1 - Sirvent, Mathias A1 - Wintergerst, David T1 - Towards Simulation Based Mixed-Integer Optimization with Differential Equations JF - Networks N2 - We propose a decomposition based method for solving mixed-integer nonlinear optimization problems with “black-box” nonlinearities, where the latter, e.g., may arise due to differential equations or expensive simulation runs. The method alternatingly solves a mixed-integer linear master problem and a separation problem for iteratively refining the mixed-integer linear relaxation of the nonlinear equalities. The latter yield nonconvex feasible sets for the optimization model but we have to restrict ourselves to convex and monotone constraint functions. Under these assumptions, we prove that our algorithm finitely terminates with an approximate feasible global optimal solution of the mixed integer nonlinear problem. Additionally, we show the applicability of our approach for three applications from optimal control with integer variables, from the field of pressurized flows in pipes with elastic walls, and from steady-state gas transport. For the latter we also present promising numerical results of our method applied to real-world instances that particularly show the effectiveness of our method for problems defined on networks. KW - Mixed-Integer Optimization KW - Simulation Based Optimization KW - Optimization with Differential Equations KW - Decomposition Method KW - Gas Transport Networks Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/net.21812 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sirvent, Mathias A1 - Kanelakis, Nikolaos A1 - Geißler, Björn A1 - Biskas, Pandelis T1 - A Linearized Model for the Optimization of the Coupled Electricity and Natural Gas System JF - Journal of Modern Power Systems and Clean Energy N2 - In the following paper a combined optimization of a coupled electricity and gas system is presented. For the electricity network a unit commitment problem with optimization of energy and reserves under a power pool, considering all system operational and unit technical constraints is solved. The gas network subproblem is a medium-scale mixed-integer nonconvex and nonlinear programming problem. The coupling constraints between the two networks are nonlinear as well. The resulting mixed-integer nonlinear program is linearized with the extended incremental method and an outer approximation technique. The resulting model is evaluated using the Greek power and gas system comprising fourteen gas-fired units under four different approximation accuracy levels. The results indicate the efficiency of the proposed MIP model and the interplay between computational requirements and accuracy. KW - Electricity System KW - Natural Gas System KW - Mixed-Integer (Non)Linear Programming KW - Extended Incremental Method KW - Outer Approximation Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s40565-017-0275-2 VL - 5 IS - 3 SP - 364 EP - 374 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gugat, Martin A1 - Leugering, Günter A1 - Hante, Falk ED - Piccoli, Benedetto T1 - Stationary States in Gas Networks JF - Networks and Heterogeneous Media N2 - Pipeline networks for gas transportation often contain circles. For such networks it is more difficult to determine the stationary states than for networks without circles. We present a method that allows to compute the stationary states for subsonic pipe flow governed by the isothermal Euler equations for certain pipeline networks that contain circles. We also show that suitably chosen boundary data determine the stationary states uniquely. The construction is based upon novel explicit representations of the stationary states on single pipes for the cases with zero slope and with nonzero slope. In the case with zero slope, the state can be represented using the Lambert-W function. KW - Network Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/doi:10.3934/nhm.2015.10.295 VL - 10 IS - 2 SP - 295 EP - 320 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Göß, Adrian A1 - Martin, Alexander A1 - Pokutta, Sebastian A1 - Sharma, Kartikey T1 - Norm-induced Cuts: Optimization with Lipschitzian Black-box Functions N2 - Optimal control problems usually involve constraints which model physical states and their possible transitions. These are represented by ordinary or partial differential equations (ODEs/PDEs) which add a component of infinite dimension to the problem. In recent literature, one method to simulate such ODEs/PDEs are physics-informed neural networks. Typically, neural networks are highly non-linear which makes their addition to optimization problems challenging. Hence, we leverage their often available Lipschitz property on a compact domain. The respective Lipschitz constants have to be computed only once and are accessible thereafter. We present a method that, based on this property, iteratively adds cuts involving the violation of the constraints by the current incumbent and the Lipschitz constant. Hereby, the “shape” of a cut depends on the norm used. We prove the correctness of the method by showing that it either returns an optimal solution when terminating or creates a sequence with optimal accumulation points. This is complemented by a discussion about the termination in the infeasible case, as well as an analysis of the problem complexity. For the analysis, we show that the lower and upper iteration bound asymptotically coincide when