From Non-Identifiability to Goal-Integrated Decision-Making in Parametric Inverse Optimization

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Ahmadi, Farzin, Ganjkhanloo, Fardin, Ghobadi, Kimia
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2026
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author Ahmadi, Farzin
Ganjkhanloo, Fardin
Ghobadi, Kimia
author_facet Ahmadi, Farzin
Ganjkhanloo, Fardin
Ghobadi, Kimia
contents Inverse optimization seeks to recover unknown objective parameters from observed decisions, yet fundamental questions about when recovery is possible have received limited formal treatment. This paper develops a comprehensive theoretical framework for inverse optimization in parametric convex models. We first establish that non-identifiability is the generic case: even with normalization and multiple observations, the parameter set compatible with data is generically multi-dimensional, and regularization does not resolve this. We derive necessary and sufficient conditions for identifiability. Motivated by these negative results, we introduce the Inverse Learning (IL) framework, which shifts the inferential target from the unknown parameter to the latent optimal solution, achieving a complexity reduction that is independent of the number of observations. IL explicitly characterizes the full set of compatible parameters rather than returning an arbitrary element. To address the tension between observational fidelity and constraint adherence, we formalize the Observation-Constraint Tradeoff and develop Goal-Integrated Inverse Learning models that enable structured navigation of this spectrum with guaranteed monotonicity. Numerical experiments demonstrate superior solution accuracy, higher parameter recovery rates, and significant computational speedups. We apply the framework to personalized dietary recommendations using NHANES data, proof-of-concept demonstrating improved glycemic control in a prospective feasibility study.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_17033
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle From Non-Identifiability to Goal-Integrated Decision-Making in Parametric Inverse Optimization
Ahmadi, Farzin
Ganjkhanloo, Fardin
Ghobadi, Kimia
Optimization and Control
90C25, 90C31, 62F12, 68T05
G.1.6; I.2.6
Inverse optimization seeks to recover unknown objective parameters from observed decisions, yet fundamental questions about when recovery is possible have received limited formal treatment. This paper develops a comprehensive theoretical framework for inverse optimization in parametric convex models. We first establish that non-identifiability is the generic case: even with normalization and multiple observations, the parameter set compatible with data is generically multi-dimensional, and regularization does not resolve this. We derive necessary and sufficient conditions for identifiability. Motivated by these negative results, we introduce the Inverse Learning (IL) framework, which shifts the inferential target from the unknown parameter to the latent optimal solution, achieving a complexity reduction that is independent of the number of observations. IL explicitly characterizes the full set of compatible parameters rather than returning an arbitrary element. To address the tension between observational fidelity and constraint adherence, we formalize the Observation-Constraint Tradeoff and develop Goal-Integrated Inverse Learning models that enable structured navigation of this spectrum with guaranteed monotonicity. Numerical experiments demonstrate superior solution accuracy, higher parameter recovery rates, and significant computational speedups. We apply the framework to personalized dietary recommendations using NHANES data, proof-of-concept demonstrating improved glycemic control in a prospective feasibility study.
title From Non-Identifiability to Goal-Integrated Decision-Making in Parametric Inverse Optimization
topic Optimization and Control
90C25, 90C31, 62F12, 68T05
G.1.6; I.2.6
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.17033