In this paper, we study the finite-horizon problem of an economic agent's optimal consumption, investment, and job-switching decisions. The key new feature of our model is that the job-switching cost is time-varying. This extension leads to a novel mathematical characterization: the agent's dual problem reduces to a parabolic double obstacle problem with time-dependent upper and lower obstacles. By employing rigorous PDE theory, we establish not only the existence and uniqueness of the solution to this double obstacle problem, but also the smoothness of the two free boundaries that emerge from it. Building on these results, we characterize the agent's optimal consumption, portfolio, and job-switching strategies.
This paper studies finite-time optimal consumption-investment problems with power, logarithmic and exponential utilities, in a regime switching market with random coefficients, subject to coupled constraints on the consumption and investment strategies. We provide explicit optimal consumption-investment strategies and optimal values for the problems in terms of the solutions to some diagonally quadratic backward stochastic differential equation (BSDE) systems and linear BSDE systems with unbound coefficients. Some of these BSDEs are new in the literature and solving them is one of the main the…
This work develops an approximation procedure for a class of non-zero-sum stochastic differential investment and reinsurance games between two insurance companies. Both proportional reinsurance and excess-of loss reinsurance policies are considered. We develop numerical algorithms to obtain the Nash equilibrium by adopting the Markov chain approximation methodology and applying the dynamical programming principle for the nonlinear integro-differential Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaacs (HJI) equations. Furthermore, we establish the convergence of the approximation sequences and the approximation to the va…
We address the problem of making a managerial decision when the investment project is subsidized, which results in the resolution of an infinite-horizon optimal stopping problem of a switching diffusion driven by either an homogeneous or an inhomogeneous continuous-time Markov chain. We provide a characterization of the value function (and optimal strategy) of the optimal stopping problem. On the one hand, broadly, we can prove that the value function is the unique viscosity solution to a system of HJB equations. On the other hand, when the Markov chain is homogeneous and the switching diffusi…
This paper considers the problem of consumption and investment in a financial market within a continuous time stochastic economy. The investor exhibits a change in the discount rate. The investment opportunities are a stock and a riskless account. The market coefficients and discount factor switch according to a finite state Markov chain. The change in the discount rate leads to time inconsistencies of the investor's decisions. The randomness in our model is driven by a Brownian motion and a Markov chain. Following Ekeland and Pirvu we introduce and characterize the subgame perfect strategies.…
We outline a new Max Pipe Construction Algorithm (MPCA) with the purpose to reduce the CPU time for the classic Keep Tool Needed Soonest (KTNS) algorithm. The KTNS algorithm is applied to compute the objective function value for the given sequence of jobs in all exact and approximating algorithms for solving the Job Sequencing and Tool Switching Problem (SSP). Our MPCA outperforms the KTNS algorithm by at least an order of magnitude in terms of CPU times. Since all exact and heuristic algorithms for solving the SSP spend most of their CPU time on applying the KTNS algorithm we show that our MP…
We develop a complete analysis of a general entry-exit-scrapping model. In particular, we consider an investment project that operates within a random environment and yields a payoff rate that is a function of a stochastic economic indicator such as the price of or the demand for the project's output commodity. We assume that the investment project can operate in two modes, an "open" one and a "closed" one. The transitions from one operating mode to the other one are costly and immediate, and form a sequence of decisions made by the project's management. We also assume that the project can be …
We consider an investor who wants to select her/his optimal consumption, investment and insurance policies. Motivated by new insurance products, we allow not only the financial marke but also the insurable loss to depend on the regime of the economy. The objective of the investor is to maximize her/his expected total discounted utility of consumption over an infinite time horizon. For the case of hyperbolic absolute risk aversion (HARA) utility functions, we obtain the first explicit solutions for simultaneous optimal consumption, investment, and insurance problems when there is regime switchi…
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)（里约热内卢天主教大学（PUC-Rio））；Universidade Federal da Paraíba（帕拉伊巴联邦大学）
The job sequencing and tool switching problem (SSP) has been extensively studied in the field of operations research, due to its practical relevance and methodological interest. Given a machine that can load a limited amount of tools simultaneously and a number of jobs that require a subset of the available tools, the SSP seeks a job sequence that minimizes the number of tool switches in the machine. To solve this problem, we propose a simple and efficient hybrid genetic search based on a generic solution representation, a tailored decoding operator, efficient local searches and diversity mana…