the relative approximation error goes to zero. In the end, we visualize the method on a small example based on a two-dimensional non-convex optimization problem, as well as stress the necessity of having a globally optimal oracle for the sub-problems by another example. KW - Global Optimization KW - Lipschitz Optimization KW - Black-box Optimization KW - Derivative-free Optimization Y1 - ER - TY - THES A1 - Krug, Richard T1 - Decomposition Methods for Time-Dependent Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Optimization Problems on Graphs N2 - Decomposition can be the method of choice to deal with optimization problems that contain hard to solve model structures or that are of large scale. The main idea is to decompose the problematic aspects of the problem into multiple smaller blocks that can be solved more easily. Here, the challenge is to combine the single pieces to a solution that is not only feasible but maybe even optimal for the original problem. In many cases, this can be done by introducing an iteration that eventually converges to a desired solution. In this cumulative dissertation, we present several iterative decomposition methods that are tailored to different types of optimization models and use distinct approaches to split up the problems. Our main motivation for this originates from the optimization of gas transport networks, where we encounter partial differential equations as well as discrete control decisions. Additionally, we engage in the related field of district heating network optimization to study the challenges arising from large-scale and fully discretized systems as well as undesirable model features such as, e.g., complementarity constraints. Here, we introduce two temperature mixing models that are well suited for optimization and a number of techniques to speed up the solution process, which are applied in numerical experiments. As a next step, we develop an iterative time-domain decomposition method that is applied to optimal control problems subject to semilinear hyperbolic systems of partial differential equations. For this, we derive first-order optimality conditions that are then split using a non-overlapping decomposition of the time horizon. We exploit the fact that the resulting systems have a primal interpretation as so-called virtual control problems. We prove the convergence of the iterative method and develop a posteriori error estimates. Later, we extend the scheme to systems of ordinary differential equations with mixed- integer controls by using Pontryagin’s maximum principle. We again show the convergence and conduct a numerical case study. Moreover, we use a consensus-based version of the classic penalty alternating direction method to solve tailored reformulations of transient gas network problems that allow us to minimize the number of coupling constraints between sub-problems. Here, we utilize the quasi-separable structure of the network to decompose it into sub-networks with more desirable properties. We also discuss different decomposition strategies and test them in a numerical case study. Finally, we present a successive linear relaxation method for mixed-integer nonlinear problems with multivariate Lipschitz continuous nonlinearities. The distinguishing feature of this algorithm is that it exploits no properties of the nonlinearities besides the Lipschitz constants. Therefore, the method is applicable for problems with non-convex or even non-differentiable constraints. The nonlinearities do not even need to be given in a closed form, which allows us to integrate black-box constraints into the model. We prove that the algorithm converges to an approximate global optimum and we provide a worst-case estimate for the number of iterations. The iterative method is applied to stationary gas transport problems, where implicitly given solutions of the differential equations are modeled via black-box constraints. Y1 - 2023 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Beck, Yasmine A1 - Ljubic, Ivana A1 - Schmidt, Martin T1 - A Survey on Bilevel Optimization Under Uncertainty N2 - Bilevel optimization is a very active field of applied mathematics. The main reason is that bilevel optimization problems can serve as a powerful tool for modeling hierarchical decision making processes. This ability, however, also makes the resulting problems challenging to solve - both in theory and practice. Fortunately, there have been significant algorithmic advances in the field of bilevel optimization so that we can solve much larger and also more complicated problems today compared to what was possible to solve two decades ago. This results in more and more challenging bilevel problems that researchers try to solve today. This survey gives a detailed overview of one of these more challenging classes of bilevel problems: bilevel optimization under uncertainty. We review the classic ways of addressing uncertainties in bilevel optimization using stochastic or robust techniques. Moreover, we highlight that the sources of uncertainty in bilevel optimization are much richer than for usual, i.e., single-level, problems since not only the problem's data can be uncertain but also the (observation of the) decisions of the two players can be subject to uncertainty. We thus also review the field of bilevel optimization under limited observability, the area of problems considering only near-optimal decisions, and discuss