EUROPT 2025
Abstract Submission

321. The improvement function in branch-and-bound methods

Invited abstract in session TB-13: Numerical Methods and Applications I, stream Numerical Methods and Applications.

Tuesday, 10:30-12:30
Room: B100/6009

Authors (first author is the speaker)

1. Stefan Schwarze
Institute of Operations Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
2. Oliver Stein
Institute of Operations Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
3. Peter Kirst
Wageningen University & Research
4. Marc Rodestock
Institute of Operations Research (IOR), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Abstract

We present a new spatial branch-and-bound approach for treating optimization problems with nonconvex inequality constraints. It is able to approximate the set of all global minimal points in case of solvability, and else to detect unsolvability. The new technique covers the nonconvex constraints by means of an improvement function which, although nonsmooth, can be treated by standard bounding operations.
The method is shown to be successful under a weak regularity condition, and we also give a transparent interpretation of the output in case that this condition is violated. Numerical tests illustrate the performance of the algorithm.

Keywords

Status: accepted


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