Solving contextual chance-constrained programming under decision-dependent uncertainty

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Authors: Xiangting Liu, Shengran Wang, Kaile Yan, Zhi-Hai Zhang
Cited by: 0

Abstract

We study contextual chance-constrained programming under decision-dependent uncertainty. In this setting, a decision not only needs to satisfy constraints but also alters the distribution of uncertain outcomes. This dependency makes the problem particularly difficult: because feasibility probabilities vary with decisions, it creates both statistical endogeneity and computational intractability. To address this, we propose a nonparametric approximation method based on Contextual Cluster Weights (CCW). For any given decision and context, CCW constructs a local neighborhood (cluster) of ``similar" historical observations and assigns them equal weight. This approach successfully renders both the objective and chance constraints tractable, while providing uniform-in-decision consistency guarantees. Furthermore, we develop reformulations that use pre-calculated clusters. We show that under a specific nestedness condition, these reformulations yield a convex feasible region, which allows for efficient solving. Experiments, including a case study with JD.com, demonstrate that our method outperforms benchmarks in solution quality, feasibility reliability, and runtime. This framework offers a scalable and data-driven approach for firms to make reliable operational decisions when their actions influence uncertainty. It effectively balances performance, risk, and robustness, while remaining interpretable and implementable in practice.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Risk and Portfolio Optimization Supply Chain and Inventory Management Optimization and Mathematical Programming

Publication details

Journal / source
arXiv (Cornell University)
Publication date
7 February 2026
Language
EN
Document type
Preprint