Optimality Conditions for a Simple Convex Bilevel Programming Problem

We consider the bilevel programming problem and its optimal value and KKT one level reformulations. The two reformulations are studied in a unified manner and compared in terms of optimal solutions, constraint qualifications and optimality conditions. We also show that any bilevel programming problem where the lower level problem is linear with respect to the lower level variable, is partially calm without any restrictive assumption. Finally, we consider the bilevel demand adjustment problem in transportation, and show how KKT type optimality conditions can be obtained under the partial calmness, using the differential calculus of Mordukhovich.

The bilevel programming problem (BLPP) is a sequence of two optimization problems where the constraint region of the upper level problem is determined implicitly by the solution set to the lower level problem. To obtain optimality conditions, we reformulate BLPP as a single level mathematical programming problem (SLPP) which involves the value function of the lower level problem. For this mathematical programming problem, it is shown that in general the usual constraint qualifications do not hold and the right constraint qualification is the calmness condition. It is also shown that the linear bilevel programming problem and the minmax problem satisfy the calmness condition automatically. A sufficient condition for the calmness for the bilevel programming problem with quadratic lower level problem and nondegenerate linear complementar¬ity lower level problem are given. First order necessary optimality condition are given using nonsmooth analysis. Second order sufficient optimality conditions are also give...

Multi-parametric programming based algorithms for the global solution of bi-level mixed-integer linear and quadratic programming problems

By handling the travel cost function artfully, the authors formulate the transportation mixed network design problem (MNDP) as a mixed-integer, nonlinear bilevel programming problem, in which the lower-level problem, comparing with that of conventional bilevel DNDP models, is not a side constrained user equilibrium assignment problem, but a standard user equilibrium assignment problem. Then, the bilevel programming model for MNDP is reformulated as a continuous version of bilevel programming problem by the continuation method. By virtue of the optimal-value function, the lower-level assignment problem can be expressed as a nonlinear equality constraint. Therefore, the bilevel programming model for MNDP can be transformed into an equivalent single-level optimization problem. By exploring the inherent nature of the MNDP, the optimal-value function for the lower-level equilibrium assignment problem is proved to be continuously differentiable and its functional value and gradient can be obtained efficiently. Thus, a continuously differentiable but still nonconvex optimization formulation of the MNDP is created, and then a locally convergent algorithm is proposed by applying penalty function method. The inner loop of solving the subproblem is mainly to implement an all-or-nothing assignment. Finally, a small-scale transportation network and a large-scale network are presented to verify the proposed model and algorithm.

In this paper we study constraint qualifications and optimality conditions for bilevel programming problems. We strive to derive checkable constraint qualifications in terms of problem data and applicable optimality conditions. For the bilevel program with convex lower level program we discuss drawbacks of reformulating a bilevel programming problem by the mathematical program with complementarity constraints and present a new sharp necessary optimality condition for the reformulation by the mathematical program with a generalized equation constraint. For the bilevel program with a nonconvex lower level program we propose a relaxed constant positive linear dependence (RCPLD) condition for the combined program.

In this article, we consider bilevel optimization problems with discrete lower level and continuous upper level problems. Taking into account both approaches (optimistic and pessimistic) which have been developed in the literature to deal with this type of problem, we derive some conditions for the existence of solutions. In the case where the lower level is a parametric linear problem, the bilevel problem is transformed into a continuous one. After that, we are able to discuss local optimality conditions using tools of variational analysis for each of the different approaches. Finally, we consider a simple application of our results namely the bilevel programming problem with the minimum spanning tree problem in the lower level.

The paper presents a new approach to solving nonlinear programming (NLP) problems for which the strict complementarity condition (SCC), a constraint qualification (CQ), and a second-order sufficient condition (SOSC) for optimality are not necessarily satisfied at a solution. Our approach is based on the construction of p-regularity and on reformulating the inequality constraints as equalities. Namely, by introducing the slack variables, we get the equality constrained problem, for which the Lagrange optimality system is singular at the solution of the NLP problem in the case of the violation of the CQs, SCC and/or SOSC. To overcome the difficulty of singularity, we propose the p-factor method for solving the Lagrange system. The method has a superlinear rate of convergence under a mild assumption. We show that our assumption is always satisfied under a standard second-order sufficient condition (SOSC) for optimality. At the same time, we give examples of the problems where the SOSC does not hold, but our assumption is satisfied. Moreover, no estimation of the set of active constraints is required. The proposed approach can be applied to a variety of problems.

