Generalized Convexity and Optimization: Theory and Applications: 616 (Lecture Notes in Economics and Mathematical Systems, 616) - Softcover

Cambini, Alberto; Martein, Laura

Softcover

ISBN 10: 3540708758 ISBN 13: 9783540708759

Publisher: Springer, 2008

Synopsis

In the latter part of the twentieth century, the topic of generalizations of convexfunctions has attracted a sizable number of researchers,both in ma- ematics and in professional disciplines such as economics/management and engineering. In 1994 during the 15th International Symposium on Mathem- ical Programming in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I called together some colleagues to start an a?liation of researchers working in generalized convexity. The international Working Group of Generalized Convexity (WGGC) was born. Its website at www.genconv.org has been maintained by Riccardo Cambini, University of Pisa. Riccardo’s father, Alberto Cambini, and Alberto’s long-term colleague Laura Martein in the Faculty of Economics, University of Pisa, are the - authors of this volume. My own contact with generalized convexity in Italy datesbacktomy?rstvisittotheirdepartmentin1980,atatimewhenthe?rst international conference on generalized convexity was in preparation. Thirty years later it is now referred to as GC1, an NATO Summer School in V- couver, Canada. Currently WGGC is preparing GC9 which is to take place in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. As founding chair and also current chair of WGGC, I am delighted to see the continued interest in generalized convexity of functions, augmented by the topic of generalized monotonicity of maps. Eight international conferences have taken place in this research area, in North America (2), Europe (5) and Asia (1). We thought it was now time to return to Asia since our membership has shifted towards Asia. AsanappliedmathematicianIhavetaughtmostlyinmanagementschools.

About this title

From the Back Cover

The authors have written a rigorous yet elementary and self-contained book to present, in a unified framework, generalized convex functions, which are the many non-convex functions that share at least one of the valuable properties of convex functions and which are often more suitable for describing real-world problems. The book will be a useful tool not only for researchers, but also for graduates and advanced students working in economics, mathematical programming, the management sciences and operations research. It begins with a review of convex analysis and the fundamental theoretical findings on generalized convexity and on optimization, including their applications. The text continues with an introductory chapter devoted to generalized monotonicity and its relationship to generalized convexity, with the characterizations of important classes of fractional programming, and with theoretical properties and sequential methods. The book also includes numerous exercises and two appendices which list the findings consulted.

"I can highly recommend this excellent new volume to anyone who is trying to teach on generalized convexity/generalized monotonicity in an applied mathematics department or in a professional school. The volume contains proofs and exercises. It also provides sufficient references for those who want to dig deeper as graduate students and as researchers. With dedication and much love the authors have produced a book that is accessible for anyone with a limited background in basic mathematics at the college level. At the same time, it also leads to more sophisticated mathematics for those who spend more time on a particular chapter."

From the Foreword, Siegfried Schaible, University of California, Riverside, USA

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3540708758
• ISBN 13: 9783540708759
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 248