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Value iteration is a fundamental algorithm for solving Markov Decision Processes (MDPs). It computes the maximal $n$-step payoff by iterating $n$ times a recurrence equation which is naturally associated to the MDP. At the same time, value…

This paper addresses the problem of planning under uncertainty in large Markov Decision Processes (MDPs). Factored MDPs represent a complex state space using state variables and the transition model using a dynamic Bayesian network. This…

We present a method for solving implicit (factored) Markov decision processes (MDPs) with very large state spaces. We introduce a property of state space partitions which we call epsilon-homogeneity. Intuitively, an epsilon-homogeneous…

Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) have been used to formulate many decision-making problems in science and engineering. The objective is to synthesize the best decision (action selection) policies to maximize expected rewards (minimize…

Policy Mirror Descent (PMD) has emerged as a unifying framework in reinforcement learning (RL) by linking policy gradient methods with a first-order optimization method known as mirror descent. At its core, PMD incorporates two key…

In bilevel and robust optimization we are concerned with combinatorial min-max problems, for example from the areas of min-max regret robust optimization, network interdiction, most vital vertex problems, blocker problems, and two-stage…

This paper investigates simple bilevel optimization problems where we minimize an upper-level objective over the optimal solution set of a convex lower-level objective. Existing methods for such problems either only guarantee asymptotic…

This dissertation makes three main contributions. First, We identify a new connection between policy gradient and dynamic programming in MMDPs and propose the Coordinate Ascent Dynamic Programming (CADP) algorithm to compute a Markov policy…

We introduce a comprehensive theoretical and algorithmic framework that bridges formal group theory and group entropies with modern machine learning, paving the way for an infinite, flexible family of Mirror Descent (MD) optimization…

Neufeld and Wu (arXiv:2310.12545) developed a multilevel Picard (MLP) algorithm which can approximately solve general semilinear parabolic PDEs with gradient-dependent nonlinearities, allowing also for coefficient functions of the…

In this paper, we study a class of bilevel optimization program (BP), where the feasible set of the lower level program is independent of the upper level variable. For bilevel programs it is known that the first order approach requires the…

Linear programming (LP) relaxations are widely employed in exact solution methods for multilinear programs (MLP). One example is the family of Recursive McCormick Linearization (RML) strategies, where bilinear products are substituted for…

We consider the convex bilevel optimization problem, also known as simple bilevel programming. There are two challenges in solving convex bilevel optimization problems. Firstly, strong duality is not guaranteed due to the lack of Slater…

We develop a generic policy gradient method with the global optimality guarantee for robust Markov Decision Processes (MDPs). While policy gradient methods are widely used for solving dynamic decision problems due to their scalable and…

We consider sensitivity analysis for Mixed Binary Quadratic Programs (MBQPs) with respect to changing right-hand-sides (rhs). We show that even if the optimal solution of a given MBQP is known, it is NP-hard to approximate the change in…

Bilevel optimization has become a powerful framework in various machine learning applications including meta-learning, hyperparameter optimization, and network architecture search. There are generally two classes of bilevel optimization…

In a wide range of applications, we are required to rapidly solve a sequence of convex multiparametric quadratic programs (mp-QPs) on resource-limited hardwares. This is a nontrivial task and has been an active topic for decades in control…

We present a new geometric interpretation of Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) with a natural normalization procedure that allows us to adjust the value function at each state without altering the advantage of any action with respect to any…

Stochastic dual dynamic programming (SDDP) is a state-of-the-art method for solving multi-stage stochastic optimization, widely used for modeling real-world process optimization tasks. Unfortunately, SDDP has a worst-case complexity that…

We study the reformulation of integer linear programs by means of a mixed integer linear program with fewer integer variables. Such reformulations can be solved efficiently with mixed integer linear programming techniques. We exhibit…