English

Nonlinear optimization for matroid intersection and extensions

Combinatorics 2008-07-25 v1 Optimization and Control

Abstract

We address optimization of nonlinear functions of the form f(Wx)f(Wx), where f:RdRf:\R^d\to \R is a nonlinear function, WW is a d×nd\times n matrix, and feasible xx are in some large finite set FF of integer points in Rn\R^n. One motivation is multi-objective discrete optimization, where ff trades off the linear functions given by the rows of WW. Another motivation is to extend known results about polynomial-time linear optimization over discrete structures to nonlinear optimization. We assume that the convex hull of FF is well-described by linear inequalities. For example, the set of characteristic vectors of common bases of a pair of matroids on a common ground set. When FF is well described, ff is convex (or even quasiconvex), and WW has a fixed number of rows and is unary encoded or with entries in a fixed set, we give an efficient deterministic algorithm for maximization. When FF is well described, ff is a norm, and binary-encoded WW is nonnegative, we give an efficient deterministic constant-approximation algorithm for maximization. When FF is well described, ff is ``ray concave'' and non-decreasing, and WW has a fixed number of rows and is unary encoded or with entries in a fixed set, we give an efficient deterministic constant-approximation algorithm for minimization. When FF is the set of characteristic vectors of common bases of a pair of vectorial matroids on a common ground set, ff is arbitrary, and WW has a fixed number of rows and is unary encoded, we give an efficient randomized algorithm for optimization.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.0807.3907,
  title  = {Nonlinear optimization for matroid intersection and extensions},
  author = {Yael Berstein and Jon Lee and Shmuel Onn and Robert Weismantel},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0807.3907},
  year   = {2008}
}
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