Computing Sciences

Nonconvex, nonlinear optimization problems arise naturally in parameter fitting and machine learning. While augmented Lagrangian methods have demonstrated robust convergence for classes of these problems, their convergence for block updates has been relatively unexplored outside of the context of the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM). ADMM has seen extensive use in these applications, but may exhibit uncertain convergence behavior in many practical nonconvex settings, and struggles with general nonlinear constraints. In contrast, filter methods have proved effective in enforcing convergence for sequential quadratic programming methods and interior point methods with feasibility criteria. We develop an ADMM-filter method for highly nonlinear and nonconvex problems. We show convergence under mild assumptions for several types of coordinate descent schemes, and demonstrate our algorithm on nonnegative matrix factorization and completion problems in imaging and chemical spectrum analysis.

Derivative-free optimization (DFO) problems are optimization problems where derivative information is unavailable or extremely difficult to obtain. Model-based DFO solvers have been applied extensively in scientific computing. Powell's NEWUOA (2004) [Powell, The NEWUOA software for unconstrained optimization without derivatives, in Large-Scale Nonlinear Optimization, Nonconvex Optimization and its Applications Vol. 83, G. Di Pillo and M. Roma, eds., Springer, 2006, pp. 255–297] and Wild's POUNDerS (2014) [Wild, Solving derivative-free nonlinear least squares problems with POUNDERS, in Advances and Trends in Optimization with Engineering Applications, T. Terlaky, M.F. Anjos, and S. Ahmed, eds., SIAM, 2017, pp. 529–540] explore the numerical power of the minimal norm Hessian (MNH) model for DFO and contributed to the open discussion on building better models with fewer data to achieve faster numerical convergence. Another decade later, we propose the regional minimal updating (ReMU) models, and extend the previous models into a broader class, including the H2 norm models [Xie and Yuan, Least H2 norm updating of quadratic interpolation models for derivative-free trust-region algorithms, IMA J. Numer. Anal. 46 (2025), pp. 21–50]. This paper shows motivation behind ReMU models, computational details, theoretical and numerical results on particular extreme points and the barycentre of ReMU's weight coefficient region, and the associated KKT matrix error and distance. Novel metrics, such as the truncated Newton step error, are proposed to numerically understand the new models' properties. A new algorithmic strategy, based on iteratively adjusting the ReMU model type, is also proposed, and shows numerical advantages by combining and switching between the barycentric model and the classic least Frobenius norm model in an online fashion.

The HFBTHO code implements a nuclear energy density functional solver to model the structure of atomic nuclei. HFBTHO has previously been used to calibrate energy functionals and perform sensitivity analysis by using derivative-free methods. To enable derivative-based optimization and uncertainty quantification approaches, we must compute the derivatives of HFBTHO outputs with respect to the parameters of the energy functional, which are a subset of all input parameters of the code. We use the algorithmic/automatic differentiation (AD) tool Tapenade to differentiate HFBTHO. We compare the derivatives obtained using AD against finite-difference approximation and examine the performance of the derivative computation.

Sampling from probability distributions of the form [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is a continuous potential, is a fundamental task across physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, and statistics. However, when [Formula: see text] is nonconvex, the resulting distribution becomes non-logconcave, and classical methods such as Langevin dynamics often exhibit poor performance. We introduce a quantum algorithm that provably accelerates a broad class of continuous-time sampling dynamics. For Langevin dynamics, our method encodes the target Gibbs measure into the amplitudes of a quantum state, identified as the kernel of a block matrix derived from a factorization of the Witten Laplacian operator. This connection enables Gibbs sampling via singular value thresholding and yields up to a quartic quantum speedup over best-known classical Langevin-based methods in the non-logconcave setting. Building on this framework, we further develop the first quantum algorithm that accelerates replica exchange Langevin diffusion, a widely used method for sampling from complex, rugged energy landscapes.

We present Q-SASS, a quasi-Newton method for unconstrained stochastic optimization that does not rely on common random numbers. Most existing quasi-Newton approaches leverage common random numbers to construct second-order updates. However, motivated by challenges in variational quantum algorithms—where such coordination is not possible—we consider the setting in which function values and gradients are accessible only through noisy probabilistic zeroth- and first-order oracles, and no common random numbers can be exploited. We derive high-probability tail bounds on the iteration complexity of our algorithm for nonconvex, convex, and strongly convex (more generally, those satisfying the PL condition) objective functions. Finally, we demonstrate the empirical benefits of our quasi-Newton updating scheme on both synthetic and quantum chemistry problems.

