Operations Research articles from January 2005

Operations Research archives from January 2005

Selecting attributes to measure the achievement of objectives.(OR CHRONICLE)
January 1, 2005... The foundation for any decision is a clear statement of objectives. Attributes clarify the meaning of each objective and are required to measure the consequences of different alternatives. Unfortunately, insufficient thought typically is given...

On the asymptotic optimality of the gradient scheduling algorithm for multiuser throughput allocation.
January 1, 2005... We consider the model where N queues (users) are served in discrete time by a generalized switch. The switch state is random, and it determines the set of possible service rate choices (scheduling decisions) in each time slot. This model is...

Optimal product launch times in a duopoly: balancing life-cycle revenues with product cost.
January 1, 2005... We present a model describing the demand dynamics of two new products competing for a limited target market. The demand trajectories of the two products are driven by a market saturation effect and an imitation effect reflecting the product...

Stochastic transportation-inventory network design problem.
January 1, 2005... We study the stochastic transportation-inventory network design problem involving one supplier and multiple retailers. Each retailer faces some uncertain demand, and safety stock must be maintained to achieve suitable service levels. However,...

On the continuous Fermat-Weber problem.
January 1, 2005... We give the first exact algorithmic study of facility location problems that deal with finding a median for a continuum of demand points. In particular, we consider versions of the "continuous k-median (Fermat-Weber) problem" where the goal is...

Navy personnel planning and the optimal partition.
January 1, 2005... One could argue that the Navy's most important resource is its personnel, and as such, workforce planning is a crucial task. We investigate a new model and solution technique that is designed to aid in optimizing the process of assigning...

Simulation-based booking limits for airline revenue management.
January 1, 2005... Deterministic mathematical programming models that capture network effects play a predominant role in the theory and practice of airline revenue management. These models do not address important issues like demand uncertainty, nesting, and the...

Stability of data networks: stationary and bursty models.
January 1, 2005... This paper studies stability of network models that capture macroscopic features of data communication networks, including the Internet. The network model consists of a set of links and a set of possible routes that are fixed subsets of links....

An adaptive sampling algorithm for solving Markov decision processes.
January 1, 2005... Based on recent results for multiarmed bandit problems, we propose an adaptive sampling algorithm that approximates the optimal value of a finite-horizon Markov decision process (MDP) with finite state and action spaces. The algorithm...

An exact algorithm for constrained two-dimensional two-staged cutting problems.
January 1, 2005... The constrained two-dimensional cutting (C_TDC) problem consists of determining a cutting pattern of a set of n small rectangular piece types on a rectangular stock plate S with length L and width W, to maximize the sum of the profits of the...

Order-based cost optimization in assemble-to-order systems.
January 1, 2005... We study a multi-item stochastic inventory system in which customers may order different but possibly overlapping subsets of items, such as a multiproduct assemble-to-order system. The goal is to determine the right base-stock level for each...

The single-product lot-sizing problem with constant parameters and backlogging: exact results, a new solution, and all parameter stability regions.
January 1, 2005... We consider the single-product lot-sizing problem over a finite planning horizon. Demand at each period is constant, and excess demand is completely backlogged. Holding and backlogging costs are proportional to the amount of inventory stocked...