Mathematical programs with vanishing constraints: critical point theory (Q427365)

The subject of the article of Dominik Dorsch, Vladimir Shikhman and Oliver Stein is located in a scientifically active interface between both continuous optimization theory and algebraic and differential topology. It means a deep analysis with a remarkable potential for future research, for forthcoming improvements of numerical codes and for a variety of important applications. The authors study, from a topological point of view, mathematical programs with vanishing constraint (MPVCs) which were originally motivated from structural and topology optimization. They introduce the new concept of a T-stationary point for MPVC. Under the Linear Independence Constraint Qualification (LICQ) they obtain an equivariant Morse Lemma at nondegenerate T-stationary points. Then, two basic results from Morse Theory (Deformation Theorem and Cell-Attachment Theorem) are proved. Outside of the T-stationary point set, continuous deformation of lower level sets can be performed. Consequently, the discrete topological data (such as the number of connected components) then remain the same. But, when passing a T-stationary level, the topology of the lower level set changes via the cell-attachment of a \(q\)-dimensional cell (\(q\) being equal to the stationary T-index of the nondegenerate T-stationary point). The stationary T-index depends on the restricted Hessian of the Lagrangian and the number of bi-active vanishing constraints. Moreover, the authors demonstrate that all T-stationary points are generically nondegenerate. That property is shown to be stable under 2-times continuously differentiable perturbations of the defining functions. Eventually, some relations with other stationary concepts, such as, e.g., strong, weak and M-stationary, are discussed. This article is well written, structured and explained, it contains four sections: Section 1 on Introduction, Section 2 on Main Results, Section 3 on Proofs of Main Results, and Section 4 on Discussion of Different Stationary Concepts. In fact, future scientific work on advances of this study, in theory as well as in methods and, finally, on real-world applications seem certainly be possible and, actually, very useful for a wide range of areas in sciences, technology, Operations Research and their important impacts on the world of tomorrow.