A superlinearly convergent implicit smooth SQP algorithm for mathematical programs with nonlinear complementarity constraints

This paper discusses a special class of mathematical programs with nonlinear complementarity constraints, its goal is to present a globally and superlinearly convergent algorithm for the discussed problems. We first reformulate the complementarity constraints as a standard nonlinear equality and inequality constraints by making use of a class of generalized smoothing complementarity functions, then present a new SQP algorithm for the discussed problems. At each iteration, with the help of a pivoting operation, a master search direction is yielded by solving a quadratic program, and a correction search direction for avoiding the Maratos effect is generated by an explicit formula. Under suitable assumptions, without the strict complementarity on the upper-level inequality constraints, the proposed algorithm converges globally to a B-stationary point of the problems, and its convergence rate is superlinear.