In this article, we propose efficient methods for solving two stage transshipment problems. Transshipment problem is the special case of Minimum cost flow problem in which arc capacities are infinite. We start by prop...In this article, we propose efficient methods for solving two stage transshipment problems. Transshipment problem is the special case of Minimum cost flow problem in which arc capacities are infinite. We start by proposing a novel problem formulation for a two stage transshipment problem. Later, special structure of our problem formulation is utilized to devise two dual based heuristics solutions with computational complexity of O (n2), and O (n3) respectively. These methods are motivated by the methods developed by Sharma and Saxena [1], Sinha and Sharma [2]. Our methods differ in the initialization and the subsequent variation of the dual variables associated with the transshipment nodes along the shortest path. Lastly, a method is proposed to extract a very good primal solution from the given dual solutions with a computational complexity of O (n2). Efficacy of these methods is demonstrated by our numerical analysis on 200 random problems.展开更多
Given the seriously damaged emergency situation occurring after a large-scale natural disaster, a critical and important problem that needs to be solved urgently is how to distribute the necessary relief goods, such a...Given the seriously damaged emergency situation occurring after a large-scale natural disaster, a critical and important problem that needs to be solved urgently is how to distribute the necessary relief goods, such as drinking water, food, and medicine, to the damaged area and how to transport them corresponding to the actual supply and demand situation as quickly as possible. The existing infrastructure, such as traffic roads, bridges, buildings, and other facilities, may suffer from severe damage. Assuming uncertainty related with each road segment’s availability, we formulate a transshipment network flow optimization problem under various types of uncertain situations. In order to express the uncertainty regarding the availability of each road segment, we apply the Monte Carlo simulation technique to generate random networks following certain probability distribution conditions. Then, we solve the model to obtain an optimal transport strategy for the relief goods. Thus, we try to implement a necessary and desirable response strategy for managing emergency cases caused by, for example, various natural disasters. Our modeling approach was then applied to the actual road network in Sumatra Island in Indonesia in 2009, when a disastrous earthquake occurred to develop effective and efficient public policies for emergency situations.展开更多
文摘In this article, we propose efficient methods for solving two stage transshipment problems. Transshipment problem is the special case of Minimum cost flow problem in which arc capacities are infinite. We start by proposing a novel problem formulation for a two stage transshipment problem. Later, special structure of our problem formulation is utilized to devise two dual based heuristics solutions with computational complexity of O (n2), and O (n3) respectively. These methods are motivated by the methods developed by Sharma and Saxena [1], Sinha and Sharma [2]. Our methods differ in the initialization and the subsequent variation of the dual variables associated with the transshipment nodes along the shortest path. Lastly, a method is proposed to extract a very good primal solution from the given dual solutions with a computational complexity of O (n2). Efficacy of these methods is demonstrated by our numerical analysis on 200 random problems.
文摘Given the seriously damaged emergency situation occurring after a large-scale natural disaster, a critical and important problem that needs to be solved urgently is how to distribute the necessary relief goods, such as drinking water, food, and medicine, to the damaged area and how to transport them corresponding to the actual supply and demand situation as quickly as possible. The existing infrastructure, such as traffic roads, bridges, buildings, and other facilities, may suffer from severe damage. Assuming uncertainty related with each road segment’s availability, we formulate a transshipment network flow optimization problem under various types of uncertain situations. In order to express the uncertainty regarding the availability of each road segment, we apply the Monte Carlo simulation technique to generate random networks following certain probability distribution conditions. Then, we solve the model to obtain an optimal transport strategy for the relief goods. Thus, we try to implement a necessary and desirable response strategy for managing emergency cases caused by, for example, various natural disasters. Our modeling approach was then applied to the actual road network in Sumatra Island in Indonesia in 2009, when a disastrous earthquake occurred to develop effective and efficient public policies for emergency situations.
