On the Interplay among Entropy, Variable Metrics and Potential Functions in Interior-Point Algorithms

We are motivated by the problem of constructing aprimal-dual barrier function whose Hessian induces the (theoreticallyand practically) popular symmetric primal and dual scalings forlinear programming problems. Although this goal is impossible toattain, we show that the primal-dual entropy function may provide asatisfactory alternative. We study primal-dual interior-pointalgorithms whose search directions are obtained from a potentialfunction based on this primal-dual entropy barrier. We providepolynomial iteration bounds for these interior-point algorithms. Thenwe illustrate the connections between the barrier function and areparametrization of the central path equations. Finally, we considerthe possible effects of more general reparametrizations oninfeasible-interior-point algorithms.