arXiv subjects

Caroline Geiersbach

Publications and source records attributed to Caroline Geiersbach.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Sample-Based Consistency in Infinite-Dimensional Conic-Constrained Stochastic Optimization

This paper is concerned with a class of stochastic optimization problems defined on a Banach space with almost sure conic-type constraints. For this class of problems, we investigate the consistency of optimal values and solutions corresponding to sample average approximation. Consistency is also shown in the case where a Moreau--Yosida-type regularization of the constraint is used. Additionally, the consistency of Karush--Kuhn--Tucker conditions is shown under mild conditions. This work provides theoretical justification for the numerical computation of solutions frequently used in the literature. Several applications are explored showing the flexibility of the framework. We cover nonparametric regression over Sobolev balls, operator learning, optimal transport, optimization with dynamical systems under uncertainty, and optimization with partial differential equations under uncertainty.

math.OC↗

arXiv2024

A Cournot-Nash Model for a Coupled Hydrogen and Electricity Market

We present a novel model of a coupled hydrogen and electricity market on the intraday time scale, where hydrogen gas is used as a storage device for the electric grid. Electricity is produced by renewable energy sources or by extracting hydrogen from a pipeline that is shared by non-cooperative agents. The resulting model is a generalized Nash equilibrium problem. Under certain mild assumptions, we prove that an equilibrium exists. Perspectives for future work are presented.

math.OC↗

arXiv2024

Two-norm discrepancy and convergence of the stochastic gradient method with application to shape optimization

The present article is dedicated to proving convergence of the stochastic gradient method in case of random shape optimization problems. To that end, we consider Bernoulli's exterior free boundary problem with a random interior boundary. We recast this problem into a shape optimization problem by means of the minimization of the expected Dirichlet energy. By restricting ourselves to the class of convex, sufficiently smooth domains of bounded curvature, the shape optimization problem becomes strongly convex with respect to an appropriate norm. Since this norm is weaker than the differentiability norm, we are confronted with the so-called two-norm discrepancy, a well-known phenomenon from optimal control. We therefore need to adapt the convergence theory of the stochastic gradient method to this specific setting correspondingly. The theoretical findings are supported and validated by numerical experiments.

math.OC↗

arXiv2023

Numerical solution of an optimal control problem with probabilistic and almost sure state constraints

We consider the optimal control of a PDE with random source term subject to probabilistic or almost sure state constraints. In the main theoretical result, we provide an exact formula for the Clarke subdifferential of the probability function without a restrictive assumption made in an earlier paper. The focus of the paper is on numerical solution algorithms. As for probabilistic constraints, we apply the method of spherical radial decomposition. Almost sure constraints are dealt with a Moreau--Yosida smoothing of the constraint function accompanied by Monte Carlo sampling of the given distribution or its support or even just the boundary of its support. Moreover, one can understand the almost sure constraint as a probabilistic constraint with safety level one which offers yet another perspective. Finally, robust optimization can be applied efficiently when the support is sufficiently simple. A comparative study of these five different methodologies is carried out and illustrated.

math.OC↗

arXiv2023

Optimization of piecewise smooth shapes under uncertainty using the example of Navier-Stokes flow

We investigate a complex system involving multiple shapes to be optimized in a domain, taking into account geometric constraints on the shapes and uncertainty appearing in the physics. We connect the differential geometry of product shape manifolds with multi-shape calculus, which provides a novel framework for the handling of piecewise smooth shapes. This multi-shape calculus is applied to a shape optimization problem where shapes serve as obstacles in a system governed by steady state incompressible Navier-Stokes flow. Numerical experiments use our recently developed stochastic augmented Lagrangian method and we investigate the choice of algorithmic parameters using the example of this application.

math.OC↗

arXiv2023

Optimality conditions in control problems with random state constraints in probabilistic or almost-sure form

In this paper, we discuss optimality conditions for optimization problems involving random state constraints, which are modeled in probabilistic or almost sure form. While the latter can be understood as the limiting case of the former, the derivation of optimality conditions requires substantially different approaches. We apply them to a linear elliptic partial differential equation (PDE) with random inputs. In the probabilistic case, we rely on the spherical-radial decomposition of Gaussian random vectors in order to formulate fully explicit optimality conditions involving a spherical integral. In the almost sure case, we derive optimality conditions and compare them to a model based on robust constraints with respect to the (compact) support of the given distribution.