intermediate solution concepts between the optimistic and pessimistic cases. Finally, we also review the rich literature on applications studied using uncertain bilevel problems such as in energy, for interdiction games and security applications, in management sciences, and networks. KW - Bilevel optimization KW - Optimization under uncertainty KW - Bounded rationality KW - Survey Y1 - 2022 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Molan, Ioana A1 - Schmidt, Martin T1 - Using Neural Networks to Solve Linear Bilevel Problems with Unknown Lower Level N2 - Bilevel problems are used to model the interaction between two decision makers in which the lower-level problem, the so-called follower's problem, appears as a constraint in the upper-level problem of the so-called leader. One issue in many practical situations is that the follower's problem is not explicitly known by the leader. For such bilevel problems with unknown lower-level model we propose the use of neural networks to learn the follower's optimal response for given decisions of the leader based on available historical data of pairs of leader and follower decisions. Integrating the resulting neural network in a single-level reformulation of the bilevel problem leads to a challenging model with a black-box constraint. We exploit Lipschitz optimization techniques from the literature to solve this reformulation and illustrate the applicability of the proposed method with some preliminary case studies using academic and linear bilevel instances. KW - Bilevel optimization KW - Unknown follower problems KW - Neural networks KW - Lipschitz optimization Y1 - 2022 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Horländer, Andreas A1 - Schmidt, Martin T1 - A Penalty Branch-and-Bound Method for Mixed-Integer Quadratic Bilevel Problems N2 - We propose an algorithm for solving bilevel problems with mixed-integer convex-quadratic upper level as well as convex-quadratic and continuous lower level. The method is based on a classic branch-and-bound procedure, where branching is performed on the integer constraints and on the complementarity constraints resulting from the KKT reformulation of the lower-level problem. However, instead of branching on constraints as usual, suitably chosen penalty terms are added to the objective function in order to create new subproblems in the tree. We prove the correctness of the method and present its applicability by some first numerical results. KW - Bilevel optimization KW - Branch-and-bound KW - Penalty methods KW - Mixed-integer optimization Y1 - 2022 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Grübel, Julia A1 - Krug, Richard A1 - Schmidt, Martin A1 - Wollner, Winnifried T1 - A Successive Linear Relaxation Method for MINLPs with Multivariate Lipschitz Continuous Nonlinearities N2 - We present a novel method for mixed-integer optimization problems with multivariate and Lipschitz continuous nonlinearities. In particular, we do not assume that the nonlinear constraints are explicitly given but that we can only evaluate them and that we know their global Lipschitz constants. The algorithm is a successive linear relaxation method in which we alternate between solving a master problem, which is a mixed-integer linear relaxation of the original problem, and a subproblem, which is designed to tighten the linear relaxation of the next master problem by using the Lipschitz information about the respective functions. By doing so, we follow the ideas of Schmidt et al. (2018, 2021) and improve the tackling of multivariate constraints. Although multivariate nonlinearities obviously increase modeling capabilities, their incorporation also significantly increases the computational burden of the proposed algorithm. We prove the correctness of our method and also derive a worst-case iteration bound. Finally, we show the generality of the addressed problem class and the proposed method by illustrating that both bilevel optimization problems with nonconvex and quadratic lower levels as well as nonlinear and mixed-integer models of gas transport can be tackled by our method. We provide the necessary theory for both applications and briefly illustrate the outcomes of the new method when applied to these two problems. KW - Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Optimization KW - Global Optimization KW - Lipschitz Optimization KW - Bilevel Optimization KW - Gas Networks Y1 - 2022 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Kreimeier, Timo A1 - Pokutta, Sebastian A1 - Walther, Andrea A1 - Woodstock, Zev T1 - On a Frank-Wolfe Approach for Abs-smooth Functions N2 - We propose an algorithm which appears to be the first bridge between the fields of conditional gradient methods and abs-smooth optimization. Our nonsmooth nonconvex problem setting is motivated by machine learning, since the broad class of abs-smooth functions includes, for instance, the squared $\ell_2$-error of a neural network with ReLU or hinge Loss activation. To overcome the nonsmoothness in our problem, we propose a generalization to the traditional Frank-Wolfe gap and prove that first-order minimality is achieved when it vanishes. We derive a convergence rate for our algorithm which is identical to the smooth case. Although our algorithm necessitates the solution of a subproblem which is more challenging than the smooth case, we provide an efficient numerical method for its partial solution, and