CUTEr
Encyclopedia
CUTEr is an open source
testing environment for optimization
and linear algebra
solver
s. CUTEr provides a collection of test problems along with a set of tools to help developers design, compare, and improve new and existing test problem solvers.
CUTEr is the successor of the original Constrained and Unconstrained Testing Environment (CUTE) of Bongartz, Conn, Gould and Toint. It provides support for a larger number of platforms and operating systems as well as a more convenient optimization toolbox.
The test problems provided in CUTEr are written in Standard Input Format (SIF). A decoder to convert from this format into well-defined subroutines and data files is available as a separate package. Once translated, these files may be manipulated to provide tools suitable for testing optimization packages. Ready-to-use interfaces to existing packages, such as IPOPT
, MINOS, SNOPT, filterSQP, Knitro and more are provided.
More than 1000 problems are available in the collection, including problems in:
Over time, the CUTEr test set has become the de facto standard benchmark for research and production-level optimization solvers, and is used and cited in numerous published research articles.
The SIF is a superset
of the original MPS format
for linear programming
and of its extension QPS for quadratic programming
. Therefore, access to problem collections such as the Netlib linear programs and the Maros and Meszaros convex quadratic programs is possible. Moreover, the collection covers the Argonne test set, the Hock and Schittkowski collection, the Dembo network problems, the Gould QPs, and others.
CUTEr is available on a variety of UNIX
platforms, including Linux
and Mac OS X
and is designed to be accessible and easily manageable on heterogeneous networks.
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
testing environment for optimization
Optimization (mathematics)
In mathematics, computational science, or management science, mathematical optimization refers to the selection of a best element from some set of available alternatives....
and linear algebra
Linear algebra
Linear algebra is a branch of mathematics that studies vector spaces, also called linear spaces, along with linear functions that input one vector and output another. Such functions are called linear maps and can be represented by matrices if a basis is given. Thus matrix theory is often...
solver
Solver (computer science)
A solver is a generic term indicating a piece of mathematical software, possibly in the form of a stand-alone computer program or as a software library, that 'solves' a mathematical problem. A solver takes problem descriptions in some sort of generic form and calculate their solution...
s. CUTEr provides a collection of test problems along with a set of tools to help developers design, compare, and improve new and existing test problem solvers.
CUTEr is the successor of the original Constrained and Unconstrained Testing Environment (CUTE) of Bongartz, Conn, Gould and Toint. It provides support for a larger number of platforms and operating systems as well as a more convenient optimization toolbox.
The test problems provided in CUTEr are written in Standard Input Format (SIF). A decoder to convert from this format into well-defined subroutines and data files is available as a separate package. Once translated, these files may be manipulated to provide tools suitable for testing optimization packages. Ready-to-use interfaces to existing packages, such as IPOPT
IPOPT
IPOPT, short for "Interior Point OPTimizer, pronounced I-P-Opt", is a software library for large scale nonlinear optimization of continuous systems. It is written in Fortran and C and is released under the EPL . IPOPT implements a primal-dual interior point method, and uses line searches based on...
, MINOS, SNOPT, filterSQP, Knitro and more are provided.
More than 1000 problems are available in the collection, including problems in:
- linear programmingLinear programmingLinear programming is a mathematical method for determining a way to achieve the best outcome in a given mathematical model for some list of requirements represented as linear relationships...
, - convex and nonconvex quadratic programmingQuadratic programmingQuadratic programming is a special type of mathematical optimization problem. It is the problem of optimizing a quadratic function of several variables subject to linear constraints on these variables....
, - linear and nonlinear least squaresLeast squaresThe method of least squares is a standard approach to the approximate solution of overdetermined systems, i.e., sets of equations in which there are more equations than unknowns. "Least squares" means that the overall solution minimizes the sum of the squares of the errors made in solving every...
, and - more general convex and nonconvex large-scale and sparse equality and inequality-constrained nonlinear programmingNonlinear programmingIn mathematics, nonlinear programming is the process of solving a system of equalities and inequalities, collectively termed constraints, over a set of unknown real variables, along with an objective function to be maximized or minimized, where some of the constraints or the objective function are...
.
Over time, the CUTEr test set has become the de facto standard benchmark for research and production-level optimization solvers, and is used and cited in numerous published research articles.
The SIF is a superset
Subset
In mathematics, especially in set theory, a set A is a subset of a set B if A is "contained" inside B. A and B may coincide. The relationship of one set being a subset of another is called inclusion or sometimes containment...
of the original MPS format
MPS (format)
MPS is a file format for presenting and archiving linear programming and mixed integer programming problems.- Overview :...
for linear programming
Linear programming
Linear programming is a mathematical method for determining a way to achieve the best outcome in a given mathematical model for some list of requirements represented as linear relationships...
and of its extension QPS for quadratic programming
Quadratic programming
Quadratic programming is a special type of mathematical optimization problem. It is the problem of optimizing a quadratic function of several variables subject to linear constraints on these variables....
. Therefore, access to problem collections such as the Netlib linear programs and the Maros and Meszaros convex quadratic programs is possible. Moreover, the collection covers the Argonne test set, the Hock and Schittkowski collection, the Dembo network problems, the Gould QPs, and others.
CUTEr is available on a variety of UNIX
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
platforms, including Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
and Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
and is designed to be accessible and easily manageable on heterogeneous networks.