Optimization of Stochastic Systems


Book Description

Optimization of Stochastic Systems is an outgrowth of class notes of a graduate level seminar on optimization of stochastic systems. Most of the material in the book was taught for the first time during the 1965 Spring Semester while the author was visiting the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley. The revised and expanded material was presented at the Department of Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles during the 1965 Fall Semester. The systems discussed in the book are mostly assumed to be of discrete-time type with continuous state variables taking values in some subsets of Euclidean spaces. There is another class of systems in which state variables are assumed to take on at most a denumerable number of values, i.e., these systems are of discrete-time discrete-space type. Although the problems associated with the latter class of systems are many and interesting, andalthough they are amenable to deep analysis on such topics as the limiting behaviors of state variables as time indexes increase to infinity, this class of systems is not included here, partly because there are many excellent books on the subjects and partly because inclusion of these materials would easily double the size of the book.




Stochastic Simulation Optimization


Book Description

With the advance of new computing technology, simulation is becoming very popular for designing large, complex and stochastic engineering systems, since closed-form analytical solutions generally do not exist for such problems. However, the added flexibility of simulation often creates models that are computationally intractable. Moreover, to obtain a sound statistical estimate at a specified level of confidence, a large number of simulation runs (or replications) is usually required for each design alternative. If the number of design alternatives is large, the total simulation cost can be very expensive. Stochastic Simulation Optimization addresses the pertinent efficiency issue via smart allocation of computing resource in the simulation experiments for optimization, and aims to provide academic researchers and industrial practitioners with a comprehensive coverage of OCBA approach for stochastic simulation optimization. Starting with an intuitive explanation of computing budget allocation and a discussion of its impact on optimization performance, a series of OCBA approaches developed for various problems are then presented, from the selection of the best design to optimization with multiple objectives. Finally, this book discusses the potential extension of OCBA notion to different applications such as data envelopment analysis, experiments of design and rare-event simulation.




Stochastic Optimization


Book Description

Stochastic programming is the study of procedures for decision making under the presence of uncertainties and risks. Stochastic programming approaches have been successfully used in a number of areas such as energy and production planning, telecommunications, and transportation. Recently, the practical experience gained in stochastic programming has been expanded to a much larger spectrum of applications including financial modeling, risk management, and probabilistic risk analysis. Major topics in this volume include: (1) advances in theory and implementation of stochastic programming algorithms; (2) sensitivity analysis of stochastic systems; (3) stochastic programming applications and other related topics. Audience: Researchers and academies working in optimization, computer modeling, operations research and financial engineering. The book is appropriate as supplementary reading in courses on optimization and financial engineering.




Introduction to Stochastic Search and Optimization


Book Description

* Unique in its survey of the range of topics. * Contains a strong, interdisciplinary format that will appeal to both students and researchers. * Features exercises and web links to software and data sets.




Stochastic Optimization Models in Finance


Book Description

A reprint of one of the classic volumes on portfolio theory and investment, this book has been used by the leading professors at universities such as Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie-Mellon. It contains five parts, each with a review of the literature and about 150 pages of computational and review exercises and further in-depth, challenging problems.Frequently referenced and highly usable, the material remains as fresh and relevant for a portfolio theory course as ever.




Stochastic Learning and Optimization


Book Description

Performance optimization is vital in the design and operation of modern engineering systems, including communications, manufacturing, robotics, and logistics. Most engineering systems are too complicated to model, or the system parameters cannot be easily identified, so learning techniques have to be applied. This book provides a unified framework based on a sensitivity point of view. It also introduces new approaches and proposes new research topics within this sensitivity-based framework. This new perspective on a popular topic is presented by a well respected expert in the field.




Discrete Event Systems


Book Description

A unified and rigorous treatment of the associated stochastic optimization problems is provided and recent advances in perturbation theory encompassed. Throughout the book emphasis is upon concepts rather than mathematical completeness with the advantage that the reader only requires a basic knowledge of probability, statistics and optimization.