we identify several applications where our approach fully solves the subproblem. Numerical and theoretical convergence is demonstrated, yielding several conjectures. KW - Frank-Wolfe algorithm KW - Active Signature Method KW - abs-smooth functions KW - nonsmooth optimization KW - convergence rate Y1 - 2022 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Reuß, Markus A1 - Welder, Lara A1 - Thürauf, Johannes A1 - Linßen, Jochen A1 - Grube, Thomas A1 - Schewe, Lars A1 - Schmidt, Martin A1 - Stolten, Detlef A1 - Robinius, Martin T1 - Modeling Hydrogen Networks for Future Energy Systems: A Comparison of Linear and Nonlinear Approaches JF - International Journal of Hydrogen Energy N2 - Common energy system models that integrate hydrogen transport in pipelines typically simplify fluid flow models and reduce the network size in order to achieve solutions quickly. This contribution analyzes two different types of pipeline network topologies (namely, star and tree networks) and two different fluid flow models (linear and nonlinear) for a given hydrogen capacity scenario of electrical reconversion in Germany to analyze the impact of these simplifications. For each network topology, robust demand and supply scenarios are generated. The results show that a simplified topology, as well as the consideration of detailed fluid flow, could heavily influence the total pipeline investment costs. For the given capacity scenario, an overall cost reduction of the pipeline costs of 37% is observed for the star network with linear cost compared to the tree network with nonlinear fluid flow. The impact of these improvements regarding the total electricity reconversion costs has led to a cost reduction of 1.4%, which is fairly small. Therefore, the integration of nonlinearities into energy system optimization models is not recommended due to their high computational burden. However, the applied method for generating robust demand and supply scenarios improved the credibility and robustness of the network topology, while the simplified fluid flow consideration can lead to infeasibilities. Thus, we suggest the utilization of the nonlinear model for post- processing to prove the feasibility of the results and strengthen their credibility, while retaining the computational performance of linear modeling. Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.10.080 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Grimm, Veronika A1 - Hintermüller, Michael A1 - Huber, Olivier A1 - Schewe, Lars A1 - Schmidt, Martin A1 - Zöttl, Gregor T1 - A PDE-Constrained Generalized Nash Equilibrium Approach for Modeling Gas Markets with Transport N2 - We investigate a class of generalized Nash equilibrium problems (GNEPs) in which the objectives of the individuals are interdependent and the shared constraint consists of a system of partial differential equations. This setup is motivated by the modeling of strategic interactions of competing firms, which explicitly take into account the dynamics of transporting a commodity, such as natural gas, through a network. We establish the existence of a variational equilibrium of the GNEP. In the case of symmetric firms, we identify an equivalent optimization problem. We use this model to numerically explore the impact of linepacking, that is the use of the network as a temporary storage device. In particular, we study the firms' decisions under various linepacking abilities and analyze which market participants benefit from it. Y1 - ER - TY - INPR A1 - Cattaruzza, Diego A1 - Labbé, Martine A1 - Petris, Matteo A1 - Roland, Marius A1 - Schmidt, Martin T1 - Exact and Heuristic Solution Techniques for Mixed-Integer Quantile Minimization Problems N2 - We consider mixed-integer linear quantile minimization problems that yield large-scale problems that are very hard to solve for real-world instances. We motivate the study of this problem class by two important real-world problems: a maintenance planning problem for electricity networks and a quantile-based variant of the classic portfolio optimization problem. For these problems, we develop valid inequalities and present an overlapping alternating direction method. Moreover, we discuss an adaptive scenario clustering method for which we prove that it terminates after a finite number of iterations with a global optimal solution. We study the computational impact of all presented techniques and finally show that their combination leads to an overall method that can solve the maintenance planning problem on large-scale real-world instances provided by the ROADEF challenge 2020 and that they also lead to significant improvements when solving a quantile-version of the classic portfolio optimization problem. KW - Quantile Minimization KW - Value-at-Risk (VaR) KW - Mixed-Integer Optimization KW - Valid Inequalities KW - Adaptive Clustering Y1 - 2021 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Beck, Yasmine A1 - Ljubic, Ivana A1 - Schmidt, Martin T1 - Exact Methods for Discrete Γ-Robust Interdiction Problems with an Application to the Bilevel Knapsack Problem N2 - Developing solution methods for discrete bilevel problems is known to be a challenging task - even if all parameters of the problem are exactly known. Many real-world applications of bilevel optimization, however, involve data uncertainty. We study discrete min-max problems with a follower who faces uncertainties regarding the parameters of the