In this paper, we address the problem of constraint detection for layout regularization. The layout we consider is a set of two-dimensional elements where each element is represented by its bounding box. Layout regularization is important in digitizing plans or images, such as floor plans and facade images, and in the improvement of user-created contents, such as architectural drawings and slide layouts. To regularize a layout, we aim to improve the input by detecting and subsequently enforcing alignment, size, and distance constraints between layout elements. Similar to previous work, we formulate layout regularization as a quadratic programming problem. In addition, we propose a novel optimization algorithm that automatically detects constraints. We evaluate the proposed framework using a variety of input layouts from different applications. Our results demonstrate that our method has superior performance to

In this paper, we extend the one-parametric class of merit functions proposed by Kanzow and Kleinmichel [C. Kanzow, H. Kleinmichel, A new class of semismooth Newton-type methods for nonlinear complementarity problems, Comput. Optim. Appl. 11 (1998) 227251] for the nonnegative orthant complementarity problem to the general symmetric cone complementarity problem (SCCP). We show that the class of merit functions is continuously differentiable everywhere and has a globally Lipschitz continuous gradient mapping. From this, we particularly obtain the smoothness of the FischerBurmeister merit function associated with symmetric cones and the Lipschitz continuity of its gradient. In addition, we also consider a regularized formulation for the class of merit functions which is actually an extension of one of the NCP function classes studied by [C. Kanzow, Y. Yamashita, M. Fukushima, New NCP functions and

We consider the Tikhonov regularization method for the second-order cone complementarity problem (SOCCP) with the Cartesian P 0-property. We show that many results of the regularization method for the P 0-nonlinear complementarity problem still hold for this important class of nonmonotone SOCCP. For example, under the more general setting, every regularized problem has the unique solution, and the solution trajectory generated is bounded if the original SOCCP has a nonempty and bounded solution set. We also propose an inexact regularization algorithm by solving the sequence of regularized problems approximately with the merit function approach based on FischerBurmeister merit function, and establish the convergence result of the algorithm. Preliminary numerical results are also reported, which verify the favorable theoretical properties of the proposed method.

In the paper [J.-S. Chen, S. Pan, A family of NCP-functions and a descent method for the nonlinear complementarity problem, Computational Optimization and Applications, 40 (2008) 389404], the authors proposed a derivative-free descent algorithm for nonlinear complementarity problems (NCPs) by the generalized FischerBurmeister merit function: p (a, b)= 1 2 [(a, b) p(a+ b)] 2, and observed that the choice of the parameter p has a great influence on the numerical performance of the algorithm. In this paper, we analyze the phenomenon theoretically for a derivative-free descent algorithm which is based on a penalized form of p and uses a different direction from that of Chen and Pan. More specifically, we show that the algorithm proposed is globally convergent and has a locally R-linear convergence rate, and furthermore, its convergence rate will become worse when the parameter p decreases

In this paper, we consider complementarity problem associated with circular cone, which is a type of nonsymmetric cone complementarity problem. The main purpose of this paper is to show the readers how to construct complementarity functions for such nonsymmetric cone complementarity problem, and propose a few merit functions for solving such a complementarity problem. In addition, we study the conditions under which the level sets of the corresponding merit functions are bounded, and we also show that these merit functions provide an error bound for the circular cone complementarity problem. These results ensure that the sequence generated by descent methods has at least one accumulation point, and build up a theoretical basis for designing the merit function method for solving circular cone complementarity problem.