A novel global optimization method based on an Augmented Lagrangian framework is introduced for continuous constrained nonlinear optimization problems. At each outer iteration k the method requires the εk-global minimization of the Augmented Lagrangian with simple constraints, where εk → ε. Global convergence to an ε-global minimizer of the original problem is proved. The subproblems are solved using the αBB method. Numerical experiments are presented.

Summary. Mathematical programming is a language for describing optimization problems; it is based on parameters, decision variables, objective function(s) subject to various types of constraints. The present treatment is concerned with the case when objective(s) and constraints are algebraic mathematical expressions of the parameters and decision variables, and therefore excludes optimization of black-box functions. A reformulation of a mathematical program P is a mathematical program Q obtained from P via symbolic transformations applied to the sets of variables, objectives and constraints. We present a survey of existing reformulations interpreted along these lines, some example applications, and describe the implementation of a software framework for reformulation and optimization. 1

A reformulation of a mathematical program is a formulation which shares some properties with, but is in some sense better than, the original program. Reformulations are important with respect to the choice and efficiency of the solution algorithms; furthermore, it is desirable that reformulations can be carried out automatically. Reformulation techniques are very common in mathematical programming but interestingly they have never been studied under a common framework. This paper attempts to move some steps in this direction. We define a framework for storing and manipulating mathematical programming formulations, give several fundamental definitions categorizing reformulations in essentially four types (opt-reformulations, narrowings, relaxations and approximations). We establish some theoretical results and give reformulation examples for each type.

Many engineering optimization problems can be formulated as nonconvex nonlinear programming problems (NLPs) involving a nonlinear objective function subject to nonlinear constraints. Such problems may exhibit more than one locally optimal point. However, one is often solely or primarily interested in determining the globally optimal point. This thesis is concerned with techniques for establishing such global optima using spatial Branch-and-Bound (sBB) algorithms.

This paper extends the Quad-filtering algorithm for handling general nonlinear systems. This extended algorithm is based on the RLT (Reformulation-Linearization Technique) schema. In the reformulation phase, tight convex and concave approximations of nonlinear terms are generated, that's to say for bilinear terms, product of variables, power and univariate terms. New variables are introduced to linearize the initial constraint system. A linear programming solver is called to prune the domains. A combination of this filtering technique with Box-consistency filtering algorithm has been investigated. Experimental results on difficult problems show that a solver based on this combination outperforms classical CSP solvers.

Keywords: Reformulation-Linearization Technique, lift-and-project, tight relaxations, valid inequalities, model reformulation, convex hull, convex envelopes, mixed-integer 0-1 program, polynomial programs, nonconvex programs, factorable programs, reduced relaxations. Discrete and continuous nonconvex programming problems arise in a host of practical applications in the context of production planning and control, location-allocation, distribution, economics and game theory, quantum chemistry, and process and engineering design situations. Several recent advances have been made in the development of branch-and-cut type algorithms for mixed-integer linear and nonlinear programming problems, as well as polyhedral outer-approximation methods for continuous nonconvex programming problems. At the heart of these approaches is a sequence of linear (or convex) programming relaxations that drive the solution process, and the success of such algorithms is strongly tied in with the strength or tightness of these relaxations. The Reformulation-Linearization-Technique (RLT) is a method that generates such tight linear programming relaxations for not only constructing exact solution algorithms, but also to design powerful heuristic procedures for large classes of discrete combinatorial and continuous nonconvex programming problems. Its development originated in [4, 5, 6], initially focusing on 0-1 and mixed 0-1 linear and

In a recent paper, Birgin, Floudas and Martínez introduced an augmented Lagrangian method for global optimization. In their approach, augmented Lagrangian subproblems are solved using the αBB method and convergence to global minimizers was obtained assuming feasibility of the original problem. In the present research, the algorithm mentioned above will be improved in several crucial aspects. On the one hand, feasibility of the problem will not be required. Possible infeasibility will be detected in finite time by the new algorithms and optimal infeasibility results will be proved. On the other hand, finite termination results that guarantee optimality and/or feasibility up to any required precision will be provided. An adaptive modification in which subproblem tolerances depend on current feasibility and complementarity will also be given. The adaptive algorithm allows the augmented Lagrangian subproblems to be solved without requiring unnecessary potentially high precisions in the intermediate steps of the method, which improves the overall efficiency. Experiments showing how the new algorithms and results are related to practical computations will be given. Key words: deterministic global optimization, augmented Lagrangians, nonlinear programming, algorithms, numerical experiments. 1