math.OC↗

arXiv2023

A stochastic gradient method for a class of nonlinear PDE-constrained optimal control problems under uncertainty

The study of optimal control problems under uncertainty plays an important role in scientific numerical simulations. This class of optimization problems is strongly utilized in engineering, biology and finance. In this paper, a stochastic gradient method is proposed for the numerical resolution of a nonconvex stochastic optimization problem on a Hilbert space. We show that, under suitable assumptions, strong or weak accumulation points of the iterates produced by the method converge almost surely to stationary points of the original optimization problem. Measurability and convergence rates of a stationarity measure are handled, filling a gap for applications to nonconvex infinite dimensional stochastic optimization problems. The method is demonstrated on an optimal control problem constrained by a class of elliptic semilinear partial differential equations (PDEs) under uncertainty.

math.OC↗

arXiv2023

Stochastic Augmented Lagrangian Method in Riemannian Shape Manifolds

In this paper, we present a stochastic augmented Lagrangian approach on (possibly infinite-dimensional) Riemannian manifolds to solve stochastic optimization problems with a finite number of deterministic constraints.We investigate the convergence of the method, which is based on a stochastic approximation approach with random stopping combined with an iterative procedure for updating Lagrange multipliers. The algorithm is applied to a multi-shape optimization problem with geometric constraints and demonstrated numerically.

math.OC↗

arXiv2022

Optimality Conditions and Moreau--Yosida Regularization for Almost Sure State Constraints

We analyze a potentially risk-averse convex stochastic optimization problem, where the control is deterministic and the state is a Banach-valued essentially bounded random variable. We obtain strong forms of necessary and sufficient optimality conditions for problems subject to equality and conical constraints. We propose a Moreau--Yosida regularization for the conical constraint and show consistency of the optimality conditions for the regularized problem as the regularization parameter is taken to infinity.

math.OC↗

arXiv2022

Risk-averse optimal control of random elliptic variational inequalities

We consider a risk-averse optimal control problem governed by an elliptic variational inequality (VI) subject to random inputs. By deriving KKT-type optimality conditions for a penalised and smoothed problem and studying convergence of the stationary points with respect to the penalisation parameter, we obtain two forms of stationarity conditions. The lack of regularity with respect to the uncertain parameters and complexities induced by the presence of the risk measure give rise to new challenges unique to the stochastic setting. We also propose a path-following stochastic approximation algorithm using variance reduction techniques and demonstrate the algorithm on a modified benchmark problem.

math.OC↗

arXiv2021

PDE-constrained shape optimization: towards product shape spaces and stochastic models

Shape optimization models with one or more shapes are considered in this chapter. Of particular interest for applications are problems in which where a so-called shape functional is constrained by a partial differential equation (PDE) describing the underlying physics. A connection can made between a classical view of shape optimization and the differential-geometric structure of shape spaces. To handle problems where a shape functional depends on multiple shapes, a theoretical framework is presented, whereby the optimization variable can be represented as a vector of shapes belonging to a product shape space. The multi-shape gradient and multi-shape derivative are defined, which allows for a rigorous justification of a steepest descent method with Armijo backtracking. As long as the shapes as subsets of a hold-all domain do not intersect, solving a single deformation equation is enough to provide descent directions with respect to each shape. Additionally, a framework for handling uncertainties arising from inputs or parameters in the PDE is presented. To handle potentially high-dimensional stochastic spaces, a stochastic gradient method is proposed. A model problem is constructed, demonstrating how uncertainty can be introduced into the problem and the objective can be transformed by use of the expectation. Finally, numerical experiments in the deterministic and stochastic case are devised, which demonstrate the effectiveness of the presented algorithms.

math.OC↗

arXiv2021

Optimality Conditions for Convex Stochastic Optimization Problems in Banach Spaces with Almost Sure State Constraints

