bi-level.

org

Tutorial:

Bilevel Optimization
Without Tears
Jesús Mejía and Efrén Mezura-Montes
Artificial Intelligence Research Center
University of Veracruz, MEXICO
Optimization and Methods from Outline
origin of Bilevel Classical to
Optimization (BO) Metaheuristics
Final comments

Bilevel Solution
Introduction Applications Conclusions
Optimization Strategies

Practical examples to BO for solving interest

understand the formal problems
definition and its
properties bi-level.org 2
Introduction

3
 Local optimum

Objective function

maximum

Optimization
101

Minimum

Rao, S. S. (2019). Engineering optimization: theory and practice.

John Wiley & Sons. bi-level.org 4
 Minimization

“Find a best element (with regard to

some criterion) from a set of
available alternatives”
Optimization
101
Criterion
Best element

Set of
alternatives

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 Minimization

“Find an argument that minimizes an

objective function”

Optimization
101
Objective
Optimum function

Search space

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 Minimization

Optimization
101

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 Minimization

Optimization
Example

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 Minimize

where

Optimization and y is a constant equal to 1

Homework

bi-level.org 9
 Minimize

where

Optimization and y is a constant equal to 1

Homework Solution:

bi-level.org 10
 1934 A Leader-follower game was introduced

1973 Formulation for bilevel optimization

1977 Introduce term “Bilevel Programming”

Origin 1988 BO problems are NP-hard!

1992 BO problems are strongly NP-hard!

Of Bilevel Optimization
1994 First Genetic Algorithm for BO

2000-Present High interest from EC

community

Sinha, A. et al (2017). A review on bilevel optimization: from classical to

evolutionary approaches and applications. IEEE Transactions on Evolutionary
Computation. bi-level.org 11
Bilevel Optimization

12
 “I am expert in Multi-objective

Bilevel optimization and my trusted friend

told me that BO is a bi-objective

Optimization optimization”

“Bilevel optimization is like

Wrong ideas on BO optimizing 2D functions”

“Nobody needs BO”

bi-level.org 13
 Bilevel “An upper level authority takes a
Optimization decision subject to an optimal
response from a lower level
Description authority”

Zhang, G., et al (2015). Multi-level decision making. New York: Springer.

bi-level.org 14
 “A guy finds the best way to escape,
subject to the optimal path (to the

Bilevel guy’s position) planned by the

chickens”

Optimization
Dummy example

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 “A guy finds the best way to escape,
subject to the optimal path (to the

Bilevel guy’s position) planned by the

chickens”

Optimization Best leader Objective

Best follower
solution
function
solution
Dummy example

Possible solutions

bi-level.org 16
 “A guy finds the best way to escape,
subject to the optimal path (to the

Bilevel guy’s position) planned by the

chickens”

Optimization Best follower Objective

Current leader
solution
function
solution
Dummy example

Possible solutions

bi-level.org 17
Bilevel Optimization: Nested Scheme

1. Leader takes a decision x

2. The follower uses the leader's
decision to take the best decision
based on f
3. The leader evaluates both x, y to
evaluate F

Zhang, G., et al (2015). Multi-level decision making. New York: Springer. 18

Bilevel Optimization: Formal Definition

Minimize: Leader /
Upper Level

Subject to:
Follower /
Lower Level

Dempe, Stephan. Foundations of bilevel programming. Springer Science & Business Media, 2002. 19
Bilevel Optimization: Solutions

Feasible solutions Optimal Feasible solutions

Dempe, Stephan. Foundations of bilevel programming. Springer Science & Business Media, 2002. 20
Bilevel Optimization: Practical Example

Minimize:

Subject to:

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Bilevel Optimization: Practical Example
Step 1: Choose said

Step 2: Solve:

Step 3: Evaluate:
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Bilevel Optimization: Practical Example
UL & LL functions Leader performance
s.t. best follower decision

Best follower
decision

Feasible solutions Optimum solution

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 True leader
performance

Follower
Bilevel takes the
best

Optimization Leader takes

decision

a decision
Practical Example

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Bilevel Optimization: General Definition
Minimize:

Subject to:

Dempe, Stephan. Foundations of bilevel programming. Springer Science & Business Media, 2002.
Dempe, S., et al. (2015). Bilevel programming problems. Energy Systems. Springer, Berlin.
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Solution Strategies

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Solution Strategies

Classical Approximate Hybrid

Mathematical Metaheuristics Metaheuristics +

programming Mathematical
Population-based
programming
● Karush-Kuhn-Tucker algorithms have been
conditions for successfully used. Usually,
single-level Karush-Kuhn-Tucker
● Evolutionary
reduction conditions are used in
Algorithms
● Branch and Bound addition to population
● Trust region ● Swarm Intelligence based algorithms for
● Among others ● Among others global optimization
Sinha, A. et al (2017). A review on bilevel optimization: from classical to evolutionary approaches and applications. IEEE bi-level.org 27
Transactions on Evolutionary Computation.
Solution Strategies Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions

Classical

Subject to:
Mathematical
programming
● Karush-Kuhn-Tucker
conditions for
single-level
reduction
● Branch and Bound
● Trust region
● Among others
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Solution Strategies

Approximate

Metaheuristics
Population-based The metaheuristics use
algorithms have been the nested scheme to
successfully used. sequentially optimize
● Evolutionary both levels.
Algorithms
● Swarm Intelligence
● Among others
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Talbi, E. G. (2013). Metaheuristics for bi-level optimization. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
Solution Strategies UL Population

Approximate

Metaheuristics
Population-based
algorithms have been
successfully used.
LL Population
● Evolutionary
Algorithms
● Swarm Intelligence
● Among others
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Talbi, E. G. (2013). Metaheuristics for bi-level optimization. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
 Solution Strategies

Approximate

Metaheuristics
Population-based
algorithms have been
successfully used.
● Evolutionary
Algorithms
● Swarm Intelligence Differential Evolution (DE), Genetic Algorithm (GA), Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP),
Interior Point Method (IP), Efficient Global Optimization (EGO).
● Among others
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Mejía-de-Dios, J. A., & Mezura-Montes, E. (2020). A surrogate-assisted metaheuristic for bilevel optimization. GECCO 2020.
Solution Strategies
Simple (naive) solution in Julia

Try it yourself online for free: bi-level.org/tutorial

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Applications

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Applications Upper level authority that wants to
optimize the tolls revenue for a
Toll Setting Problem network of roads.

Followers are the network users

that want to optimize their
objectives (costs, time, etc).
Brotcorne, L., et al. (2001). A bilevel model for toll optimization on a
multicommodity transportation network. Transportation science.
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 Applications
Automated Parameter Tuning
Leader: Chooses the parameters

Follower: Finds the hardest

instances for the target algorithm

Working paper. bi-level.org 35

Applications
Principal-Agent Problems
Leader (principal) subcontracts a job to an
agent (follower). Uses an incentive scheme
that aligns the interests of the agent with the
principal.

Follower: (agent) prefers to act in his own

interests rather than those of the leader.
Cecchini, M., et al. (2013). Solving nonlinear principal-agent problems using bilevel
programming. European Journal of Operational Research.
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Conclusions

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 1. Bilevel Optimization (BO) is useful
to model problem with inherent
hierarchical structure
2. BO offers rich properties for solving
problems
3. Approximate methods can
Conclusions successfully solve real-world
problems
4. More theoretical studies are needed
5. BO problems can be hard to solve
because of the computational
complexity

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Thank you!
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Questions?
bi-level.org/tutorial

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