In the research of optimization problems, optimality conditions play an important role. By using some derivatives, various types of necessary and/or sufficient optimality conditions have been introduced by many researchers. Especially, in convex programming, necessary and sufficient optimality conditions in terms of the subdifferential have been studied extensively. Recently, necessary and sufficient optimality conditions for quasiconvex programming have been investigated by the authors. However, there are not so many results concerned with Karush–Kuhn–Tucker type optimality conditions for non-differentiable quasiconvex programming. In this paper, we study a Karush–Kuhn–Tucker type optimality condition for quasiconvex programming in terms of Greenberg–Pierskalla subdifferential. We show some closedness properties for Greenberg–Pierskalla subdifferential. Under the Slater constraint qualification, we show a necessary and sufficient optimality condition for essentially quasiconvex programming in terms of Greenberg–Pierskalla subdifferential. Additionally, we introduce a necessary and sufficient constraint qualification of the optimality condition. As a corollary, we show a necessary and sufficient optimality condition for convex programming in terms of the subdifferential.

An augmented Lagrangian multiplier method based on a CHKS smoothing function for solving nonlinear bilevel programming problems

The task to find a best point within the set of optimal solutions of a convex optimization problem is called simple bilevel optimization problem. In general, a necessary optimality condition for a convex simple bilevel problem does not need to be sufficient. An adapted necessary and sufficient optimality condition is derived using tools from cone-convex optimization and a gradient type descent method is suggested which combines the use of a convex combination of both objective functions and projection onto the feasible set. In the second section, a similar algorithm is used to find a best point within the solutions of a variational inequality.

Bilevel programming problems are of growing interest both from theoretical and practical points of view. In this paper, we study a pessimistic bilevel programming problem in which the set of solutions of the lower level problem is discrete. We first transform such a problem into a single-level optimization problem by using the maximum-entropy techniques. We then present a maximum entropy approach for solving the pessimistic bilevel programming problem. Finally, two examples illustrate the feasibility of the proposed approach.

This paper is concerned with general nonlinear nonconvex bilevel programming problems (BLPP). We derive necessary and sufficient conditions at a local solution and investigate the stability and sensitivity analysis at a local solution in the BLPP. We then explore an approach in which a bundle method is used in the upper-level problem with subgradient information from the lower-level problem. Two algorithms are proposed to solve the general nonlinear BLPP and are shown to converge to regular points of the BLPP under appropriate conditions. The theoretical analysis conducted in this paper seems to indicate that a sensitivity-based approach is rather promising for solving general nonlinear BLPP.

The paper is devoted to an analysis of a new constraint qualification and a derivation of the strongest existing optimality conditions for nonsmooth mathematical programming problems with equality and inequality constraints in terms of Demyanov-Rubinov-Polyakova quasidifferentials under the minimal possible assumptions. To this end, we obtain a novel description of convex subcones of the contingent cone to a set defined by quasidifferentiable equality and inequality constraints with the use of a new constraint qualification. We utilize these description and constraint qualification to derive the strongest existing optimality conditions for nonsmooth mathematical programming problems in terms of quasidifferentials under less restrictive assumptions than in previous studies. The main feature of the new constraint qualification and related optimality conditions is the fact that they depend on individual elements of quasidifferentials of the objective function and constraints and are not invariant with respect to the choise of quasidifferentials. To illustrate the theoretical results, we present two simple examples in which optimality conditions in terms of various subdifferentials (in fact, any outer semicontinuous/limiting subdifferential) are satisfied at a nonoptimal point, while the optimality conditions obtained in this paper do not hold true at this point, that is, optimality conditions in terms of quasidifferentials, unlike the ones in terms of subdifferentials, detect the nonoptimality of this point.

The multiobjective bilevel program is a sequence of two optimization problems, with the upper-level problem being multiobjective and the constraint region of the upper level problem being determined implicitly by the solution set to the lower-level problem. In the case where the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) condition is necessary and sufficient for global optimality of all lower-level problems near the optimal solution, we present various optimality conditions by replacing the lower-level problem with its KKT conditions. For the general multiobjective bilevel problem, we derive necessary optimality conditions by considering a combined problem, with both the value function and the KKT condition of the lower-level problem involved in the constraints. Most results of this paper are new, even for the case of a single-objective bilevel program, the case of a mathematical program with complementarity constraints, and the case of a multiobjective optimization problem.

Certain types of necessary optimality conditions for mathematical programming problems are equivalent to corresponding regularity conditions on the constraint set. For any problem, a certain natural optimality condition, dependent upon the particular constraint set, is always satisfied. This condition can be strengthened in numerous ways by invoking appropriate regularity assumptions on the constraint set. Results are presented for Euclidean spaces and some extensions to Banach spaces are given.