Characterization and Approximation of Strong General Dual Feasible Functions

Abstract

Dual feasible functions (DFFs) have been used to provide bounds for standard packing problems and valid inequalities for integer optimization problems. In this paper, the connection between general DFFs and a particular family of cut-generating functions is explored. We find the characterization of (restricted/strongly) maximal general DFFs and prove a 2-slope theorem for extreme general DFFs. We show that any restricted maximal general DFF can be well approximated by an extreme general DFF.