This book presents the theoretical details and computational performances of algorithms used for solving continuous nonlinear optimization applications imbedded in GAMS. Aimed toward scientists and graduate students who utilize optimization methods to model and solve problems in mathematical programming, operations research, business, engineering, and industry, this book enables readers with a background in nonlinear optimization and linear algebra to use GAMS technology to understand and utilize its important capabilities to optimize algorithms for modeling and solving complex, large-scale, continuous nonlinear optimization problems or applications. Beginning with an overview of constrained nonlinear optimization methods, this book moves on to illustrate key aspects of mathematical modeling through modeling technologies based on algebraically oriented modeling languages. Next, the main feature of GAMS, an algebraically oriented language that allows for high-level algebraic representation of mathematical optimization models, is introduced to model and solve continuous nonlinear optimization applications. More than 15 real nonlinear optimization applications in algebraic and GAMS representation are presented which are used to illustrate the performances of the algorithms described in this book. Theoretical and computational results, methods, and techniques effective for solving nonlinear optimization problems, are detailed through the algorithms MINOS, KNITRO, CONOPT, SNOPT and IPOPT which work in GAMS technology.

Two approaches are known for solving large-scale unconstrained optimization problems-the limited-memory quasi-Newton method (truncated Newton method) and the conjugate gradient method. This is the first book to detail conjugate gradient methods, showing their properties and convergence characteristics as well as their performance in solving large-scale unconstrained optimization problems and applications. Comparisons to the limited-memory and truncated Newton methods are also discussed. Topics studied in detail include: linear conjugate gradient methods, standard conjugate gradient methods, acceleration of conjugate gradient methods, hybrid, modifications of the standard scheme, memoryless BFGS preconditioned, and three-term. Other conjugate gradient methods with clustering the eigenvalues or with the minimization of the condition number of the iteration matrix, are also treated. For each method, the convergence analysis, the computational performances and the comparisons versus other conjugate gradient methods are given. The theory behind the conjugate gradient algorithms presented as a methodology is developed with a clear, rigorous, and friendly exposition; the reader will gain an understanding of their properties and their convergence and will learn to develop and prove the convergence of his/her own methods. Numerous numerical studies are supplied with comparisons and comments on the behavior of conjugate gradient algorithms for solving a collection of 800 unconstrained optimization problems of different structures and complexities with the number of variables in the range [1000,10000]. The book is addressed to all those interested in developing and using new advanced techniques for solving unconstrained optimization complex problems. Mathematical programming researchers, theoreticians and practitioners in operations research, practitioners in engineering and industry researchers, as well as graduate students in mathematics, Ph.D. and master students in mathematical programming, will find plenty of information and practical applications for solving large-scale unconstrained optimization problems and applications by conjugate gradient methods.

Here is a collection of nonlinear optimization applications from the real world, expressed in the General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS). The concepts are presented so that the reader can quickly modify and update them to represent real-world situations.

This book includes a thorough theoretical and computational analysis of unconstrained and constrained optimization algorithms and combines and integrates the most recent techniques and advanced computational linear algebra methods. Nonlinear optimization methods and techniques have reached their maturity and an abundance of optimization algorithms are available for which both the convergence properties and the numerical performances are known. This clear, friendly, and rigorous exposition discusses the theory behind the nonlinear optimization algorithms for understanding their properties and their convergence, enabling the reader to prove the convergence of his/her own algorithms. It covers cases and computational performances of the most known modern nonlinear optimization algorithms that solve collections of unconstrained and constrained optimization test problems with different structures, complexities, as well as those with large-scale real applications. The book is addressed to all those interested in developing and using new advanced techniques for solving large-scale unconstrained or constrained complex optimization problems. Mathematical programming researchers, theoreticians and practitioners in operations research, practitioners in engineering and industry researchers, as well as graduate students in mathematics, Ph.D. and master in mathematical programming will find plenty of recent information and practical approaches for solving real large-scale optimization problems and applications.

Here is a collection of nonlinear optimization applications from the real world, expressed in the General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS). The concepts are presented so that the reader can quickly modify and update them to represent real-world situations.