We analyze a convex stochastic optimization problem where the state is assumed to belong to the Bochner space of essentially bounded random variables with images in a reflexive and separable Banach space. For this problem, we obtain optimality conditions that are, with an appropriate model, necessary and sufficient. Additionally, the Lagrange multipliers associated with optimality conditions are integrable vector-valued functions and not only measures. A model problem is given demonstrating the application to PDE-constrained optimization under uncertainty with an outlook for further applications.

math.OC↗

arXiv2021

Stochastic Proximal Gradient Methods for Nonconvex Problems in Hilbert Spaces

For finite-dimensional problems, stochastic approximation methods have long been used to solve stochastic optimization problems. Their application to infinite-dimensional problems is less understood, particularly for nonconvex objectives. This paper presents convergence results for the stochastic proximal gradient method applied to Hilbert spaces, motivated by optimization problems with partial differential equation (PDE) constraints with random inputs and coefficients. We study stochastic algorithms for nonconvex and nonsmooth problems, where the nonsmooth part is convex and the nonconvex part is the expectation, which is assumed to have a Lipschitz continuous gradient. The optimization variable is an element of a Hilbert space. We show almost sure convergence of strong limit points of the random sequence generated by the algorithm to stationary points. We demonstrate the stochastic proximal gradient algorithm on a tracking-type functional with a $L^1$-penalty term constrained by a semilinear PDE and box constraints, where input terms and coefficients are subject to uncertainty. We verify conditions for ensuring convergence of the algorithm and show a simulation.

math.OC↗

arXiv2020

Stochastic approximation for optimization in shape spaces

In this work, we present a novel approach for solving stochastic shape optimization problems. Our method is the extension of the classical stochastic gradient method to infinite-dimensional shape manifolds. We prove convergence of the method on Riemannian manifolds and then make the connection to shape spaces. The method is demonstrated on a model shape optimization problem from interface identification. Uncertainty arises in the form of a random partial differential equation, where underlying probability distributions of the random coefficients and inputs are assumed to be known. We verify some conditions for convergence for the model problem and demonstrate the method numerically.

math.OC↗

arXiv2020

A Stochastic Gradient Method with Mesh Refinement for PDE Constrained Optimization under Uncertainty

Models incorporating uncertain inputs, such as random forces or material parameters, have been of increasing interest in PDE-constrained optimization. In this paper, we focus on the efficient numerical minimization of a convex and smooth tracking-type functional subject to a linear partial differential equation with random coefficients and box constraints. The approach we take is based on stochastic approximation where, in place of a true gradient, a stochastic gradient is chosen using one sample from a known probability distribution. Feasibility is maintained by performing a projection at each iteration. In the application of this method to PDE-constrained optimization under uncertainty, new challenges arise. We observe the discretization error made by approximating the stochastic gradient using finite elements. Analyzing the interplay between PDE discretization and stochastic error, we develop a mesh refinement strategy coupled with decreasing step sizes. Additionally, we develop a mesh refinement strategy for the modified algorithm using iterate averaging and larger step sizes. The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated numerically for different random field choices.

math.OC↗

arXiv2020

Computational Aspects for Interface Identification Problems with Stochastic Modelling

In this paper, a shape optimization problem constrained by a random elliptic partial differential equation with a pure Neumann boundary is presented. The model is motivated by applications in interface identification, where we assume coefficients and inputs are subject to uncertainty. The problem is posed as a minimization of the expectation of a random objective functional depending on the uncertain parameters. A numerical method for iteratively solving the problem is presented, which is a generalization of the classical stochastic gradient method in shape spaces. Moreover, we perform numerical experiments, which demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm.

math.OC↗

arXiv2019

Projected Stochastic Gradients for Convex Constrained Problems in Hilbert Spaces

Convergence of a projected stochastic gradient algorithm is demonstrated for convex objective functionals with convex constraint sets in Hilbert spaces. In the convex case, the sequence of iterates ${u_n}$ converges weakly to a point in the set of minimizers with probability one. In the strongly convex case, the sequence converges strongly to the unique optimum with probability one. An application to a class of PDE constrained problems with a convex objective, convex constraint and random elliptic PDE constraints is shown. Theoretical results are demonstrated numerically.

math.OC↗