Quantum relative entropy (QRE) programming is a recently popular and challenging class of convex optimization problems with significant applications in quantum computing and quantum information theory. We are interested in modern interior-point (IP) methods based on optimal self-concordant barriers for the QRE cone. A range of theoretical and numerical challenges associated with such barrier functions and the QRE cones have hindered the scalability of IP methods. To address these challenges, we propose a series of numerical and linear algebraic techniques and heuristics aimed at enhancing the efficiency of gradient and Hessian computations for the self-concordant barrier function, solving linear systems, and performing matrix-vector products. We also introduce and deliberate about some interesting concepts related to QRE such as symmetric quantum relative entropy. We design a two-phase method for performing facial reduction that can significantly improve the performance of QRE programming. Our new techniques have been implemented in the latest version (DDS 2.2) of the software package Domain-Driven Solver (DDS). In addition to handling QRE constraints, DDS accepts any combination of several other conic and nonconic convex constraints. Our comprehensive numerical experiments encompass several parts, including (1) a comparison of DDS 2.2 with Hypatia for the nearest correlation matrix problem, (2) using DDS 2.2 for combining QRE constraints with various other constraint types, and (3) calculating the key rate for quantum key distribution (QKD) channels and presenting results for several QKD protocols. History: Accepted by Giacomo Nannicini, Area Editor for Quantum Computing and Operations Research. Accepted for Special Issue. Funding: This work was supported by the National Science Foundation [Grant CMMI-2347120] and Discovery Grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Supplemental Material: The software that supports the findings of this study is available within the paper and its Supplemental Information ( https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/suppl/10.1287/ijoc.2024.0570 ) as well as from the IJOC GitHub software repository ( https://github.com/INFORMSJoC/2024.0570 ). The complete IJOC Software and Data Repository is available at https://informsjoc.github.io/ .

Abstract. We study the computational efficiency of approaches, based on Hilbert’s Nullstellensatz, which use systems of linear equations for detecting noncolorability of graphs having large girth and chromatic number. We show that for every non-[Formula: see text]-colorable graph with [Formula: see text] vertices and girth [Formula: see text], the algorithm is required to solve systems of size at least [Formula: see text] in order to detect its non-[Formula: see text]-colorability.

A vector is dyadic if each of its entries is a dyadic rational number, i.e., an integer multiple of $\frac{1}{2^k}$ for some nonnegative integer $k$. We prove that every clean clutter with a covering number of at least two has a dyadic fractional packing of value two. This result is best possible, for there exist clean clutters with a covering number of three and no dyadic fractional packing of value three. Examples of clean clutters include ideal clutters, binary clutters, and clutters without an intersecting minor. Our proof is constructive and leads naturally to an (albeit exponential) algorithm. We improve the running time to quasi-polynomial in the rank of the input and to polynomial in the binary case.

Total dual integrality is a powerful and unifying concept in polyhedral combinatorics and integer programming that enables the refinement of geometric min-max relations given by linear programming strong duality into combinatorial min-max theorems. The definition of a linear inequality system being totally dual integral (TDI) revolves around the existence of optimal dual solutions that are integral and thus naturally applies to a host of combinatorial optimization problems that are cast as integer programs whose linear program (LP) relaxations have the TDIness property. However, when combinatorial problems are formulated using more general convex relaxations, such as semidefinite programs (SDPs), it is not at all clear what an appropriate notion of integrality in the dual program is, thus inhibiting the generalization of the theory to more general forms of structured convex optimization. (In fact, we argue that the rank-one constraint usually added to SDP relaxations is not adequate in the dual SDP.) In this paper, we propose a notion of total dual integrality for SDPs that generalizes the notion for LPs, by relying on an “integrality constraint" for SDPs that is primal-dual symmetric. A key ingredient for the theory is a generalization to compact convex sets of a result of Hoffman for polytopes, fundamental for generalizing the polyhedral notion of total dual integrality introduced by Edmonds and Giles. We study the corresponding theory applied to SDP formulations for stable sets in graphs using the Lovász theta function and show that total dual integrality in this case corresponds to the underlying graph being perfect. We also relate dual integrality of an SDP formulation for the maximum cut problem to bipartite graphs. Total dual integrality for extended formulations naturally comes into play in this context.

We consider lift-and-project methods for combinatorial optimization problems and focus mostly on those lift-and-project methods which generate polyhedral relaxations of the convex hull of integer solutions. We introduce many new variants of Sherali--Adams and Bienstock--Zuckerberg operators. These new operators fill the spectrum of polyhedral lift-and-project operators in a way which makes all of them more transparent, easier to relate to each other, and easier to analyze. We provide new techniques to analyze the worst-case performances as well as relative strengths of these operators in a unified way. In particular, using the new techniques and a result of Mathieu and Sinclair from 2009, we prove that the polyhedral Bienstock--Zuckerberg operator requires at least $\sqrt{2n}- \frac{3}{2}$ iterations to compute the matching polytope of the $(2n+1)$-clique. We further prove that the operator requires approximately $\frac{n}{2}$ iterations to reach the stable set polytope of the $n$-clique, if we start with the fractional stable set polytope. Last, we show that some of the worst-case instances for the positive semidefinite Lovász--Schrijver lift-and-project operator are also bad instances for the strongest variants of the Sherali--Adams operator with positive semidefinite strengthenings, and discuss some consequences for integrality gaps of convex relaxations.

Tjriangulations are used in simplicial algorithms to find the fixed points of continuous functions or upper semicontinuous mappings; applications arise from economics and optimization. The performance of simplicial algorithms is very sensitive to the triangulation used. Using a facetal description, Dang’s $D_1 $ triangulation is modified to obtain a more efficient triangulation of the unit hypercube in $R^n $, and then, by means of translations and reflections, we derive a new triangulation, $D'_1 $, of $R^n $. It is shown that $D'_1 $ uses fewer simplices (asymptotically 30 percent fewer) than $D_1 $ while achieving comparable scores for other performance measures such as the diameter and the surface density. The results of Haiman’s recursive method for getting asymptotically better triangulations from $D_1 $, $D'_1 $ and other triangulations are also compared.