We examine various aspects of modeling and solution via mixedinteger nonlinear programming (MINLP). MINLP has much to offer as a powerful modeling paradigm. Recently, significant advances have been made in MINLP solution software. To fully realize the power of MINLP to solve complex business optimization problems, we need to develop knowledge and expertise concerning MINLP modeling and solution...

Branch-and-Bound (B&B) is perhaps the most fundamental algorithm for the global solution of convex Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programming (MINLP) problems. It is well-known that carrying out branching in a non-simplistic manner can greatly enhance the practicality of B&B in the context of Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP). No detailed study of branching has heretofore been carried out for MI...

We consider a production planning problem where the production process creates a mixture of desirable products and undesirable byproducts. In this production process, at any point in time the fraction of the mixture that is an undesirable byproduct increases monotonically as a function of the cumulative mixture production up to that time. The mathematical formulation of this continuous-time pro...

This short communication presents a generic mathematical programming formulation for Computer-Aided Molecular Design (CAMD). A given CAMD problem, based on target properties, is formulated as a Mixed Integer Linear/Non-Linear Program (MILP/MINLP). The mathematical programming model presented here, which is formulated as an MILP/MINLP problem, considers first-order and second-order molecular gro...

Many optimization problems require the modelling of discrete and continuous variables, giving rise to mixed-integer linear and mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MILP / MINLP). An alternative representation of MINLP is Generalized Disjunctive Programming (GDP)1. GDP models are represented through continuous and Boolean variables, and involve algebraic equations, disjunctions, and logic propos...

Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programming (MINLP) problems present two main challenges: the integrality of a subset of variables and nonconvex (nonlinear) objective function and constraints. Many exact solvers for MINLP are branch-and-bound algorithms that compute a lower bound on the optimal solution using a linear programming relaxation of the original problem. In order to solve these problems to o...

Discrete-continuous non-linear optimization models are frequently used to formulate problems in process system engineering. Major modeling alternatives and solution algorithms include generalized disjunctive programming and mixed integer non-linear programming (MINLP). Both have advantages and drawbacks depending on the problem they are dealing with. In this work, we describe the theory behind ...

This paper considers the solution of Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programming (MINLP) problems. Classical methods for the solution of MINLP problems decompose the problem by separating the nonlinear part from the integer part. This approach is largely due to the existence of packaged software for solving Nonlinear Programming (NLP) and Mixed Integer Linear Programming problems. In contrast, an integ...