TY - GEN A1 - Riedmüller, Stephanie A1 - Buchholz, Annika A1 - Zittel, Janina T1 - Enhancing Multi-Energy Modeling: The Role of Mixed-Integer Optimization Decisions N2 - The goal to decarbonize the energy sector has led to increased research in modeling and optimizing multi-energy systems. One of the most promising and popular techniques for modeling and solving (multi-)energy optimization problems is (multi-objective) mixed-integer programming, valued for its ability to represent the complexities of integrated energy systems. While the literature often focuses on deriving mathematical formulations and parameter settings, less attention is given to critical post-formulation decisions. Modeling multi-energy systems as mixed-integer linear optimization programs demands decisions across multiple degrees of freedom. Key steps include reducing a real-world multi energy network into an abstract topology, defining variables, formulating the relevant (in-)equalities to represent technical requirements, setting (multiple) objectives, and integrating these elements into a mixed-integer program (MIP). However, with these elements fixed, the specific transformation of the abstract topology into a graph structure and the construction of the MIP remain non-uniquely. These choices can significantly impact user-friendliness, problem size, and computational efficiency, thus affecting the feasibility and efficiency of modeling efforts. In this work, we identify and analyze the additional degrees of freedom and describe two distinct approaches to address them. The approaches are compared regarding mathematical equivalence, suitability for solution algorithms, and clarity of the underlying topology. A case study on a realistic subarea of Berlin’s district heating network involving tri-objective optimization for a unit commitment problem demonstrates the practical significance of these decisions. By highlighting these critical yet often overlooked aspects, our work equips energy system modelers with insights to improve computational efficiency, scalability, and interpretability in their optimization efforts, ultimately enhancing the practicality and effectiveness of multi-energy system models. T3 - ZIB-Report - 25-08 Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-100329 SN - 1438-0064 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Pedersen, Jaap A1 - Lindner, Niels A1 - Rehfeldt, Daniel A1 - Koch, Thorsten T1 - Comparing Branching Rules for the Quota Steiner Tree Problem with Interference N2 - Branching decisions play a crucial role in branch-and-bound algorithms for solving combinatorial optimization problems. In this paper, we investigate several branching rules applied to the Quota Steiner Tree Problem with Interference (QSTPI). The Quota Steiner Tree Problem (QSTP) generalizes the classical Steiner Tree Problem (STP) in graphs by seeking a minimum-cost tree that connects a subset of profit-associated vertices to meet a given quota. The extended version, QSTPI, introduces interference among vertices: Selecting certain vertices simultaneously reduces their individual contributions to the overall profit. This problem arises, for example, in positioning and connecting wind turbines, where turbines possibly shadow other turbines, reducing their energy yield. While exact solvers for standard STP-related problems often rely heavily on reduction techniques and cutting-plane methods – rarely generating large branch-and-bound trees – experiments reveal that large instances of QSTPI require significantly more branching to compute provably optimal solutions. In contrast to branching on variables, we utilize the combinatorial structure of the QSTPI by branching on the graph’s vertices. We adapt classical and problem-specific branching rules and present a comprehensive computational study comparing the effectiveness of these branching strategies. T3 - ZIB-Report - 25-16 Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-101250 SN - 1438-0064 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Kempke, Nils-Christian A1 - Koch, Thorsten T1 - A GPU accelerated variant of Schroeppel-Shamir's algorithm for solving the market split problem N2 - The market split problem (MSP), introduced by Cornuéjols and Dawande (1998), is a challenging binary optimization problem that performs poorly on state-of-the-art linear programming-based branch-and-cut solvers. We present a novel algorithm for solving the feasibility version of this problem, derived from Schroeppel–Shamir's algorithm for the one-dimensional subset sum problem. Our approach is based on exhaustively enumerating one-dimensional solutions of MSP and utilizing GPUs to evaluate candidate solutions across the entire problem. The resulting hybrid CPU-GPU implementation efficiently solves instances with up to 10 constraints and 90 variables. We demonstrate the algorithm's performance on benchmark problems, solving instances of size (9, 80) in less than fifteen minutes and (10, 90) in up to one day. T3 - ZIB-Report - 25-10 Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-100554 SN - 1438-0064 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Koch, Thorsten A1 - Bernal Neira, David E. A1 - Chen, Ying A1 - Cortiana, Giorgio A1 - Egger, Daniel J. A1 - Heese, Raoul A1 - Hegade, Narendra N. A1 - Gomez Cadavid, Alejandro A1 - Huang, Rhea A1 - Itoko, Toshinari A1 - Kleinert, Thomas A1 - Maciel Xavier, Pedro A1 - Mohseni, Naeimeh A1 - Montanez-Barrera, Jhon A. A1 - Nakano, Koji A1 - Nannicini, Giacomo A1 - O'Meara, Corey A1 - Pauckert, Justin A1 - Proissl, Manuel A1 - Ramesh, Anurag A1 - Schicker, Maximilian A1 - Shimada, Noriaki A1 - Takeori, Mitsuharu A1 - Valls, Victor A1 - Van Bulck, David A1 - Woerner, Stefan A1 - Zoufal, Christa T1 - Quantum Optimization Benchmark Library -- The Intractable Decathlon N2 - Through recent progress in hardware development, quantum computers have advanced to the point where benchmarking of (heuristic) quantum algorithms at scale is within reach. Particularly in combinatorial optimization -- where most algorithms are heuristics -- it is key to empirically analyze their performance on hardware and track progress towards quantum advantage. To this extent, we present ten optimization problem classes that are difficult for existing classical algorithms and can (mostly) be linked to practically-relevant applications, with the goal to enable systematic, fair, and comparable benchmarks for quantum optimization methods. Further, we introduce the Quantum Optimization Benchmark Library (QOBLIB) where the problem instances and solution track records can be found. The individual properties of the problem classes vary in terms of objective and variable type, coefficient ranges, and density. Crucially, they all become challenging for established classical methods already at system sizes ranging from less than 100 to, at most, an order of 100,000 decision variables, allowing to approach them with today's quantum computers. We reference the results from state-of-the-art solvers for instances from all problem classes and demonstrate exemplary baseline results obtained with quantum solvers for selected problems. The baseline results illustrate a standardized form to present benchmarking solutions, which has been designed to ensure comparability of the used methods, reproducibility of the respective results, and trackability of algorithmic and hardware improvements over time. We encourage the optimization community to explore the performance of available classical or quantum algorithms and hardware platforms with the benchmarking problem instances presented in this work toward demonstrating quantum advantage in optimization. Y1 - 2025 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Riedmüller, Stephanie A1 - Buchholz, Annika A1 - Zittel, Janina T1 - Enhancing Multi-Energy Modeling: The Role of Mixed-Integer Optimization Decisions T2 - The 38th International Conference on Efficiency, Cost, Optimization, Simulation and Environmental Impact of Energy Systems – ECOS 2025 N2 - The goal to decarbonize the energy sector has led to increased research in modeling and optimizing multi-energy systems. One of the most promising and popular techniques for modeling and solving (multi-)energy optimization problems is (multi-objective) mixed-integer programming, valued for its ability to represent the complexities of integrated energy systems. While the literature often focuses on deriving mathematical formulations and parameter settings, less attention is given to critical post-formulation decisions. Modeling multi-energy systems as mixed-integer linear optimization programs demands decisions across multiple degrees of freedom. Key steps include reducing a real-world multi energy network into an abstract topology, defining variables, formulating the relevant (in-)equalities to represent technical requirements, setting (multiple) objectives, and integrating these elements into a mixed-integer program (MIP). However, with these elements fixed, the specific transformation of the abstract topology into a graph structure and the construction of the MIP remain non-uniquely. These choices can significantly impact user-friendliness, problem size, and computational efficiency, thus affecting the feasibility and efficiency of modeling efforts. In this work, we identify and analyze the additional degrees of freedom and describe two distinct approaches to address them. The approaches are compared regarding mathematical equivalence, suitability for solution algorithms, and clarity of the underlying topology. A case study on a realistic subarea of Berlin’s district heating network involving tri-objective optimization for a unit commitment problem demonstrates the practical significance of these decisions. By highlighting these critical yet often overlooked aspects, our work equips energy system modelers with insights to improve computational efficiency, scalability, and interpretability in their optimization efforts, ultimately enhancing the practicality and effectiveness of multi-energy system models. Y1 - 2025 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Mehl, Lukas A1 - Lindner, Niels A1 - Bartoszuk, Karolina A1 - Zittel, Janina T1 - Prototypical warm-starts for demand-robust LP-based energy system optimization N2 - The expressiveness of energy system optimization models (ESOMs) depends on a multitude of exogenous parameters. For example, sound estimates of the future energy demand are essential to enable qualified decisions on long-term investments. However, the enormous demand fluctuations even on a fine-grained scale diminish the computational performance of large-scale ESOMs. We therefore propose a clustering-and-decomposition method for linear programming based ESOMs that first identifies and solves prototypical demand scenarios with the dual simplex algorithm, and then composes dual optimal prototype bases to a warm-start basis for the full model. We evaluate the feasibility and computational efficiency our approach on a real-world case study, using a sector-coupled ESOM with hourly resolution for the Berlin-Brandenburg