In this paper, we consider a risk-based optimal investment problem of an insurer in a regime-switching jump diffusion model with noisy memory. Using the model uncertainty modeling, we formulate the investment problem as a zero-sum, stochastic differential delay game between the insurer and the market, with a convex risk measure of the terminal surplus and the Brownian delay surplus over a period $[T-\varrho,T]$. Then, by the BSDE approach, the game problem is solved. Finally, we derive analytical solutions of the game problem, for a particular case of a quadratic penalty function and a numeric…
University of Colorado, Boulder（科罗拉多大学博尔德分校）；Institute of Mathematics “Simion Stoilow” of the Romanian Academy（罗马尼亚科学院西米翁·斯托伊洛数学研究所）；National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest（布加勒斯特理工大学）；Academy of Romanian Scientists（罗马尼亚科学家学院）；McMaster University（麦克马斯特大学）
This paper addresses a single machine scheduling problem with non-preemptive jobs to minimize the total electricity cost. Two latest trends in the area of the energy-aware scheduling are considered, namely the variable energy pricing and the power-saving states of a machine. Scheduling of the jobs and the machine states are considered jointly to achieve the highest possible savings. Although this problem has been previously addressed in the literature, the reported results of the state-of-the-art method show that the optimal solutions can be found only for instances with up to 35 jobs and 209 …
We study the effect of liquidity freezes on an economic agent optimizing her utility of consumption in a perturbed Black-Scholes-Merton model. The single risky asset follows a geometric Brownian motion but is subject to liquidity shocks, during which no trading is possible and stock dynamics are modified. The liquidity regime is governed by a two-state Markov chain. We derive the asymptotic effect of such freezes on optimal consumption and investment schedules in the two cases of (i) small probability of liquidity shock; (ii) fast-scale liquidity regime switching. Explicit formulas are obtaine…
In this paper, we present an optimal control problem for stochastic differential games under Markov regime-switching forward-backward stochastic differential equations with jumps and partial information. First, we prove a sufficient maximum principle for non zero-sum stochastic differential game problems and obtain equilibrium point for such games. Second, we prove an equivalent maximum principle for non zero-sum stochastic differential games. The zero-sum stochastic differential games equivalent maximum principle is then obtained as a corollary. We apply the obtained results to study a proble…
As shown by Tang, Denardo [9] the job Sequencing and tool Switching Problem (SSP) can be decomposed into the following two problems. Firstly, the Tool Loading Problem (TLP) - for a given sequence of jobs, find an optimal sequence of magazine states that minimizes the total number of tool switches. Secondly, the Job Sequencing Problem (JeSP) - find a sequence of jobs minimizing the total number of tool switches. Published in 1988, the well known Keep Tool Needed Soonest (KTNS) algorithm for solving the TLP has time complexity $O(mn)$. Here $m$ is the total number of tools necessary to complete …
In this paper we formulate and study an optimal switching problem under partial information. In our model the agent/manager/investor attempts to maximize the expected reward by switching between different states/investments. However, he is not fully aware of his environment and only an observation process, which contains partial information about the environment/underlying, is accessible. It is based on the partial information carried by this observation process that all decisions must be made. We propose a probabilistic numerical algorithm based on dynamic programming, regression Monte Carlo …
In this paper we study the optimization problem of an economic agent who chooses a job and the time of retirement as well as consumption and portfolio of assets. The agent is constrained in the ability to borrow against future income. We transform the problem into a dual two-person zero-sum game, which involves a controller, who is a minimizer and chooses a non-increasing process, and a stopper, who is a maximizer and chooses a stopping time. We derive the Hamilton-Jacobi- Bellman quasi-variational inequality(HJBQV) of a max-min type arising from the game. We provide a solution to the HJBQV an…
We consider a risk-sensitive optimization of consumption-utility on infinite time horizon where the one-period investment gain depends on an underlying economic state whose evolution over time is assumed to be described by a discrete-time, finite-state, Markov chain. We suppose that the production function also depends on a sequence of i.i.d. random shocks. For the sake of generality, the utility and the production functions are allowed to be unbounded from above. Under the Markov regime-switching model, it is shown that the value function of optimization problem satisfies an optimality equati…
This paper considers the optimal portfolio selection problem in a dynamic multi-period stochastic framework with regime switching. The risk preferences are of exponential (CARA) type with an absolute coefficient of risk aversion which changes with the regime. The market model is incomplete and there are two risky assets: one tradable and one non-tradable. In this context, the optimal investment strategies are time inconsistent. Consequently, the subgame perfect equilibrium strategies are considered. The utility indifference prices of a contingent claim written on the risky assets are computed …
Sequential Hiring of Contingent Workers Through Learning-Based Optimization
Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering, University of Michigan（工业与运营工程系，密歇根大学）；Ross School of Business, University of Michigan（罗斯商学院，密歇根大学）
