The 20 most recently published documents
We study the classic single-item auction setting of Myerson, but under the assumption that the buyers' values for the item are distributed over "finite" supports. Using strong LP duality and polyhedral theory, we rederive various key results regarding the revenue-maximizing auction, including the characterization through virtual welfare maximization and the optimality of deterministic mechanisms, as well as a novel, generic equivalence between dominant-strategy and Bayesian incentive compatibility.
Inspired by this, we abstract our approach to handle more general auction settings, where the feasibility space can be given by arbitrary convex constraints, and the objective is a linear combination of revenue and social welfare. We characterize the optimal auctions of such systems as generalized virtual welfare maximizers, by making use of their KKT conditions, and we present an analogue of Myerson's payment formula for general discrete single-parameter auction settings. Additionally, we prove that total unimodularity of the feasibility space is a sufficient condition to guarantee the optimality of auctions with integral allocation rules.
Finally, we demonstrate this KKT approach by applying it to a setting where bidders are interested in buying feasible flows on trees with capacity constraints, and provide a combinatorial description of the (randomized, in general) optimal auction.
The optimal control problems for the wave equation are considered on networks. The turnpike property is shown for the state equation, the adjoint state equation as well as the optimal cost. The shape and topology optimization is performed for the network with the shape functional given by the optimality system of the control problem. The set of admissible shapes for the network is compact in finite dimensions, thus the use of turnpike property is straightforward. The topology optimization is analysed for an example of nucleation of a small cycle at the internal node of network. The topological derivative of the cost is introduced and evaluated in the framework of domain decomposition technique. Numerical examples are provided.
We consider the Euler equations for a pipeline flow of a mixture of two gases. An important application is hydrogen blending. Existence and uniqueness of semi-global solutions is shown and possible boundary conditions are analyzed.
Secondly, we consider classes of associated optimal control problems and show existence of solutions.
In the operation of pipeline networks, compressors play a crucial role in ensuring the network’s functionality for various scenarios. In this contribution we address the important question of finding the optimal location of the compressors. This problem is of a novel structure, since it is related
with the gas dynamics that governs the network flow. That results in non-convex mixed integer stochastic optimization problems with probabilistic constraints.
Using a steady state model for the gas flow in pipeline networks including compressor control and uncertain loads given by certain probability distributions, the problem of finding the optimal location for the
control on the network, s.t. the control cost is minimal and the gas pressure stays within given bounds, is considered.
In the deterministic setting, explicit bounds for the pipe length and the inlet pressure, s.t. a unique optimal compressor location with minimal control cost exists, are presented. In the probabilistic setting,
an existence result for the optimal compressor location is presented and the uniqueness of the solution is discussed depending on the probability distribution. For Gaussian distributed loads a uniqueness result
for the optimal compressor location is presented.
Further the problem of finding the optimal compressor locations on networks including the number of compressor stations as variable is considered. Results for the existence of optimal locations on a graph in
both, the deterministic and the probabilistic setting, are presented and the uniqueness of the solutions is discussed depending on probability distributions and graph topology. The paper concludes with an illustrative example demonstrating that the compressor locations determined using a steady state approach are also admissible in transient settings.
On the Convergence of Optimization Problems with Kernel Density Estimated Probabilistic Constraints
(2024)
Uncertainty plays a significant role in applied mathematics and probabilistic constraints are widely used to model uncertainty in various fields, even if probabilistic constraints often demand computational challenges. Kernel density estimation (KDE) provides a data-driven approach for properly estimating probability density functions and efficiently evaluate corresponding probabilities.
In this paper, we investigate optimization problems with probabilistic constraints, where the probabilities are approximated using a KDE approach. We establish sufficient conditions under which the solution of the KDE approximated optimization problem converges to the solution of the original problem as the sample size goes to infinity.
The main results of this paper include three theorems: (1) For sufficiently large sample sizes, the solution of the original problem is also a solution of the approximated problem, if the probabilistic constraint is passive; (2) The limit of a convergent sequence of solutions of the approximated problems is a solution of the original problem, if the KDE uniformly converges; (3) We provide sufficient conditions for the existence of a convergent sequence of solutions of the approximated problems.
We present a feedback scheme for non-cooperative dynamic games and investigate its stabilizing properties. The dynamic games are modeled as generalized Nash equilibrium problems (GNEP), in which the shared constraint consists of linear time-discrete dynamic equations (e.g., sampled from a partial or ordinary differential equation), which are jointly controlled by the players’ actions. Further, the individual objectives of the players are interdependent and defined over a fixed time horizon. The feedback law is synthesized by moving-horizon model predictive control (MPC). We investigate the asymptotic stability of the resulting closed-loop dynamics. To this end, we introduce α-quasi GNEPs, a family of auxiliary problems based on a modification of the Nikaido–Isoda function, which approximate the original games. Basing the MPC scheme on these auxiliary problems, we derive conditions on the players’ objectives, which guarantee asymptotic stability of the closed-loop if stabilizing end constraints are enforced. This analysis is based on showing that the associated optimal-value function is a Lyapunov function. Additionally, we identify a suitable Lyapunov function for the MPC scheme based on the original GNEP, whose solution fulfills the stabilizing end constraints. The theoretical results are complemented by numerical experiments.