Two approaches are known for solving large-scale unconstrained optimization problems-the limited-memory quasi-Newton method (truncated Newton method) and the conjugate gradient method. This is the first book to detail conjugate gradient methods, showing their properties and convergence characteristics as well as their performance in solving large-scale unconstrained optimization problems and applications. Comparisons to the limited-memory and truncated Newton methods are also discussed. Topics studied in detail include: linear conjugate gradient methods, standard conjugate gradient methods, acceleration of conjugate gradient methods, hybrid, modifications of the standard scheme, memoryless BFGS preconditioned, and three-term. Other conjugate gradient methods with clustering the eigenvalues or with the minimization of the condition number of the iteration matrix, are also treated. For each method, the convergence analysis, the computational performances and the comparisons versus other conjugate gradient methods are given. The theory behind the conjugate gradient algorithms presented as a methodology is developed with a clear, rigorous, and friendly exposition; the reader will gain an understanding of their properties and their convergence and will learn to develop and prove the convergence of his/her own methods. Numerous numerical studies are supplied with comparisons and comments on the behavior of conjugate gradient algorithms for solving a collection of 800 unconstrained optimization problems of different structures and complexities with the number of variables in the range [1000,10000]. The book is addressed to all those interested in developing and using new advanced techniques for solving unconstrained optimization complex problems. Mathematical programming researchers, theoreticians and practitioners in operations research, practitioners in engineering and industry researchers, as well as graduate students in mathematics, Ph.D. and master students in mathematical programming, will find plenty of information and practical applications for solving large-scale unconstrained optimization problems and applications by conjugate gradient methods.

The book is intended for graduate students and researchers in mathematics, computer science, and operational research. The book presents a new derivative-free optimization method/algorithm based on randomly generated trial points in specified domains and where the best ones are selected at each iteration by using a number of rules. This method is different from many other well established methods presented in the literature and proves to be competitive for solving many unconstrained optimization problems with different structures and complexities, with a relative large number of variables. Intensive numerical experiments with 140 unconstrained optimization problems, with up to 500 variables, have shown that this approach is efficient and robust. Structured into 4 chapters, Chapter 1 is introductory. Chapter 2 is dedicated to presenting a two level derivative-free random search method for unconstrained optimization. It is assumed that the minimizing function is continuous, lower bounded and its minimum value is known. Chapter 3 proves the convergence of the algorithm. In Chapter 4, the numerical performances of the algorithm are shown for solving 140 unconstrained optimization problems, out of which 16 are real applications. This shows that the optimization process has two phases: the reduction phase and the stalling one. Finally, the performances of the algorithm for solving a number of 30 large-scale unconstrained optimization problems up to 500 variables are presented. These numerical results show that this approach based on the two level random search method for unconstrained optimization is able to solve a large diversity of problems with different structures and complexities. There are a number of open problems which refer to the following aspects: the selection of the number of trial or the number of the local trial points, the selection of the bounds of the domains where the trial points and the local trial points are randomly generated and a criterion for initiating the line search.

This book presents the theoretical details and computational performances of algorithms used for solving continuous nonlinear optimization applications imbedded in GAMS. Aimed toward scientists and graduate students who utilize optimization methods to model and solve problems in mathematical programming, operations research, business, engineering, and industry, this book enables readers with a background in nonlinear optimization and linear algebra to use GAMS technology to understand and utilize its important capabilities to optimize algorithms for modeling and solving complex, large-scale, continuous nonlinear optimization problems or applications. Beginning with an overview of constrained nonlinear optimization methods, this book moves on to illustrate key aspects of mathematical modeling through modeling technologies based on algebraically oriented modeling languages. Next, the main feature of GAMS, an algebraically oriented language that allows for high-level algebraic representation of mathematical optimization models, is introduced to model and solve continuous nonlinear optimization applications. More than 15 real nonlinear optimization applications in algebraic and GAMS representation are presented which are used to illustrate the performances of the algorithms described in this book. Theoretical and computational results, methods, and techniques effective for solving nonlinear optimization problems, are detailed through the algorithms MINOS, KNITRO, CONOPT, SNOPT and IPOPT which work in GAMS technology.