Ordinal optimization through multi-objective reformulation

Kathrin Klamroth, Michael Stiglmayr and Julia Sudhoff

European Journal of Operational Research, 2023, vol. 311, issue 2, 427-443

Abstract: We analyze combinatorial optimization problems with ordinal, i.e., non-additive, objective functions that assign categories (like good, medium and bad) rather than cost coefficients to the elements of feasible solutions. We review different optimality concepts for ordinal optimization problems and discuss their similarities and differences. We then focus on two prevalent optimality concepts that are shown to be equivalent. Our main focus lies on the investigation of a bijective linear transformation that transforms ordinal optimization problems to associated standard multi-objective optimization problems with binary cost coefficients. Since this transformation preserves all properties of the underlying problem, problem-specific solution methods remain applicable. A prominent example is dynamic programming and Bellman’s principle of optimality, that can be applied, e.g., to ordinal shortest path and ordinal knapsack problems. We investigate the interrelation between scalarization techniques and methods based on the hypervolume indicator when applied to the ordinal and the transformed problem, respectively. Furthermore, we extend our results to multi-objective optimization problems that combine ordinal and real-valued objective functions.

Keywords: Multiple objective programming; Ordering cones; Ordinal objective functions; Combinatorial optimization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0377221723003399
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ejores:v:311:y:2023:i:2:p:427-443

DOI: 10.1016/j.ejor.2023.04.042

Access Statistics for this article

European Journal of Operational Research is currently edited by Roman Slowinski, Jesus Artalejo, Jean-Charles. Billaut, Robert Dyson and Lorenzo Peccati

More articles in European Journal of Operational Research from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().