Stochastic Programming Methods And Technical Applications

This book examines optimization problems that in practice involve random model parameters. It details the computation of robust optimal solutions, i.e., optimal solutions that are insensitive with respect to random parameter variations, where appropriate deterministic substitute problems are needed. Based on the probability distribution of the random data and using decision theoretical concepts, optimization problems under stochastic uncertainty are converted into appropriate deterministic substitute problems. Due to the probabilities and expectations involved, the book also shows how to apply approximative solution techniques. Several deterministic and stochastic approximation methods are provided: Taylor expansion methods, regression and response surface methods (RSM), probability inequalities, multiple linearization of survival/failure domains, discretization methods, convex approximation/deterministic descent directions/efficient points, stochastic approximation and gradient procedures and differentiation formulas for probabilities and expectations. In the third edition, this book further develops stochastic optimization methods. In particular, it now shows how to apply stochastic optimization methods to the approximate solution of important concrete problems arising in engineering, economics and operations research.

Optimization problems arising in practice usually contain several random parameters. Hence, in order to obtain optimal solutions being robust with respect to random parameter variations, the mostly available statistical information about the random parameters should be considered already at the planning phase. The original problem with random parameters must be replaced by an appropriate deterministic substitute problem, and efficient numerical solution or approximation techniques have to be developed for those problems. This proceedings volume contains a selection of papers on modelling techniques, approximation methods, numerical solution procedures for stochastic optimization problems and applications to the reliability-based optimization of concrete technical or economic systems.

This volume includes a selection of refereed papers presented at the GAMM/IFIP-Workshop on "Stochastic Optimization: Numerical Methods and Technical Applications", held at the Federal Armed Forces University Munich, May 29 - 31, 1990. The objective of this meeting was to bring together scientists from Stochastic Programming and from those Engineering areas, where Mathematical Programming models are common tools, as e. g. Optimal Structural Design, Power Dispatch, Acid Rain Management etc. The first, theoretical part includes the papers by S. D. Flam. H. Niederreiter, E. Poechinger and R. Schultz. The second part on methods and applications contains the articles by N. Baba, N. Grwe and W. Roemisch, J. Mayer, E. A. Mc Bean and A. Vasarhelyi.

Consisting of two parts, this book presents papers describing publicly available stochastic programming systems that are operational. It presents a diverse collection of application papers in areas such as production, supply chain and scheduling, gaming, environmental and pollution control, financial modeling, telecommunications, and electricity.

Proceedings of the 2nd GAMM/IFIP-Workshop on "Stochastic Optimization:Numerical Methods and Technical Applications" held at the Federal Armed Forces University, Munich, Neubiberg/München, Germany, June 15-17, 1993

New theoretical insight into several branches of reliability-oriented optimization of stochastic systems, new computational approaches and technical/economic applications of stochastic programming methods can be found in this volume.

This rapidly developing field encompasses many disciplines including operations research, mathematics, and probability. Conversely, it is being applied in a wide variety of subjects ranging from agriculture to financial planning and from industrial engineering to computer networks. This textbook provides a first course in stochastic programming suitable for students with a basic knowledge of linear programming, elementary analysis, and probability. The authors present a broad overview of the main themes and methods of the subject, thus helping students develop an intuition for how to model uncertainty into mathematical problems, what uncertainty changes bring to the decision process, and what techniques help to manage uncertainty in solving the problems. The early chapters introduce some worked examples of stochastic programming, demonstrate how a stochastic model is formally built, develop the properties of stochastic programs and the basic solution techniques used to solve them. The book then goes on to cover approximation and sampling techniques and is rounded off by an in-depth case study. A well-paced and wide-ranging introduction to this subject.

This volume includes a selection of refereed papers presented at the GAMM/IFIP-Workshop on "Stochastic Optimization: Numerical Methods and Technical Applications," held at the Federal Armed Forces University Munich, May 29 - 31, 1990. The objective of this meeting was to bring together scientists from Stochastic Programming and from those Engineering areas, where Mathematical Programming models are common tools, as e. g. Optimal Structural Design, Power Dispatch, Acid Rain Management etc. The first, theoretical part includes the papers by S. D. Flam. H. Niederreiter, E. Pl-chinger and R. Schultz. The second part on methods and applications contains the articles by N. Baba, N. Gr-we and W. R-misch, J. Mayer, E. A. Mc Bean and A. Vasarhelyi.