area in Germany, based on the oemof framework. T3 - ZIB-Report - 25-15 Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-101242 SN - 1438-0064 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Riedmüller, Stephanie A1 - Zittel, Janina A1 - Koch, Thorsten T1 - Warm-starting Strategies in Scalarization Methods for Multi-Objective Optimization N2 - We explore how warm-starting strategies can be integrated into scalarization-based approaches for multi-objective optimization in (mixed) integer linear programming. Scalarization methods remain widely used classical techniques to compute Pareto-optimal solutions in applied settings. They are favored due to their algorithmic simplicity and broad applicability across continuous and integer programs with an arbitrary number of objectives. While warm-starting has been applied in this context before, a systematic methodology and analysis remain lacking. We address this gap by providing a theoretical characterization of warm-starting within scalarization methods, focusing on the sequencing of subproblems. However, optimizing the order of subproblems to maximize warm-start efficiency may conflict with alternative criteria, such as early identification of infeasible regions. We quantify these trade-offs through an extensive computational study. T3 - ZIB-Report - 25-12 Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-101073 SN - 1438-0064 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Gotzes, Uwe A1 - Buchholz, Annika A1 - Kallrath, Josef A1 - Lindner, Niels A1 - Koch, Thorsten T1 - Flexible Pooling Pattern Design with Integer Programming T2 - Theory, Algorithms and Experiments in Applied Optimization. In Honor of the 70th Birthday of Panos Pardalos N2 - Sample pooling has the potential to significantly enhance large-scale screening procedures, especially in scenarios like the COVID-19 pandemic, where rapid and widespread PCR testing has been crucial. Efficient strategies are essential to increase the testing capacity, i.e., the number of tests that can be processed within a given timeframe. Non-adaptive pooling strategies can further streamline the testing process by reducing the required testing rounds. In contrast to adaptive strategies, where subsequent tests depend on prior results, non-adaptive pooling processes all samples in a single round, eliminating the need for sequential retesting and reducing delays. This paper presents a highly flexible method based on integer programming to design optimized pooling patterns suitable for various applications, including medical diagnostics and quality control in industrial production. Using coronavirus testing as a case study, we formulate and solve optimization and satisfiability models that compute efficient pool designs. Our optimized pooling does not only increase testing capacity, but also accelerates the testing process and reduces overall costs. The proposed method is adaptable and can be seamlessly integrated into automated testing systems. Y1 - 2025 VL - 226 PB - Springer ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zhou, Lei A1 - Chen, Ying A1 - Peng, Hanqiu A1 - Koch, Thorsten T1 - Is innovation slowing down? Insights from the AIMS framework of patent values JF - Expert Systems with Applications N2 - Amidst the unprecedented expansion of scientific and technological knowledge over the past century, concerns persist regarding a slowdown in innovation. To address this, we introduce the AIMS framework, which categorizes patents into four types—Aurora, Invisible, Mirage, and Success—based on their respective inherent scientific values and market-recognized economic values. Utilizing USPTO patent and citation data from 1976 to 2022, our analysis reveals an increasing volume of patent issuances but a concerning dilution in scientific quality starting in the 2000s. This trend is primarily attributed to the rise of low scientific value patents—categorized as Mirage and Invisible—and a modest decline in high-impact scientific patents—categorized as Success and Aurora. Meanwhile, the economic value of patents has risen, especially noted with the growth in Mirage patents since the 2010s, indicating a shift towards strategies that prioritize market-driven patenting. This study highlights the evolving nature of patents from mere indicators of scientific innovation to strategic tools for market dominance, providing an alternative understanding of patent value and its implications for firms’ strategic decisions over patent issuance across different sectors. Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2025.127355 VL - 280 SP - 127355 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Riedmüller, Stephanie A1 - Koch, Thorsten T1 - Exact Objective Space Contraction for the Preprocessing of Multi-objective Integer Programs N2 - Solving integer optimization problems with large or widely ranged objective coefficients can lead to numerical instability and increased runtimes. When the problem also involves multiple objectives, the impact of the objective coefficients on runtimes and numerical issues multiplies. We address this issue by transforming the coefficients of linear objective functions into smaller integer coefficients. To the best of our knowledge, this problem has not been defined before. Next to a straightforward scaling heuristic, we introduce a novel exact transformation approach for the preprocessing of multi-objective binary problems. In this exact approach, the large or widely ranged integer objective coefficients are transformed into the minimal integer objective