Skip to main content
Log in

An Algorithm Based on Active Sets and Smoothing for Discretized Semi-Infinite Minimax Problems

  • Published:
Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We present a new active-set strategy which can be used in conjunction with exponential (entropic) smoothing for solving large-scale minimax problems arising from the discretization of semi-infinite minimax problems. The main effect of the active-set strategy is to dramatically reduce the number of gradient calculations needed in the optimization. Discretization of multidimensional domains gives rise to minimax problems with thousands of component functions. We present an application to minimizing the sum of squares of the Lagrange polynomials to find good points for polynomial interpolation on the unit sphere in ℝ3. Our numerical results show that the active-set strategy results in a modified Armijo gradient or Gauss-Newton like methods requiring less than a quarter of the gradients, as compared to the use of these methods without our active-set strategy. Finally, we show how this strategy can be incorporated in an algorithm for solving semi-infinite minimax problems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Outendijk, G.Z.: Methods of Feasible Directions. Elsevier, Amsterdam (1960)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Polak, E.: Computational Methods in Optimization: A Unified Approach. Academic, New York (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Fletcher, R.: Practical Methods of Optimization. Wiley, New York (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bertsekas, D.P.: Nonlinear Programming. Athena Press, Cambridge (1995)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  5. Polak, E.: Optimization: Algorithms and Consistent Approximations. Springer, New York (1997)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  6. Polak, E., Royset, J.O., Womersley, R.S.: Algorithms with adaptive smoothing for finite min-max problems. J. Optim. Theory Appl. 119(3), 459–484 (2003)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  7. Kort, B.W., Bertsekas, D.P.: A new penalty function for constrained minimization. In: Proceedings 1972 IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, New Orleans, December 1972

  8. Bertsekas, D.P.: Nondifferentiable optimization via approximation. In: Balinski, M.L., Wolfe, P. (eds.) Mathematical Programming Study 3, Nondifferentiable Optimization, pp. 1–15. North-Holland, Amsterdam (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bertsekas, D.P.: Approximation procedures based on the method of multipliers. J. Optim. Theory Appl. 23, 487–510 (1977)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  10. Li, X.S.: An entropy-based aggregate method for minimax optimization. Eng. Optim. 14, 277–285 (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Peng, J., Lin, Z.: A non-interior continuation method for generalized linear complementarity problems. Math. Program. 86, 533–563 (1999)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  12. Xu, S.: Smoothing method for minimax problems. Comput. Optim. Appl. 20(3), 267–279 (2001)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  13. Li, X.S.: An aggregate function method for nonlinear programming. Sci. China (A) 34, 1467–1473 (1991)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  14. Bertsekas, D.P.: Minmax methods based on approximation. In: Proceeding of the 1976 Johns Hopkins Conference on Information Sciences and Systems, Baltimore, 1976

  15. Bertsekas, D.P.: Lagrange Multiplier Methods in Constrained Optimization. Academic, New York (1982), Chap. 3; republished by Athena Scientific, Cambridge (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Womersley, R.S., Sloan, I.H.: How good can polynomial interpolation on the sphere be? Adv. Comput. Math. 14, 195–226 (2001)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. Polak.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Polak, E., Womersley, R.S. & Yin, H.X. An Algorithm Based on Active Sets and Smoothing for Discretized Semi-Infinite Minimax Problems. J Optim Theory Appl 138, 311–328 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10957-008-9355-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10957-008-9355-9

Keywords

Navigation