Stochastic Global Optimization


Book Description

Ch. 1. Introduction / Gade Pandu Rangaiah -- ch. 2. Formulation and illustration of Luus-Jaakola optimization procedure / Rein Luus -- ch. 3. Adaptive random search and simulated annealing optimizers : algorithms and application issues / Jacek M. Jezowski, Grzegorz Poplewski and Roman Bochenek -- ch. 4. Genetic algorithms in process engineering : developments and implementation issues / Abdunnaser Younes, Ali Elkamel and Shawki Areibi -- ch. 5. Tabu search for global optimization of problems having continuous variables / Sim Mong Kai, Gade Pandu Rangaiah and Mekapati Srinivas -- ch. 6. Differential evolution : method, developments and chemical engineering applications / Chen Shaoqiang, Gade Pandu Rangaiah and Mekapati Srinivas -- ch. 7. Ant colony optimization : details of algorithms suitable for process engineering / V.K. Jayaraman [und weitere] -- ch. 8. Particle swarm optimization for solving NLP and MINLP in chemical engineering / Bassem Jarboui [und weitere] -- ch. 9. An introduction to the harmony search algorithm / Gordon Ingram and Tonghua Zhang -- ch. 10. Meta-heuristics : evaluation and reporting techniques / Abdunnaser Younes, Ali Elkamel and Shawki Areibi -- ch. 11. A hybrid approach for constraint handling in MINLP optimization using stochastic algorithms / G.A. Durand [und weitere] -- ch. 12. Application of Luus-Jaakola optimization procedure to model reduction, parameter estimation and optimal control / Rein Luus -- ch. 13. Phase stability and equilibrium calculations in reactive systems using differential evolution and tabu search / Adrian Bonilla-Petriciolet [und weitere] -- ch. 14. Differential evolution with tabu list for global optimization : evaluation of two versions on benchmark and phase stability problems / Mekapati Srinivas and Gade Pandu Rangaiah -- ch. 15. Application of adaptive random search optimization for solving industrial water allocation problem / Grzegorz Poplewski and Jacek M. Jezowski -- ch. 16. Genetic algorithms formulation for retrofitting heat exchanger network / Roman Bochenek and Jacek M. Jezowski -- ch. 17. Ant colony optimization for classification and feature selection / V.K. Jayaraman [und weitere] -- ch. 18. Constraint programming and genetic algorithm / Prakash R. Kotecha, Mani Bhushan and Ravindra D. Gudi -- ch. 19. Schemes and implementations of parallel stochastic optimization algorithms application of tabu search to chemical engineering problems / B. Lin and D.C. Miller




Stochastic Network Optimization with Application to Communication and Queueing Systems


Book Description

This text presents a modern theory of analysis, control, and optimization for dynamic networks. Mathematical techniques of Lyapunov drift and Lyapunov optimization are developed and shown to enable constrained optimization of time averages in general stochastic systems. The focus is on communication and queueing systems, including wireless networks with time-varying channels, mobility, and randomly arriving traffic. A simple drift-plus-penalty framework is used to optimize time averages such as throughput, throughput-utility, power, and distortion. Explicit performance-delay tradeoffs are provided to illustrate the cost of approaching optimality. This theory is also applicable to problems in operations research and economics, where energy-efficient and profit-maximizing decisions must be made without knowing the future. Topics in the text include the following: - Queue stability theory - Backpressure, max-weight, and virtual queue methods - Primal-dual methods for non-convex stochastic utility maximization - Universal scheduling theory for arbitrary sample paths - Approximate and randomized scheduling theory - Optimization of renewal systems and Markov decision systems Detailed examples and numerous problem set questions are provided to reinforce the main concepts. Table of Contents: Introduction / Introduction to Queues / Dynamic Scheduling Example / Optimizing Time Averages / Optimizing Functions of Time Averages / Approximate Scheduling / Optimization of Renewal Systems / Conclusions




Continuous-time Stochastic Control and Optimization with Financial Applications


Book Description

Stochastic optimization problems arise in decision-making problems under uncertainty, and find various applications in economics and finance. On the other hand, problems in finance have recently led to new developments in the theory of stochastic control. This volume provides a systematic treatment of stochastic optimization problems applied to finance by presenting the different existing methods: dynamic programming, viscosity solutions, backward stochastic differential equations, and martingale duality methods. The theory is discussed in the context of recent developments in this field, with complete and detailed proofs, and is illustrated by means of concrete examples from the world of finance: portfolio allocation, option hedging, real options, optimal investment, etc. This book is directed towards graduate students and researchers in mathematical finance, and will also benefit applied mathematicians interested in financial applications and practitioners wishing to know more about the use of stochastic optimization methods in finance.