A feasible direction algorithm for general nonlinear semidefinite programming

This paper deals with nonlinear smooth optimization problems with equality and inequality constraints, as well as semidefinite constraints on nonlinear symmetric matrix-valued functions. A new semidefinite programming algorithm that takes advantage of the structure of the matrix constraints is presented. This one is relevant in applications where the matrices have a favorable structure, as in the case when finite element models are employed. FDIPA_GSDP is then obtained by integration of this new method with the well known Feasible Direction Interior Point Algorithm for nonlinear smooth optimization, FDIPA. FDIPA_GSDP makes iterations in the primal and dual variables to solve the first order optimality conditions. Given an initial feasible point with respect to the inequality constraints, FDIPA_GSDP generates a feasible descent sequence, converging to a local solution of the problem. At each iteration a feasible descent direction is computed by merely solving two linear systems with the same matrix. A line search along this direction looks for a new feasible point with a lower objective. Global convergence to stationary points is proved. Some structural optimization test problems were solved very efficiently, without need of parameters tuning.