A deterministic algorithm for solving nonconvex NLPs globally using a reduced-space approach is presented. These problems are encountered when real-world models are involved as nonlinear equality constraints and the decision variables include the state variables of the system. By solving the model equations for the dependent (state) variables as implicit functions of the independent (decision) variables, a significant reduction in dimensionality can be obtained. As a result, the inequality constraints and objective function are implicit functions of the independent variables, which can be estimated via a fixed-point iteration. Relying on the recently developed ideas of generalized McCormick relaxations and McCormick-based relaxations of algorithms and subgradient propagation, the development of McCormick relaxations of implicit functions is presented. Using these ideas, the reduced space, implicit optimization formulation can be relaxed. When applied within a branch-and-bound framework, finite convergence to ε-optimal global solutions is guaranteed.

An extensible open-source deterministic global optimizer (EAGO) programmed entirely in the Julia language is presented. EAGO was developed to serve the need for supporting higher-complexity user-defined functions (e.g. functions defined implicitly via algorithms) within optimization models. EAGO embeds a first-of-its-kind implementation of McCormick arithmetic in an Evaluator structure allowing for the construction of convex/concave relaxations using a combination of source code transformation, multiple dispatch, and context-specific approaches. Utilities are included to parse user-defined functions into a directed acyclic graph representation and perform symbolic transformations enabling dramatically improved solution speed. EAGO is compatible with a wide variety of local optimizers, the most exhaustive library of transcendental functions, and allows for easy accessibility through the JuMP modelling language. Together with Julia's minimalist syntax and competitive speed, these powerful features make EAGO a versatile research platform enabling easy construction of novel meta-solvers, incorporation and utilization of new relaxations, and extension to advanced problem formulations encountered in engineering and operations research (e.g. multilevel problems, user-defined functions). The applicability and flexibility of this novel software is demonstrated on a diverse set of examples. Lastly, EAGO is demonstrated to perform comparably to state-of-the-art commercial optimizers on a benchmarking test set.