lower-level problem. Adopting a Γ-robust approach, we present an extended formulation and a multi-follower formulation to model this type of problem. For both settings, we provide a generic branch-and-cut framework. Specifically, we investigate interdiction problems with a monotone Γ-robust follower and we derive problem-tailored cuts, which extend existing techniques that have been proposed for the deterministic case. For the Γ-robust knapsack interdiction problem, we computationally evaluate and compare the performance of the proposed algorithms for both modeling approaches. KW - Bilevel optimization KW - Robust optimization KW - Knapsack interdiction KW - Mixed-integer programming KW - Branch-and-Cut Y1 - 2021 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Halbig, Katrin A1 - Hümbs, Lukas A1 - Rösel, Florian A1 - Schewe, Lars A1 - Weninger, Dieter T1 - Computing optimality certificates for convex mixed-integer nonlinear problems N2 - Every optimization problem has a corresponding verification problem which verifies whether a given optimal solution is in fact optimal. In the literature there are a lot of such ways to verify optimality for a given solution, e.g., the branch-and-bound tree. To simplify this task, Baes et al. introduced optimality certificates for convex mixed-integer nonlinear programs and proved that these are bounded in the number of integer variables. We introduce an algorithm to compute the certificates and conduct computational experiments. Through the experiments we show that the optimality certificates can be surprisingly small. Y1 - 2021 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Aigner, Kevin-Martin A1 - Schaumann, Peter A1 - von Loeper, Freimut A1 - Martin, Alexander A1 - Schmidt, Volker A1 - Liers, Frauke T1 - Robust DC Optimal Power Flow with Modeling of Solar Power Supply Uncertainty via R-Vine Copulas N2 - We present a robust approximation of joint chance constrained DC Optimal Power Flow in combination with a model-based prediction of uncertain power supply via R-vine copulas. It is applied to optimize the discrete curtailment of solar feed-in in an electrical distribution network and guarantees network stability under fluctuating feed-in. This is modeled by a two-stage mixed-integer stochastic optimization problem proposed by Aigner et al. (European Journal of Operational Research, (2021)). The solution approach is based on the approximation of chance constraints via robust constraints using suitable uncertainty sets. The resulting robust optimization problem has a known equivalent tractable reformulation. To compute uncertainty sets that lead to an inner approximation of the stochastic problem, an R-vine copula model is fitted to the distribution of the multi-dimensional power forecast error, i.e., the difference between the forecasted solar power and the measured feed-in at several network nodes. The uncertainty sets are determined by encompassing a sufficient number of samples drawn from the R-vine copula model. Furthermore, an enhanced algorithm is proposed to fit R-vine copulas which can be used to draw conditional samples for given solar radiation forecasts. The experimental results obtained for real-world weather and network data demonstrate the effectiveness of the combination of stochastic programming and model-based prediction of uncertainty via copulas. We improve the outcomes of previous work by showing that the resulting uncertainty sets are much smaller and lead to less conservative solutions while maintaining the same probabilistic guarantees. KW - chance constrained programming KW - optimal power flow KW - robust optimization KW - conditional uncertainty set KW - R-vine copula Y1 - ER - TY - INPR A1 - Leugering, Günter T1 - Nonoverlapping Domain Decomposition for Instantaneous Optimal Control of Friction Dominated Flow in a Gas-Network N2 - We consider a non-overlapping domain decomposition method for an optimal control problem related to the flow of gas in a pipe network. The equations of motions are taken to be represented by a friction dominated model derived from a semi-linear approximation of the fully nonlinear isothermal Euler gas equations. This involves a p-Laplace-type problem on the graph with p = 3/2. We continue the work by Leugering and Mophou where such a problem has been discussed in the context of an instantaneous control strategy. We provide a non-overlapping domain decomposition in the spirit of P.L. Lions for elliptic problems and extend the method to the first order optimality system. KW - Optimal control KW - Gas networks KW - p-Laplace problem on a graph KW - Optimality system KW - Domain decomposition Y1 - 2022 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Hannes, Dänschel A1 - Volker, Mehrmann A1 - Roland, Marius A1 - Schmidt, Martin T1 - Adaptive Nonlinear Optimization of District Heating Networks Based on Model and Discretization Catalogs N2 - We propose an adaptive optimization algorithm for operating district heating networks in a stationary regime. The behavior of hot water flow in the pipe network is modeled using the incompressible Euler equations and a suitably chosen energy equation. By applying different simplifications to these equations, we derive a catalog of models. Our algorithm is based on this catalog and adaptively controls where in the network which model is used. Moreover, the granularity of the applied discretization is controlled in a similar