Global optimization for mixed-discrete structural design

Several structural design problems that involve continuous and discrete variables are very challenging because of the combinatorial and non-convex characteristics of the problems. Although the deterministic optimization approach theoretically guarantees to find the global optimum, it usually leads to a significant burden in computational time. This article studies the deterministic approach for globally solving mixed-discrete structural optimization problems. An improved method that symmetrically reduces the number of constraints for linearly expressing signomial terms with pure discrete variables is applied to significantly enhance the computational efficiency of obtaining the exact global optimum of the mixed-discrete structural design problem. Numerical experiments of solving the stepped cantilever beam design problem and the pressure vessel design problem are conducted to show the efficiency and effectiveness of the presented approach. Compared with existing methods, this study introduces fewer convex terms and constraints for transforming the mixed-discrete structural problem and uses much less computational time for solving the reformulated problem to global optimality.