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We propose the general Filter-based Stochastic Algorithm (FbSA) for the global optimization of nonconvex and nonsmooth constrained problems. Under certain conditions on the probability distributions that generate the sample points, almost sure convergence is proved. In order to optimize problems with computationally expensive black-box objective functions, we develop the FbSA-RBF algorithm based on the general FbSA and assisted by Radial Basis Function (RBF) surrogate models to approximate the objective function. At each iteration, the resulting algorithm constructs/updates a surrogate model of the objective function and generates trial points using a dynamic coordinate search strategy similar to the one used in the Dynamically Dimensioned Search method. To identify a promising best trial point, a non-dominance concept based on the values of the surrogate model and the constraint violation at the trial points is used. Theoretical results concerning the sufficient conditions for the almost surely convergence of the algorithm are presented. Preliminary numerical experiments show that the FbSA-RBF is competitive when compared with other known methods in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work we propose a derivative-free trust-region algorithm for unconstrained optimization. The algorithm is based on the ideas of Powell (Comput Optim Appl 53:527-555, ). We turn his general ideas into a step-form algorithm that avoids unnecessary reductions of the trust-region radius. The results related to the global convergence of the algorithm are presented in detail. We prove that, under reasonable hypotheses, any accumulation point of the sequence generated by the algorithm is stationary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term operation of hydro-thermal power generation systems is modeled by a large-scale stochastic optimization problem that includes nonlinear constraints due to the head computation in hydroelectric plants. We do a detailed development of the problem model and state it by a non-anticipative scenario analysis, leading to a large-scale nonlinear programming problem. This is solved by a filter algorithm with sequential quadratic programming iterations that minimize quadratic Lagrangian approximations using exact hessians in L ∞ trust regions. The method is applied to the long-term planning of the Brazilian system, with over 100 hydroelectric and 50 thermoelectric plants, distributed in 5 interconnected subsystems. This problem with 50 synthetically generated inflow scenarios and a horizon of 60 months, amounting to about one million variables and 15000 nonlinear constraints was solved by the filter algorithm in a standard 2016 notebook computer in 10 h of CPU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]