Multiobjective simulation optimization (MOSO) problems are optimization problems with multiple conflicting objectives, where evaluation of at least one of the objectives depends on a black-box numerical code or real-world experiment, which we refer to as a simulation. Whereas an extensive body of research is dedicated to developing new algorithms and methods for solving these and related problems, it is challenging and time-consuming to integrate these techniques into real-world production-ready solvers. This is partly because of the diversity and complexity of modern state-of-the-art MOSO algorithms and methods and partly because of the complexity and specificity of many real-world problems and their corresponding computing environments. The complexity of this problem is only compounded when introducing potentially complex and/or domain-specific surrogate-modeling techniques, problem formulations, design spaces, and data acquisition functions. This paper carefully surveys the current state of the art in MOSO algorithms, techniques, and solvers, as well as problem types and computational environments where MOSO is commonly applied. We then present several key challenges in the design of a parallel multiobjective simulation optimization framework (ParMOO) and how they have been addressed. Finally, we provide two case studies demonstrating how customized ParMOO solvers can be quickly built and deployed to solve real-world MOSO problems. History: Accepted by Ted Ralphs, Area Editor for Software Tools. Funding: This work was supported by US DOE, Office of Science, Advanced Scientific Computing Research, SciDAC Program [Grants DE-AC02-05CH11231 and DE-AC02-06CH11357]. 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.2023.0250 ) as well as from the IJOC GitHub software repository ( https://github.com/INFORMSJoC/2023.0250 ). The complete IJOC Software and Data Repository is available at https://informsjoc.github.io/ .

The escalating demands of scientific collaborations necessitate advanced networking for deterministic, secure, and orchestrated services across multiple administrative domains. The Software-Defined Network for End-to-end Networked Science at the Exascale (SENSE) paradigm addresses these needs through intent-based networking and multi-domain orchestration. This paper evaluates SENSE’s performance on a comprehensive multi-domain testbed, including GNA-G AutoGOLE, the National Research Platform (NRP), FABRIC, and production LHC CMS infrastructure. Our results demonstrate that intent-based service requests are successfully translated into network configurations, with average provisioning times of 183 seconds for simple services and 290 seconds for complex multi-domain workflows. Performance monitoring confirms that SENSE maintains guaranteed bandwidth allocations, enabling higher-priority data flows to complete significantly faster than in best-effort scenarios. This capability transforms the network into a first-class schedulable resource, optimizing scientific workflows by prioritizing data criticality and moving beyond best-effort limitations to achieve predictable and efficient data movement for data-intensive scientific endeavors.

In this paper, we present a novel derivative-free framework for solving unconstrained stochastic optimization problems. Many problems in fields ranging from simulation optimization to reinforcement learning to quantum computing involve settings where only stochastic function values are obtained via a zeroth-order oracle, which has no available gradient information and necessitates the usage of derivative-free optimization methodologies. Our approach includes estimating gradients using stochastic function evaluations and integrating adaptive sampling techniques to control the accuracy in these stochastic approximations. Our framework encapsulates several gradient estimation techniques, including standard finite-difference, Gaussian smoothing, sphere smoothing, randomized coordinate finite-difference, and randomized subspace finite-difference methods. We provide theoretical convergence guarantees for our framework and analyze the worst-case iteration and sample complexities associated with each gradient estimation method. Finally, we demonstrate the empirical performance of the methods on logistic regression and nonlinear least squares problems.

As quantum networking experiments move from laboratory experiments to larger scale deployments, integrated control software becomes essential for managing complex interactions between the numerous distributed resources involved. While a number of laboratory-scale control systems have been developed for specific quantum platform demonstrations, an openly available and general solution for operating quantum networks has not emerged. With the QUANT-NET Control Plane (QNCP), we introduce a model-based, extensible control plane implementation that offers a framework for enabling network-wide orchestration in quantum information network environments. QCNP provides a quantum network data model, resource management, communication primitives, and a plugin interface for defining orchestration and protocol interactions across distributed quantum network devices and services. This paper describes the design and architecture of QNCP, its implementation, and opportunities for extensibility and deployment.

Atom-cavity systems offer unique advantages for building large-scale distributed quantum computers by providing strong atom-photon coupling while allowing for high-fidelity local operations of atomic qubits. However, in prevalent schemes where the photonic state is encoded in polarization, cavity birefringence introduces an energy splitting of the cavity eigenmodes and alters the polarization states, thus limiting the fidelity of remote entanglement generation. To address this challenge, we propose a scheme that encodes the photonic qubit in the frequency degree of freedom. The scheme relies on resonant coupling of multiple transverse cavity modes to different atomic transitions that are well separated in frequency. We numerically investigate the temporal properties of the photonic wave packet, two-photon interference visibility, and atom-atom entanglement fidelity under various cavity polarization-mode splittings and find that our scheme is less affected by cavity birefringence. Finally, we propose practical implementations in two trapped ion systems, using the fine-structure splitting in the metastable D state of 40Ca+ and the hyperfine splitting in the ground state of 225Ra+. Our study presents an alternative approach for cavity-based quantum networks that is less sensitive to birefringent effects and is applicable to a variety of atomic and solid-state emitter-cavity interfaces.