# Benchmarking Problems for Robust Discrete Optimization

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2201.04985 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2201.04985/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 13 Jan 2022.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Robust Optimization Approach and Learning Based Hide-and-Seek Game for Resilient Network Design](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.11854/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Robust discrete optimization is a highly active field of research where a plenitude of combinations between decision criteria, uncertainty sets and underlying nominal problems are considered. Usually, a robust problem becomes harder to solve than its nominal counterpart, even if it remains in the same complexity class. For this reason, specialized solution algorithms have been developed. To further drive the development of stronger solution algorithms and to facilitate the comparison between methods, a set of benchmark instances is necessary but so far missing. In this paper we propose a further step towards this goal by proposing several instance generation procedures for combinations of min-max, min-max regret, two-stage and recoverable robustness with interval, discrete or budgeted uncertainty sets. Besides sampling methods that go beyond the simple uniform sampling method that is the de-facto standard to produce instances, also optimization models to construct hard instances are considered. Using a selection problem for the nominal ground problem, we are able to generate instances that are several orders of magnitudes harder to solve than uniformly sampled instances when solving them with a general mixed-integer programming solver. All instances and generator codes are made available online.