coefficients that preserve the dominance relation of the points in the objective space. The transformation problem is solved with an integer programming formulation with an exponential number of constraints. We present a cutting-plane algorithm that can efficiently handle the problem size. In a first computational study, we analyze how often and in which settings the transformation actually leads to smaller coefficients. In a second study, we evaluate how the exact transformation and a typical scaling heuristic, when used as preprocessing, affect the runtime and numerical stability of the Defining Point Algorithm. Y1 - 2025 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Chen, Ying A1 - Koch, Thorsten A1 - Peng, Hanqui A1 - Zhang, Hongrui T1 - Benchmarking of Quantum and Classical Computing in Large-Scale Dynamic Portfolio Optimization Under Market Frictions N2 - Quantum computing is poised to transform the financial industry, yet its advantages over traditional methods have not been evidenced. As this technology rapidly evolves, benchmarking is essential to fairly evaluate and compare different computational strategies. This study presents a challenging yet solvable problem of large-scale dynamic portfolio optimization under realistic market conditions with frictions. We frame this issue as a Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) problem, compatible with digital computing and ready for quantum computing, to establish a reliable benchmark. By applying the latest solvers to real data, we release benchmarks that help verify true advancements in dynamic trading strategies, either quantum or digital computing, ensuring that reported improvements in portfolio optimization are based on robust, transparent, and comparable metrics. Y1 - 2025 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Petkovic, Milena A1 - Zittel, Janina T1 - Leveraging Transfer Learning to Overcome Data Limitations in Czochralski Crystal Growth JF - Advanced Theory and Simulations Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/adts.202500677 VL - 8 IS - 11 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Tateiwa, Nariaki A1 - Shinano, Yuji A1 - Yasuda, Masaya A1 - Kaji, Shizuo A1 - Yamamura, Keiichiro A1 - Fujisawa, Katsuki T1 - Massively parallel sharing lattice basis reduction N2 - For cryptanalysis in lattice-based schemes, the performance evaluation of lattice basis reduction using high-performance computers is becoming increasingly important for the determination of the security level. We propose a distributed and asynchronous parallel reduction algorithm based on randomization and DeepBKZ, which is an improved variant of the block Korkine-Zolotarev (BKZ) reduction algorithm. Randomized copies of a lattice basis are distributed to up to 103,680 cores and independently reduced in parallel, while some basis vectors are shared asynchronously among all processes via MPI. There is a trade-off between randomization and information sharing; if a substantial amount of information is shared, all processes will work on the same problem, thereby diminishing the benefit of parallelization. To monitor this balance between randomness and sharing, we propose a metric to quantify the variety of lattice bases. We empirically find an optimal parameter of sharing for high-dimensional lattices. We demonstrate the efficacy of our proposed parallel algorithm and implementation with respect to both performance and scalability through our experiments. T3 - ZIB-Report - 21-38 KW - Discrete optimization KW - Lattice problem KW - Lattice-based cryptography KW - Shortest vector problem KW - Parallel algorithms KW - Ubiquity Generator Framework Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-85209 SN - 1438-0064 N1 - under review ER - TY - GEN A1 - Fujii, Koichi A1 - Kim, Sunyoung A1 - Kojima, Masakazu A1 - Mittelmann, Hans D. A1 - Shinano, Yuji T1 - An Exceptionally Difficult Binary Quadratic Optimization Problem with Symmetry: a Challenge for The Largest Unsolved QAP Instance Tai256c N2 - Tai256c is the largest unsolved quadratic assignment problem (QAP) instance in QAPLIB. It is known that QAP tai256c can be converted into a 256 dimensional binary quadratic optimization problem (BQOP) with a single cardinality constraint which requires the sum of the binary variables to be 92. As the BQOP is much simpler than the original QAP, the conversion increases the possibility to solve the QAP. Solving exactly the BQOP, however, is still very difficult. Indeed, a 1.48% gap remains between the best known upper bound (UB) and lower bound (LB) of the unknown optimal value. This paper shows that the BQOP admits a nontrivial symmetry, a property that makes the BQOP very hard to solve. The symmetry induces equivalent subproblems in branch and bound (BB) methods. To effectively improve the LB, we propose an efficient BB method that incorporates a doubly nonnegative relaxation, the standard orbit branching and a technique to prune equivalent subproblems. With this BB method, a new LB with 1.25% gap is successfully obtained, and computing an LB with 1.0% gap is shown to be still quite difficult. T3 - ZIB-Report - 23-27 Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-93072 SN - 1438-0064 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Xu, Xiaofei A1 - Chen, Ying A1 - Zhang, Ge A1 - Koch, Thorsten T1 - Modeling Functional Time Series and Mixed-Type Predictors With Partially Functional Autoregressions JF - Journal of Business & Economic Statistics Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/07350015.2021.2011299 