Related papers: A complexity analysis of Policy Iteration through …
Efficient omission of symmetric solution candidates is essential for combinatorial problem-solving. Most of the existing approaches are instance-specific and focus on the automatic computation of Symmetry Breaking Constraints (SBCs) for…
Recent control algorithms for Markov decision processes (MDPs) have been designed using an implicit analogy with well-established optimization algorithms. In this paper, we adopt the quasi-Newton method (QNM) from convex optimization to…
We study online learning in \emph{constrained MDPs} (CMDPs), focusing on the goal of attaining sublinear strong regret and strong cumulative constraint violation. Differently from their standard (weak) counterparts, these metrics do not…
Robust Markov decision processes (MDPs) allow to compute reliable solutions for dynamic decision problems whose evolution is modeled by rewards and partially-known transition probabilities. Unfortunately, accounting for uncertainty in the…
We present a polynomial time algorithm to approximately scale tensors of any format to arbitrary prescribed marginals (whenever possible). This unifies and generalizes a sequence of past works on matrix, operator and tensor scaling. Our…
Klaus showed that the Oriented Matroid Complementarity Problem (OMCP) can be solved by a reduction to the problem of sink-finding in a unique sink orientation (USO) if the input is promised to be given by a non-degenerate extension of a…
In this paper we present a new algorithm for solving linear programs that requires only $\tilde{O}(\sqrt{rank(A)}L)$ iterations to solve a linear program with $m$ constraints, $n$ variables, and constraint matrix $A$, and bit complexity…
Osborne's iteration is a method for balancing $n\times n$ matrices which is widely used in linear algebra packages, as balancing preserves eigenvalues and stabilizes their numeral computation. The iteration can be implemented in any norm…
Optimization of expensive computer models with the help of Gaussian process emulators in now commonplace. However, when several (competing) objectives are considered, choosing an appropriate sampling strategy remains an open question. We…
In this paper, we study the fundamental open question of finding the optimal high-order algorithm for solving smooth convex minimization problems. Arjevani et al. (2019) established the lower bound $\Omega\left(\epsilon^{-2/(3p+1)}\right)$…
When solving combinatorial problems, pruning symmetric solution candidates from the search space is essential. Most of the existing approaches are instance-specific and focus on the automatic computation of Symmetry Breaking Constraints…
Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) problems are prevalent in various applications and are known to be NP-hard. The seminal work of Goemans and Williamson introduced a semidefinite programming (SDP) relaxation for such…
We consider the problem of controlling a fully specified Markov decision process (MDP), also known as the planning problem, when the state space is very large and calculating the optimal policy is intractable. Instead, we pursue the more…
We introduce a contractive abstract dynamic programming framework and related policy iteration algorithms, specifically designed for sequential zero-sum games and minimax problems with a general structure. Aside from greater generality, the…
Modified policy iteration (MPI) is a dynamic programming algorithm that combines elements of policy iteration and value iteration. The convergence of MPI has been well studied in the context of discounted and average-cost MDPs. In this…
The Newton-Schulz (NS) iteration has become a key technique for orthogonalization in optimizers such as Muon and for optimization on the Stiefel manifold. Despite its effectiveness, the conventional NS iteration incurs significant…
We present an algorithm for recovering planted solutions in two well-known models, the stochastic block model and planted constraint satisfaction problems, via a common generalization in terms of random bipartite graphs. Our algorithm…
The Unbounded Subset-Sum Problem (USSP) is defined as: given sum $s$ and a set of integers $W\leftarrow \{p_1,\dots,p_n\}$ output a set of non-negative integers $\{y_1,\dots,y_n\}$ such that $p_1y_1+\dots+p_ny_n=s$. The USSP is an…
Periodic orbits are among the simplest non-equilibrium solutions to dynamical systems, and they play a significant role in our modern understanding of the rich structures observed in many systems. For example, it is known that embedded…
Multi-objective unconstrained combinatorial optimization problems (MUCO) are in general hard to solve, i.e., the corresponding decision problem is NP-hard and the outcome set is intractable. In this paper we explore special cases of MUCO…