Graph-Based Optimization Modeling Language: A Tutorial

This paper introduces the graph-based optimization modeling language (GBOML), which enables the easy implementation of a broad class of structured mixed-integer linear programs typically found in applications ranging from energy system planning to supply chain management. More precisely, the language is particularly well-suited for representing problems involving the optimization of discrete-time dynamical systems over a finite time horizon and possessing a block decomposable structure that can be encoded by a sparse connected hypergraph. The language combines elements of both algebraic and object-oriented modeling languages in order to facilitate problem encoding and post-processing. This document discusses the abstract problem class that can be represented using the modeling language, details its grammar and provides two relevant examples of applications. The first example deals with the deployment of a microgrid system, while the second example focuses on the design and analysis of remote carbon-neutral fuel supply chains.