A Convergence Proof for the Softassign Quadratic Assignment Algorithm

Anand Rangarajan, Alan L. Yuille, Steven Gold, Eric Mjolsness

Abstract: The softassign quadratic assignment algorithm has recently emerged as an effective strategy for a variety of optimization prob(cid:173) lems in pattern recognition and combinatorial optimization. While the effectiveness of the algorithm was demonstrated in thousands of simulations, there was no known proof of convergence. Here, we provide a proof of convergence for the most general form of the algorithm.