Decorous Combinatorial Lower Bounds for Row Layout Problems

In this paper we consider the Double-Row Facility Layout Problem (DRFLP). Given a set of departments and pairwise transport weights between them the DRFLP asks for a non-overlapping arrangement of the departments along both sides of a common path such that the weighted sum of the center-to-center distances between the departments is minimized. Despite its … Read more

n-step cutset inequalities: facets for multi-module capacitated network design problem

Many real-world decision-making problems can be modeled as network design problems, especially on networks with capacity requirements on links. In network design problems, decisions are made on installation of flow transfer capacities on the links and routing of flow from a set of source nodes to a set of sink nodes through the links. Many … Read more

Location and Capacity Planning of Facilities with General Service-Time Distributions Using Conic Optimization

This paper studies a stochastic congested location problem in the network of a service system that consists of facilities to be established in a finite number of candidate locations. Population zones allocated to each open service facility together creates a stream of demand that follows a Poisson process and may cause congestion at the facility. … Read more

Pareto efficient solutions in multi-objective optimization involving forbidden regions

In this paper, the aim is to compute Pareto efficient solutions of multi-objective optimization problems involving forbidden regions. More precisely, we assume that the vector-valued objective function is componentwise generalized-convex and acts between a real topological linear pre-image space and a finite-dimensional image space, while the feasible set is given by the whole pre-image space … Read more

The Multiple Checkpoint Ordering Problem

The multiple Checkpoint Ordering Problem (mCOP) aims to find an optimal arrangement of n one-dimensional departments with given lengths such that the total weighted sum of their distances to m given checkpoints is minimized. In this paper we suggest an integer linear programming (ILP) approach and a dynamic programming (DP) algorithm, which is only exact … Read more

Comparison of IP and CNF Models for Control of Automated Valet Parking Systems

In automated valet parking system, a central computer controls a number of robots which have the capability to move in two directions, under cars, lift a car up, carry it to another parking slot, and drop it. We study the theoretical throughput limitations of these systems: Given a car park layout, an initial configuration of … Read more

Reliable single allocation hub location problem under hub breakdowns

The design of hub-and-spoke transport networks is a strategic planning problem, as the choice of hub locations has to remain unchanged for long time periods. However, strikes, disasters or traffic breakdown can lead to the unavailability of a hub for a short period of time. Therefore it is important to consider such events already in … Read more

A Non-metric Bilevel Location Problem

We address a bilevel location problem where a leader first decides which facilities to open and their access prices; then, customers make individual decisions minimizing individual costs. In this note we prove that, when access costs do not fulfill metric properties, the problem is NP-hard even if facilities can be opened at no fixed cost. … Read more

Beating the SDP bound for the floor layout problem: A simple combinatorial idea

For many Mixed-Integer Programming (MIP) problems, high-quality dual bounds can obtained either through advanced formulation techniques coupled with a state-of-the-art MIP solver, or through Semidefinite Programming (SDP) relaxation hierarchies. In this paper, we introduce an alternative bounding approach that exploits the “combinatorial implosion” effect by solving portions of the original problem and aggregating this information … Read more

Strong mixed-integer formulations for the floor layout problem

The floor layout problem (FLP) tasks a designer with positioning a collection of rectangular boxes on a fixed floor in such a way that minimizes total communication costs between the components. While several mixed integer programming (MIP) formulations for this problem have been developed, it remains extremely challenging from a computational perspective. This work takes … Read more