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A stabilized SQP method: superlinear convergence

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Abstract

Stabilized sequential quadratic programming (sSQP) methods for nonlinear optimization generate a sequence of iterates with fast local convergence regardless of whether or not the active-constraint gradients are linearly dependent. This paper concerns the local convergence analysis of an sSQP method that uses a line search with a primal-dual augmented Lagrangian merit function to enforce global convergence. The method is provably well-defined and is based on solving a strictly convex quadratic programming subproblem at each iteration. It is shown that the method has superlinear local convergence under assumptions that are no stronger than those required by conventional stabilized SQP methods. The fast local convergence is obtained by allowing a small relaxation of the optimality conditions for the quadratic programming subproblem in the neighborhood of a solution. In the limit, the line search selects the unit step length, which implies that the method does not suffer from the Maratos effect. The analysis indicates that the method has the same strong first- and second-order global convergence properties that have been established for augmented Lagrangian methods, yet is able to transition seamlessly to sSQP with fast local convergence in the neighborhood of a solution. Numerical results on some degenerate problems are reported.

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Notes

  1. Andreani et al. [1, Definition 3.1].

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the referees for a number of suggestions that significantly improved the presentation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mathematics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0112, USA

    Philip E. Gill

  2. Agent Technology Center, Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic

    Vyacheslav Kungurtsev

  3. Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218-2682, USA

    Daniel P. Robinson

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  1. Philip E. Gill
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  2. Vyacheslav Kungurtsev
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  3. Daniel P. Robinson
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Correspondence to Daniel P. Robinson.

Additional information

P. E. Gill: Research supported by the National Science Foundation Grants DMS-1318480 and DMS-1361421.

Vyacheslav Kungurtsev: Research supported by the European social fund within the framework of realizing the project “Support of inter-sectoral mobility and quality enhancement of research teams at the Czech Technical University in Prague”, CZ.1.07/2.3.00/30.0034.

Daniel P. Robinson: Research supported by National Science Foundation Grant DMS-1217153.

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Gill, P.E., Kungurtsev, V. & Robinson, D.P. A stabilized SQP method: superlinear convergence. Math. Program. 163, 369–410 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10107-016-1066-7

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