Nonconvex scalarization in set optimization with set-valued maps

The aim of this work is to obtain scalar representations of set-valued optimization problems without any convexity assumption. Using a criterion of solution introduced by Kuroiwa [D. Kuroiwa, Some duality theorems of set-valued optimization with natural criteria, in: Proceedings of the International Conference on Nonlinear Analysis and Convex Analysis, World Scientific, River Edge, NJ, 1999, pp. 221–228], which is based on ordered relations between sets, we characterize this type of solutions by means of nonlinear scalarization. The scalarizing function is a generalization of the Gerstewitz's nonconvex separation function. As applications of our results we give two existence theorems for set-valued optimization problems.