Efficient First-Order Method for Solving Linear Programs with Guaranteed Convergence Rates

核心概念

The authors present a first-order method for solving linear programs that achieves polynomial-time convergence rates, with the convergence rate depending on the circuit imbalance measure of the constraint matrix rather than the Hoffman constant.

要約

The paper introduces a new first-order algorithm for approximately solving linear programs (LPs) that achieves polynomial-time convergence rates. The key innovations are:

The algorithm's convergence rate depends on the circuit imbalance measure of the constraint matrix, rather than the Hoffman constant, which can be much smaller and lead to stronger guarantees.

The algorithm repeatedly calls a fast gradient method (R-FGM) on a carefully designed potential function, and gradually fixes variables to their upper or lower bounds based on primal-dual complementarity conditions.

The algorithm can handle arbitrary linear programs, not just those with totally unimodular constraint matrices, and the running time depends polynomially on the logarithms of the problem parameters, in contrast to previous first-order methods.

The authors also provide a guessing procedure to handle the circuit imbalance measure, which is hard to approximate, without affecting the asymptotic running time.

The algorithm first solves a feasibility problem to find a δ-feasible solution, and then gradually optimizes the objective by fixing variables and updating the cost function. The key technical ingredients are proximity results relating the current solution to the optimal one, and a novel variable fixing scheme based on approximate complementarity conditions.

統計

None.

引用

None.

抽出されたキーインサイト

A First Order Method for Linear Programming Parameterized by Circuit Imbalance

by Rich... 場所 arxiv.org 03-29-2024

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2311.01959.pdf

深掘り質問

How can the ideas in this paper be extended to solve more general convex optimization problems beyond linear programming

The ideas presented in the paper can be extended to solve more general convex optimization problems beyond linear programming by adapting the algorithm to handle different types of constraints and objective functions. For example, the concept of variable fixing based on approximate complementarity conditions can be applied to other convex optimization problems with similar optimality conditions. Additionally, the use of circuit imbalance measures and proximity results can be generalized to a broader class of optimization problems where such structural properties can be leveraged for efficient algorithm design. By incorporating these principles into the optimization framework, it is possible to develop first-order methods for a wide range of convex optimization problems with strong convergence guarantees.

Can the variable fixing scheme be further improved to obtain even stronger convergence guarantees, perhaps by incorporating additional problem structure

The variable fixing scheme can be further improved to obtain even stronger convergence guarantees by incorporating additional problem-specific structures and properties. For instance, by analyzing the problem structure and identifying specific patterns in the data, one can tailor the variable fixing strategy to exploit these patterns for more efficient convergence. Additionally, incorporating adaptive strategies that dynamically adjust the variable fixing based on the progress of the algorithm can lead to improved convergence rates. By continuously refining the variable fixing scheme based on the problem characteristics and the algorithm's performance, it is possible to enhance the convergence guarantees and efficiency of the optimization algorithm.

What are the practical implications of this algorithm, and how does it compare to state-of-the-art LP solvers in terms of performance on real-world instances

The practical implications of this algorithm are significant, especially in the context of large-scale linear programming problems. The algorithm offers strong convergence guarantees and efficient convergence rates, making it well-suited for solving complex optimization problems efficiently. In comparison to state-of-the-art LP solvers, this algorithm provides a unique approach that combines first-order methods with structural properties of the problem to achieve robust and reliable solutions. The algorithm's performance on real-world instances is expected to be competitive, especially for problems where the circuit imbalance measure and proximity results play a crucial role in optimization. By leveraging these concepts, the algorithm can outperform traditional LP solvers in terms of convergence speed and solution quality on challenging instances.