adaptive manner. By doing so, we are able to obtain optimal solutions at low computational costs that satisfy a prescribed tolerance w.r.t. the most accurate modeling level. To adaptively control the switching between different levels and the adaptation of the discretization grids, we derive error measure formulas and a posteriori error measure estimators. Under reasonable assumptions we prove that the adaptive algorithm terminates after finitely many iterations. Our numerical results show that the algorithm is able to produce solutions for problem instances that have not been solvable before. KW - District heating networks KW - Adaptive methods KW - Nonlinear optimization Y1 - 2022 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Beck, Yasmine A1 - Schmidt, Martin A1 - Thürauf, Johannes A1 - Bienstock, Daniel T1 - On a Computationally Ill-Behaved Bilevel Problem with a Continuous and Nonconvex Lower Level N2 - It is well known that bilevel optimization problems are hard to solve both in theory and practice. In this paper, we highlight a further computational difficulty when it comes to solving bilevel problems with continuous but nonconvex lower levels. Even if the lower-level problem is solved to ɛ-feasibility regarding its nonlinear constraints for an arbitrarily small but positive ɛ, the obtained bilevel solution as well as its objective value may be arbitrarily far away from the actual bilevel solution and its actual objective value. This result even holds for bilevel problems for which the nonconvex lower level is uniquely solvable, for which the strict complementarity condition holds, for which the feasible set is convex, and for which Slater's constraint qualification is satisfied for all feasible upper-level decisions. Since the consideration of ɛ-feasibility cannot be avoided when solving nonconvex problems to global optimality, our result shows that computational bilevel optimization with continuous and nonconvex lower levels needs to be done with great care. Finally, we illustrate that the nonlinearities in the lower level are the key reason for the observed bad behavior by showing that linear bilevel problems behave much better at least on the level of feasible solutions. KW - Bilevel optimization KW - Nonconvex lower levels KW - Approximate feasibility KW - Global optimization Y1 - 2022 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Leugering, Günter T1 - Nonoverlapping Domain Decomposition in Space and Time for Optimal Control Problems on Metric Graphs by the Example of Gas Flow in Pipe Networks N2 - We consider non-overlapping domain decomposition methods for ordinary and partial differential equations and corresponding optimal control problems on metric graphs. As an exemplary context, we chose a semilinear approximation of the Euler system and a doubly nonlinear parabolic model that has come to be known as friction dominated flow in gas pipe networks. By this choice, we encounter hyperbolic, parabolic and elliptic linear and nonlinear problems in a single highly motivating application. We depart from the classical domain decomposition methods described by P.L. Lions and J.L. Lions and O. Pironneau and extend those to problems on metric graphs. The choice of methods is determined by the desire to use a control concept that has come to be known as virtual controls which, in turn, possibly lead to a fully parallel decomposition of the corresponding optimality systems. In a second step, we extend the methods to p-Laplace problems on networks. The analysis, due to space limitations, will appear in a forthcoming publication. See however J.E. Lagnese and G. Leugering. Furthermore, we then describe methods for space and time domain decomposition or optimal control problems in the spirit of J.E. Lagnese and G. Leugering. We finally provide some comments on PINN-based approximations of the methods described before. We provide numerical evidence for all algorithms discussed. KW - Optimal control KW - PDEs on graphs KW - p-Laplace problem on a graph KW - p-parabolic problems KW - instantaneous control Y1 - 2022 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Schmidt, Martin A1 - Thürauf, Johannes T1 - An Exact Method for Nonlinear Network Flow Interdiction Problems N2 - We study network flow interdiction problems with nonlinear and nonconvex flow models. The resulting model is a max-min bilevel optimization problem in which the follower's problem is nonlinear and nonconvex. In this game, the leader attacks a limited number of arcs with the goal to maximize the load shed and the follower aims at minimizing the load shed by solving a transport problem in the interdicted network. We develop an exact algorithm consisting of lower and upper bounding schemes that computes an optimal interdiction under the assumption that the interdicted network remains weakly connected. The main challenge consists of computing valid upper bounds for the maximal load shed, whereas lower bounds can directly be derived from the follower's problem. To compute an upper bound, we propose solving a specific bilevel problem, which is derived from restricting the flexibility of the follower when adjusting the load flow. This bilevel problem still has a nonlinear and nonconvex follower's problem, for which we then prove necessary and sufficient optimality conditions. Consequently, we obtain equivalent single-level reformulations of the specific bilevel model to compute