SN - 0735-0015 VL - 42 IS - 2 SP - 349 EP - 366 PB - Informa UK Limited ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Hadjidimitriou, Natalia Selini A1 - Lippi, Marco A1 - Nastro, Raffaele A1 - Koch, Thorsten A1 - Mamei, Marco T1 - Short-Term Forecasting of Energy Consumption and Production in Local Energy Communities T2 - 2024 32nd International Conference on Enabling Technologies: Infrastructure for Collaborative Enterprises (WETICE) Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1109/WETICE64632.2024.00022 SP - 74 EP - 79 PB - IEEE ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yokoyama, Ryohei A1 - Kamada, Hiroki A1 - Shinano, Yuji A1 - Wakui, Tetsuya T1 - A hierarchical optimization approach to robust design of energy supply systems based on a mixed-integer linear model JF - Energy N2 - In designing energy supply systems, designers should heighten the robustness in performance criteria against the uncertainty in energy demands. In this paper, a robust optimal design method using a hierarchical mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) method is proposed to maximize the robustness of energy supply systems under uncertain energy demands based on a mixed-integer linear model. A robust optimal design problem is formulated as a three-level min-max-min MILP one by expressing uncertain energy demands by intervals, evaluating the robustness in a performance criterion based on the minimax regret criterion, and considering relationships among integer design variables, uncertain energy demands, and integer and continuous operation variables. This problem is solved by evaluating upper and lower bounds for the minimum of the maximum regret of the performance criterion repeatedly outside, and evaluating lower and upper bounds for the maximum regret repeatedly inside. Different types of optimization problems are solved by applying a hierarchical MILP method developed for ordinary optimal design problems without and with its modifications. In a case study, the proposed approach is applied to the robust optimal design of a cogeneration system. Through the study, its validity and effectiveness are ascertained, and some features of the obtained robust designs are clarified. Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2021.120343 VL - 229 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lenz, Ralf A1 - Becker, Kai-Helge T1 - Optimization of Capacity Expansion in Potential-driven Networks including Multiple Looping - A comparison of modelling approaches JF - OR Spectrum N2 - In commodity transport networks such as natural gas, hydrogen and water networks, flows arise from nonlinear potential differences between the nodes, which can be represented by so-called "potential-driven" network models. When operators of these networks face increasing demand or the need to handle more diverse transport situations, they regularly seek to expand the capacity of their network by building new pipelines parallel to existing ones ("looping"). The paper introduces a new mixed-integer non-linear programming (MINLP) model and a new non-linear programming (NLP) model and compares these with existing models for the looping problem and related problems in the literature, both theoretically and experimentally. On this basis, we give recommendations about the circumstances under which a certain model should be used. In particular, it turns out that one of our novel models outperforms the existing models. Moreover, the paper is the first to include the practically relevant option that a particular pipeline may be looped several times. Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s00291-021-00648-7 VL - 44 SP - 179 EP - 224 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rehfeldt, Daniel A1 - Koch, Thorsten T1 - Implications, Conflicts, and Reductions for Steiner Trees JF - Mathematical Programming Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10107-021-01757-5 VL - 197 SP - 903 EP - 966 PB - Springer ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fujii, Koichi A1 - Kim, Sunyoung A1 - Kojima, Masakazu A1 - Mittelmann, Hans D. A1 - Shinano, Yuji T1 - An exceptionally difficult binary quadratic optimization problem with symmetry: a challenge for the largest unsolved QAP instance Tai256c JF - Optimization Letters N2 - Tai256c is the largest unsolved quadratic assignment problem (QAP) instance in QAPLIB. It is known that QAP tai256c can be converted into a 256 dimensional binary quadratic optimization problem (BQOP) with a single cardinality constraint which requires the sum of the binary variables to be 92. As the BQOP is much simpler than the original QAP, the conversion increases the possibility to solve the QAP. Solving exactly the BQOP, however, is still very difficult. Indeed, a 1.48% gap remains between the best known upper bound (UB) and lower bound (LB) of the unknown optimal value. This paper shows that the BQOP admits a nontrivial symmetry, a property that makes the BQOP very hard to solve. Despite this difficulty, it is imperative to decrease the gap in order to ultimately solve the BQOP exactly. To effectively improve the LB, we propose an efficient BB method that incorporates a doubly nonnegative relaxation, the orbit branching and the isomorphism pruning. With this BB method, a new LB with 1.25% gap is successfully obtained, and computing an LB with gap is shown to be still quite difficult. Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11590-024-02157-2 SN - 1862-4472 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC ER -