Outer approximation for generalized convex mixed-integer nonlinear robust optimization problems
(2024)
We consider mixed-integer nonlinear robust optimization problems with nonconvexities. In detail, the functions can be nonsmooth and generalized convex, i.e., f°-quasiconvex or f°-pseudoconvex. We propose a robust optimization method that requires no certain structure of the adversarial problem, but only approximate worst-case evaluations. The method integrates a bundle method, for continuous subproblems, into an outer approximation approach. We prove that our algorithm converges and finds an approximately robust optimal solution and propose robust gas transport as a suitable application.
We study network design problems for nonlinear and nonconvex flow models under demand uncertainties. To this end, we apply the concept of adjustable robust optimization to compute a network design that admits a feasible transport for all, possibly infinitely many, demand scenarios within a given uncertainty set. For solving the corresponding adjustable robust mixed-integer nonlinear optimization problem, we show that a given network design is robust feasible, i.e., it admits a feasible transport for all demand uncertainties, if and only if a finite number of worst-case demand scenarios can be routed through the network. We compute these worst-case scenarios by solving polynomially many nonlinear optimization problems. Embedding this result for robust feasibility in an adversarial approach leads to an exact algorithm that computes an optimal robust network design in a finite number of iterations. Since all of the results are valid for general potential-based flows, the approach can be applied to different utility networks such as gas, hydrogen, or water networks. We finally demonstrate the applicability of the method by computing robust gas networks that are protected from future demand fluctuations.
High-dimensional interpolation problems appear in various applications of uncertainty quantification, stochastic optimization and machine learning. Such problems are computationally expensive and request the use of adaptive grid generation strategies like anisotropic sparse grids to mitigate the curse of dimensionality. However, it is well known that the standard dimension-adaptive sparse grid method converges very slowly or even fails in the case of non-smooth functions. For piecewise smooth functions with kinks, we construct two novel hp-adaptive sparse grid collocation algorithms that combine low-order basis functions with local support in parts of the domain with less regularity and variable-order basis functions elsewhere. Spatial refinement is realized by means of a hierarchical multivariate knot tree which allows the construction of localised hierarchical basis functions with varying order. Hierarchical surplus is used as an error indicator to automatically detect the non-smooth region and adaptively refine the collocation points there. The local polynomial degrees are optionally selected by a greedy approach or a kink detection procedure. Three numerical benchmark examples with different dimensions are discussed and comparison with locally linear and highest degree basis functions are given to show the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed methods.
Method-of-lines discretizations are demanding test problems for stiff inte-
gration methods. However, for PDE problems with known analytic solution
the presence of space discretization errors or the need to use codes to compute
reference solutions may limit the validity of numerical test results. To over-
come these drawbacks we present in this short note a simple test problem with
boundary control, a situation where one-step methods may suffer from order
reduction. We derive exact formulas for the solution of an optimal boundary
control problem governed by a one-dimensional discrete heat equation and an
objective function that measures the distance of the final state from the target
and the control costs. This analytical setting is used to compare the numeri-
cally observed convergence orders for selected implicit Runge-Kutta and Peer
two-step methods of classical order four which are suitable for optimal control
problems.
Physics informed neural networks have been recently proposed and offer a new promising method to solve differential equations. They have been adapted to many more scenarios and different variations of the original method have been proposed. In this case study we review many of these variations. We focus on variants that can compensate for imbalances in the loss function and perform a comprehensive numerical comparison of these variants with application to gas transport problems. Our case study includes different formulations of the loss function, different algorithmic loss balancing methods, different optimization schemes and different numbers of parameters and sampling points. We conclude that the original PINN approach with specifically chosen constant weights in the loss function gives the best results in our tests. These weights have been obtained by a computationally expensive random-search scheme. We further conclude for our test case that loss balancing methods which were developed for other differential equations have no benefit for gas transport problems, that the control volume physics informed formulation has no benefit against the initial formulation and that the best optimization strategy is the L-BFGS method.
This paper is concerned with the construction and convergence analysis
of novel implicit Peer triplets of two-step nature with four stages for nonlinear
ODE constrained optimal control problems. We combine the property of superconvergence
of some standard Peer method for inner grid points with carefully
designed starting and end methods to achieve order four for the state variables
and order three for the adjoint variables in a first-discretize-then-optimize approach
together with A-stability. The notion triplets emphasizes that these
three different Peer methods have to satisfy additional matching conditions.
Four such Peer triplets of practical interest are constructed. Also as a benchmark
method, the well-known backward differentiation formula BDF4, which is
only A(73.35)-stable, is extended to a special Peer triplet to supply an adjoint
consistent method of higher order and BDF type with equidistant nodes. Within
the class of Peer triplets, we found a diagonally implicit A(84)-stable method
with nodes symmetric in [0,1] to a common center that performs equally well.
Numerical tests with three well established optimal control problems confirm
the theoretical findings also concerning A-stability.