upper bounds. Our numerical results show the applicability of this exact approach using the example of gas networks. KW - Interdiction Games KW - Bilevel Optimization KW - Potential-Based Flows KW - Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Optimization Y1 - 2022 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Krug, Richard A1 - Leugering, Günter A1 - Martin, Alexander A1 - Schmidt, Martin A1 - Weninger, Dieter T1 - A Consensus-Based Alternating Direction Method for Mixed-Integer and PDE-Constrained Gas Transport Problems N2 - We consider dynamic gas transport optimization problems, which lead to large-scale and nonconvex mixed-integer nonlinear optimization problems (MINLPs) on graphs. Usually, the resulting instances are too challenging to be solved by state-of-the-art MINLP solvers. In this paper, we use graph decompositions to obtain multiple optimization problems on smaller blocks, which can be solved in parallel and which may result in simpler classes of optimization problems since not every block necessarily contains mixed-integer or nonlinear aspects. For achieving feasibility at the interfaces of the several blocks, we employ a tailored consensus-based penalty alternating direction method. Our numerical results show that such decomposition techniques can outperform the baseline approach of just solving the overall MINLP from scratch. However, a complete answer to the question of how to decompose MINLPs on graphs in dependence of the given model is still an open topic for future research. KW - Gas transport networks KW - Mixed-integer nonlinear optimization KW - Alternating direction methods KW - Graph decomposition KW - Penalty methods Y1 - 2022 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Hante, Falk M. A1 - Schmidt, Martin T1 - Gas Transport Network Optimization: PDE-Constrained Models N2 - The optimal control of gas transport networks was and still is a very important topic for modern economies and societies. Accordingly, a lot of research has been carried out on this topic during the last years and decades. Besides mixed-integer aspects in gas transport network optimization, one of the main challenges is that a physically and technically detailed modeling of transient gas dynamics leads to theoretically and computationally highly demanding models involving nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs). For further background on the application, historical notes and a detailed discussion of mixed-integer aspects for stationary descriptions we refer to Hante and Schmidt (2023). In this chapter, we focus on the most common modeling approaches concerning transient descriptions, point out the challenges, and summarize important contributions concerning the optimization of the most relevant control parameters for this particular class of problems. KW - Gas networks KW - Partial differential equations KW - Optimal control KW - PDE-constrained optimization KW - Modeling Y1 - 2023 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Hante, Falk M. A1 - Schmidt, Martin T1 - Gas Transport Network Optimization: Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Models N2 - Although modern societies strive towards energy systems that are entirely based on renewable energy carriers, natural gas is still one of the most important energy sources. This became even more obvious in Europe with Russia's 2022 war against the Ukraine and the resulting stop of gas supplies from Russia. Besides that it is very important to use this scarce resource efficiently. To this end, it is also of significant relevance that its transport is organized in the most efficient, i.e., cost- or energy-efficient, way. The corresponding mathematical optimization models have gained a lot of attention in the last decades in different optimization communities. These models are highly nonlinear mixed-integer problems that are constrained by algebraic constraints and partial differential equations (PDEs), which usually leads to models that are not tractable. Hence, simplifications have to be made and in this chapter, we present a commonly accepted finite-dimensional stationary model, i.e., a model in which the steady-state solutions of the PDEs are approximated with algebraic constraints. For more details about the involved PDEs and the treatment of transient descriptions we refer to Hante and Schmidt (2023). The presented finite-dimensional as well as mixed-integer nonlinear and nonconvex model is still highly challenging if it needs to be solved for real-world gas transport networks. Hence, we also review some classic solution approaches from the literature. KW - Gas networks KW - Mixed-integer nonlinear optimization KW - Mixed-integer linear optimization KW - Nonlinear optimization Y1 - 2023 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Henrion, René A1 - Schmidt, Martin T1 - Chance-Constrained Linear Complementarity Problems N2 - We study linear complementarity problems (LCPs) under uncer- tainty, which we model using chance constraints. Since the complementarity condition of the LCP is an equality constraint, it is required to consider relax- ations, which naturally leads to optimization problems in which the relaxation parameters are minimized for given probability levels. We focus on these optimization problems and first study the continuity of the related probability functions and the compactness of the feasible sets. This leads to existence