The SOLAR blackbox optimization benchmarking framework.
In the following, $SOLAR_HOME denotes the directory where SOLAR has been downloaded.
Go to the $SOLAR_HOME/src directory and type make. It will generate the binary
executable solar located in $SOLAR_HOME/bin.
For Windows users, it is possible to directly use a binary executable.
Your SOLAR installation must be validated. For this, type ./bin/solar -check.
This will execute several tests during 10 to 20 minutes.
If the validation fails, please send an email to nomad@gerad.ca with the full output.
Type ./bin/solar and you will be guided with the following help:
Run SOLAR (basic) : solar pb_id x.txt (add -v for verbose mode)
Run SOLAR (advanced): solar pb_id x.txt -seed=S -fid=F -rep=R -v
S: Random seed: integer >=0 or "diff"; Default=0
F: Fidelity: real in [0;1]; Default=1.0 (truth)
R: Replications: integer >= 1 or real in ]0;1[ ; Default=1
Validation: solar -check (can take several minutes)
Help(1) : solar -h
Help(2) : solar -h pb_id
Info : solar -i
To run a simulation, type $SOLAR_HOME/bin/solar pb_id x.txt -seed=S -fid=F -rep=R -v (optional).
The different options are:
pb_id: Problem ID (see list of problems below)
x.txt: Input vector: Point at which the simulator is evaluated
Values separated with spaces
It is possible to specify several vectors: Use one line for each
-v: Verbose option
S: Random seed:
Some SOLAR instances are stochastic. This parameter impacts the value of stochastic outputs
The seed is a natural integer
If SOLAR is run twice at the same point with the same seed, it will give the same outputs
The default value is 0
Use -seed=diff to let SOLAR use a different random seed each time
The random number generator can be validated by running 'solar -check'
F: Fidelity of the simulator
Real value in [0;1]
Default: 1.0, which corresponds to the "true blackbox", or the "truth"
Any value in ]0;1[ corresponds to a "static surrogate" of the truth
With -fid=0.0, only the a priori constraints and analytical objectives are computed
The execution time increases with the fidelity
A good default static surrogate is -fid=0.5
R: Replications
Integer >= 1 or real in ]0;1[, default=1
If R is integer, it is the number of times that the simulator is run at the same point
If R is real, it corresponds to a probability that the outputs are stabilized after a variable number of replications
Each replication uses a different random seed dependent on the -seed option
The mean value of stochastic outputs is displayed
It is not possible to use R>1 with deterministic instances
Help for a problem: solar pb_id or solar -h pb_id
The list of instances is:
# pb_id obj.(f) #of obj.(p) #of var.(n) #of constr.(m)
1 MAXNRG_H1 total solar energy on the receiver 1 9 5
2 MINSURF_H1 total heliostats field surface 1 14 13
3 MINCOST_C1 total investment cost 1 20 13
4 MINCOST_C2 total investment cost 1 29 16
5 MAXCOMP_HTF1 compliance to a demand profile 1 20 12
6 MINCOST_TS cost of storage 1 5 6
7 MAXEFF_RE receiver efficiency 1 7 6
8 MAXHF_MINCOST heliostat field performance and cost 2 13 9
9 MAXNRG_MINPAR power and losses 2 29 17
10 MINCOST_UNCONSTRAINED cost of storage + penalties 1 5 0
List of best know values for single-objective instances (one replication, full fidelity, default seed of zero):
SOLAR1.1 -902,503.692418
SOLAR2.1 841,839.671915
SOLAR3.1 70,813,885.0684
SOLAR4.1 108,197,236.146
SOLAR5.1 -28.8817193932
SOLAR6.1 43,954,935.1836
SOLAR7.1 -4,972.88689831
SOLAR10.1 42.416671
The .1 notation highlights that these values are valid for the
versions 1.X of SOLAR.
SOLAR10.1 best solutions found by Jeff Larson and GOOMBAH in the IBCDFO package,
and Tom Ragonneau with COBYQA.
The command $SOLAR_HOME/bin/solar 1 ./tests/1_MAXNRG_H1/x0.txt should display
-122505.5978 -10881140.57 -1512631.39776 -134 -4.5 0
which corresponds to the feasible point (8, 8, 150, 7, 7, 250, 45, 0.5, 5) of value -122,505.5978.
Other points and NOMAD parameters files can be found in the ./tests directory.
It is also possible to modify the main() function in ./src/main.cpp to call SOLAR from a code. A minimal example is provided.
@techreport{solar_paper,
Author = {N. Andr\'{e}s-Thi\'{o} and C. Audet and M. Diago and A.E. Gheribi and S. {Le~Digabel} and X. Lebeuf and M. {Lemyre~Garneau} and C. Tribes},
Title = {{{\tt solar}: A solar thermal power plant simulator for blackbox optimization benchmarking}},
Institution = {Les cahiers du GERAD},
Number = {G-2024-37},
Year = {2024},
Url = {http://www.optimization-online.org/XXX},
ArxivUrl = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2406.00140}
}