With this overview we want to provide a compilation of different models for
the description of gas flow in networks in order to facilitate the introduction
to the topic. Special attention is paid to the hierarchical structure inherent
to the modeling, and the detailed description of individual components such
as valves and compressors. Also included are network model classes based
on purely algebraic relations, and energy-based port-Hamiltonian models. A
short overview of basic numerical methods and concepts for the treatment
of hyperbolic balance equations is also given. We do not claim completeness
and refer in many places to the existing literature.
Implicit Peer Triplets in Gradient-Based Solution Algorithms for ODE Constrained Optimal Control
(2024)
It is common practice to apply gradient-based optimization algorithms to
numerically solve large-scale ODE constrained optimal control problems. Gradients
of the objective function are most efficiently computed by approximate
adjoint variables. High accuracy with moderate computing time can be achieved
by such time integration methods that satisfy a sufficiently large number of adjoint
order conditions and supply gradients with higher orders of consistency. In
this paper, we upgrade our former implicit two-step Peer triplets constructed in
[Algorithms, 15:310, 2022] to meet those new requirements. Since Peer methods
use several stages of the same high stage order, a decisive advantage is their lack
of order reduction as for semi-discretized PDE problems with boundary control.
Additional order conditions for the control and certain positivity requirements
now intensify the demands on the Peer triplet. We discuss the construction of
4-stage methods with order pairs (4,3) and (3,3) in detail and provide three
Peer triplets of practical interest. We prove convergence for s-stage methods,
for instance, order s for the state variables even if the adjoint method and the
control satisfy the conditions for order s-1, only. Numerical tests show the
expected order of convergence for the new Peer triplets.
We propose a method to solve linear generalized Nash equilibrium problems (LGNEPs). For this purpose, a reformulation of the LGNEPs as piecewise linear problems is considered. This requires the calculation of all vertices for a special kind of unbounded convex polyhedra. Then the active signature method for constrained abs-linear problems can be used to determine the Nash equilibria. We analyse the computational effort for the resulting solution procedure. This includes also the verification of suitable optimality conditions. Finally, we present and analyse numerical results for some test problems.
The entropy-based moment method is a well-known discretization for the velocity variable in kinetic equations which has many desirable theoretical properties but is difficult to implement with high-order numerical methods. The regularized entropy-based moment method was recently introduced to remove one of the main challenges in the implementation of the entropy-based moment method, namely the requirement of the realizability of the numerical solution. In this work we use the method of relative entropy to prove the convergence of the regularized method to the original method as the regularization parameter goes to zero and give convergence rates. Our main assumptions are the boundedness of the velocity domain and that the original moment solution is Lipschitz continuous in space and bounded away from the boundary of realizability. We provide results from numerical simulations showing that the convergence rates we prove are optimal.
We study a finite volume scheme approximating a parabolic-elliptic Keller-Segel system with power law diffusion with exponent γ∈[1,3] and periodic boundary conditions. We derive conditional a posteriori bounds for the error measured in the L∞(0,T;H1(Ω)) norm for the chemoattractant and by a quasi-norm-like quantity for the density. These results are based on stability estimates and suitable conforming reconstructions of the numerical solution. We perform numerical experiments showing that our error bounds are linear in mesh width and elucidating the behaviour of the error estimator under changes of γ.
A posteriori error control for a Discontinuous Galerkin approximation of a Keller-Segel model
(2024)
We provide a posteriori error estimates for a discontinuous Galerkin scheme for the parabolic-elliptic Keller-Segel system in 2 or 3 space dimensions. The estimates are conditional, in the sense that an a posteriori computable quantity needs to be small enough - which can be ensured by mesh refinement - and optimal in the sense that the error estimator decays with the same order as the error under mesh refinement. A specific feature of our error estimator is that it can be used to prove existence of a weak solution up to a certain time based on numerical results.
In this paper, we develop reliable a posteriori error estimates for numerical approximations of scalar hyperbolic conservation laws in one space dimension.
Our methods have no inherent small-data limitations and are a step towards error control of numerical schemes for systems. We are careful not to appeal to the Kruzhkov theory for scalar conservation laws. Instead, we derive novel quantitative stability estimates that extend the theory of shifts, and in particular, the framework for proving stability first developed by the second author and Vasseur. This is the first time this methodology has been used for quantitative estimates.
We work entirely within the context of the theory of shifts and a-contraction, techniques which adapt well to systems. In fact, the stability framework by the second author and Vasseur has itself recently been pushed to systems [Chen-Krupa-Vasseur. Uniqueness and weak-BV stability for 2×2 conservation laws. Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal., 246(1):299--332, 2022].
Our theoretical findings are complemented by a numerical implementation in MATLAB and numerical experiments.
Regularity and long time behavior of a doubly nonlinear parabolic problem and its discretization
(2024)
We study a doubly nonlinear parabolic problem arising in the modeling of gas transport in pipelines. Using convexity arguments and relative entropy estimates we show uniform bounds and exponential stability of discrete approximations obtained by a finite element method and implicit time stepping. Due to convergence of the approximations to weak solutions of the problem, our results also imply regularity, uniqueness, and long time stability of weak solutions of the continuous problem.