Network Flow, Transportation, and Scheduling; Theory and Algorithms

Network flow, transportation, and scheduling; theory and algorithms.

A rigorous and comprehensive treatment of network flow theory and monotropic optimization by one of the world's most renowned applied mathematicians. This classic textbook covers extensively the duality theory and the algorithms of linear and nonlinear network optimization optimization, and their significant extensions to monotropic programming (separable convex constrained optimization problems, including linear programs). It complements our other book on the subject of network optimization Network Optimization: Continuous and Discrete Models (Athena Scientific, 1998). Monotropic programming problems are characterized by a rich interplay between combinatorial structure and convexity properties. Rockafellar develops, for the first time, algorithms and a remarkably complete duality theory for these problems. Among its special features the book: (a) Treats in-depth the duality theory for linear and nonlinear network optimization (b) Uses a rigorous step-by-step approach to develop the principal network optimization algorithms (c) Covers the main algorithms for specialized network problems, such as max-flow, feasibility, assignment, and shortest path (d) Develops in detail the theory of monotropic programming, based on the author's highly acclaimed research (e) Contains many examples, illustrations, and exercises (f) Contains much new material not found in any other textbook

Linear Programming and Network Flows, now in its third edition, addresses the problem of minimizing or maximizing a linear function in the presence of linear equality or inequility constraints. This book: * Provides methods for modeling complex problems via effective algorithms on modern computers. * Presents the general theory and characteristics of optimization problems, along with effective solution algorithms. * Explores linear programming (LP) and network flows, employing polynomial-time algorithms and various specializations of the simplex method.

The theory of networks is a very lively one, both in terms of developments in the theory itself and of the variety of its applications. This book, based on the 1981 AMS Short Course on the Mathematics of Networks, introduces most of the basic ideas of network theory and develops some of these ideas considerably.

This edited book is dedicated to Professor N. U. Ahmed, a leading scholar and a renowned researcher in optimal control and optimization on the occasion of his retirement from the Department of Electrical Engineering at University of Ottawa in 1999. The contributions of this volume are in the areas of optimal control, non linear optimization and optimization applications. They are mainly the im proved and expanded versions of the papers selected from those presented in two special sessions of two international conferences. The first special session is Optimization Methods, which was organized by K. L. Teo and X. Q. Yang for the International Conference on Optimization and Variational Inequality, the City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1998. The other one is Optimal Control, which was organized byK. ~Teo and L. Caccetta for the Dynamic Control Congress, Ottawa, 1999. This volume is divided into three parts: Optimal Control; Optimization Methods; and Applications. The Optimal Control part is concerned with com putational methods, modeling and nonlinear systems. Three computational methods for solving optimal control problems are presented: (i) a regularization method for computing ill-conditioned optimal control problems, (ii) penalty function methods that appropriately handle final state equality constraints, and (iii) a multilevel optimization approach for the numerical solution of opti mal control problems. In the fourth paper, the worst-case optimal regulation involving linear time varying systems is formulated as a minimax optimal con trol problem.

This book explores the methodological and application developments of network design in transportation and logistics. It identifies trends, challenges and research perspectives in network design for these areas. Network design is a major class of problems in operations research where network flow, combinatorial and mixed integer optimization meet. The analysis and planning of transportation and logistics systems continues to be one of the most important application areas of operations research. Networks provide the natural way of depicting such systems, so the optimal design and operation of networks is the main methodological area of operations research that is used for the analysis and planning of these systems. This book defines the current state of the art in the general area of network design, and then turns to its applications to transportation and logistics. New research challenges are addressed. Network Design with Applications to Transportation and Logistics is divided into three parts. Part I examines basic design problems including fixed-cost network design and parallel algorithms. After addressing the basics, Part II focuses on more advanced models. Chapters cover topics such as multi-facility network design, flow-constrained network design, and robust network design. Finally Part III is dedicated entirely to the potential application areas for network design. These areas range from rail networks, to city logistics, to energy transport. All of the chapters are written by leading researchers in the field, which should appeal to analysts and planners.