Multi-level, cluster-based optimization techniques

A non-transitory, computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by a computer system to perform operations comprising:

• retrieving, from an item-availability database, availability data corresponding to a plurality of items that are currently available for selection;
• identifying, from a plurality of collections, a first cluster of collections to optimize as a group;
• and
• performing a multi-level optimization operation to optimize a composition of the first cluster of collections, wherein the multi-level optimization operation includes:
• performing a collection-level optimization calculation for individual ones of the first cluster of collections, wherein, for a given collection in the first cluster of collections, the collection-level optimization calculation includes maximizing a first version of an objective function to determine a first set of modification weight values corresponding to respective ones of the plurality of items;
• based on the first set of modification weight values, identifying a reduced subset of the plurality of items, wherein the reduced subset of items excludes one or more of the plurality of items;
• performing a cluster-level optimization calculation for the first cluster of collections, wherein the cluster-level optimization calculation includes maximizing a second version of the objective function to identify a second set of modification weight values corresponding to respective ones of the reduced subset of items, wherein the cluster-level optimization calculation is performed based on one or more selection-size constraints for the reduced subset of items;
• based on the second set of modification weight values, identifying a final subset of the plurality of items to use to optimize the composition of the first cluster of collections;
• and
• generating an output value that indicates a set of modifications to perform, for the final subset of items, to optimize the composition of the first cluster of collections.

A system, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• a non-transitory, computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by the at least one processor to cause the system to:
• retrieve, from an item-availability database, availability data corresponding to a plurality of items that are currently available for selection;
• identify, from a plurality of collections, a first cluster of collections to optimize as a group;
• and
• perform a multi-level optimization operation to optimize a composition of the first cluster of collections, wherein the multi-level optimization operation includes:
• performing a collection-level optimization calculation for individual ones of the first cluster of collections, wherein, for a given collection in the first cluster of collections, the collection-level optimization calculation includes maximizing a first version of an objective function to determine a first set of modification weight values corresponding to respective ones of the plurality of items;
• based on the first set of modification weight values, identifying a reduced subset of the plurality of items, wherein the reduced subset of items excludes one or more of the plurality of items;
• performing a cluster-level optimization calculation for the first cluster of collections, wherein the cluster-level optimization calculation includes maximizing a second version of the objective function to identify a second set of modification weight values corresponding to respective ones of the reduced subset of items, wherein the cluster-level optimization calculation is performed based on one or more selection-size constraints for the reduced subset of items;
• based on the second set of modification weight values, identifying a final subset of the plurality of items to use to optimize the composition of the first cluster of collections;
• and
• generating an output value that indicates a set of modifications to perform, for the final subset of items, to optimize the composition of the first cluster of collections.