results for both types of models: one with a joint chance constraint and one with separate chance constraints for both uncertainty-affected conditions of the LCP. For both, we prove the differentiability of all probability functions and derive respective gradient formulae. For the separate case, we prove con- vexity of the respective optimization problem and use the gradient formulae to derive necessary and sufficient optimality conditions. In a small case study regarding a Cournot oligopoly among energy producers, we finally illustrate the applicability of our theoretical findings. KW - Linear complementarity problems KW - Chance constraints KW - Existence KW - Convexity KW - Optimality conditions Y1 - 2026 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Aigner, Kevin-Martin A1 - Denzler, Sebastian A1 - Liers, Frauke A1 - Pokutta, Sebastian A1 - Sharma, Kartikey T1 - Scenario Reduction for Distributionally Robust Optimization N2 - Stochastic and (distributionally) robust optimization problems often become computationally challenging as the number of scenarios increases. Scenario reduction is therefore a key technique for improving tractability. We introduce a general scenario reduction method for distributionally robust optimization (DRO), which includes stochastic and robust optimization as special cases. Our approach constructs the reduced DRO problem by projecting the original ambiguity set onto a reduced set of scenarios. Under mild conditions, we establish bounds on the relative quality of the reduction. The methodology is applicable to random variables following either discrete or continuous probability distributions, with representative scenarios appropriately selected in both cases. Given the relevance of optimization problems with linear and quadratic objectives, we further refine our approach for these settings. Finally, we demonstrate its effectiveness through numerical experiments on mixed-integer benchmark instances from MIPLIB and portfolio optimization problems. Our results show that the oroposed approximation significantly reduces solution time while maintaining high solution quality with only minor errors. KW - distributionally robust optimization KW - scenario reduction KW - scenario clustering KW - approximation bounds KW - mixed-integer programming Y1 - 2025 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Pokutta, Sebastian A1 - Spiegel, Christoph A1 - Zimmer, Max A1 - Kiem, Aldo A1 - Mundinger, Konrad T1 - Neural Discovery in Mathematics: Do Machines Dream of Colored Planes? N2 - We demonstrate how neural networks can drive mathematical discovery through a case study of the Hadwiger-Nelson problem, a long-standing open problem at the intersection of discrete geometry and extremal combinatorics that is concerned with coloring the plane while avoiding monochromatic unit-distance pairs. Using neural networks as approximators, we reformulate this mixed discrete-continuous geometric coloring problem with hard constraints as an optimization task with a probabilistic, differentiable loss function. This enables gradient based exploration of admissible configurations that most significantly led to the discovery of two novel six-colorings, providing the first improvement in thirty years to the off-diagonal variant of the original problem (Mundinger et al., 2024a). Here, we establish the underlying machine learning approach used to obtain these results and demonstrate its broader applicability through additional numerical insights. Y1 - 2025 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Pokutta, Sebastian A1 - Zimmer, Max A1 - Mundinger, Konrad T1 - Neural Parameter Regression for Explicit Representations of PDE Solution Operators N2 - We introduce Neural Parameter Regression (NPR), a novel framework specifically developed for learning solution operators in Partial Differential Equations (PDEs). Tailored for operator learning, this approach surpasses traditional DeepONets (Lu et. al, 2021) by employing Physics-Informed Neural Network (Raissi et. al, 2019) techniques to regress Neural Network (NN) parameters. By parametrizing each solution based on specific initial conditions, it effectively approximates a mapping between function spaces. Our method enhances parameter efficiency by incorporating low-rank matrices, thereby boosting computational efficiency and scalability. The framework shows remarkable adaptability to new initial and boundary conditions, allowing for rapid fine-tuning and inference, even in cases of out-of-distribution examples. Y1 - 2024 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pokutta, Sebastian A1 - Spiegel, Christoph A1 - Zimmer, Max A1 - Mundinger, Konrad T1 - Extending the Continuum of Six-Colorings JF - Geocombinatorics Quarterly N2 - We present two novel six-colorings of the Euclidean plane that avoid monochromatic pairs of points at unit distance in five colors and monochromatic pairs at another specified distance $d$ in the sixth color. Such colorings have previously been known to exist for $0.41 < \sqrt{2} - 1 \le d \le 1 / \sqrt{5} < 0.45$. Our results significantly expand that range to $0.354 \le d \le 0.657$, the first improvement in 30 years. Notably, the constructions underlying this were derived by formalizing colorings suggested by a custom machine learning approach. Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.48550 VL - Geocombinatorics Quarterly IS - Volume XXXIV: 2024 ER -