Network Flow Algorithms


Book Description

Network flow theory has been used across a number of disciplines, including theoretical computer science, operations research, and discrete math, to model not only problems in the transportation of goods and information, but also a wide range of applications from image segmentation problems in computer vision to deciding when a baseball team has been eliminated from contention. This graduate text and reference presents a succinct, unified view of a wide variety of efficient combinatorial algorithms for network flow problems, including many results not found in other books. It covers maximum flows, minimum-cost flows, generalized flows, multicommodity flows, and global minimum cuts and also presents recent work on computing electrical flows along with recent applications of these flows to classical problems in network flow theory.




Network Flows


Book Description

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.







Network Flows and Monotropic Optimization


Book Description

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




Network Flows and Matching


Book Description

Interest has grown recently in the application of computational and statistical tools to problems in the analysis of algorithms. In many algorithmic domains, worst-case bounds are too pessimistic and tractable probabilistic models too unrealistic to provide meaningful predictions of practical algorithmic performance. Experimental approaches can provide knowledge where purely analytical methods fail and can provide insights to motivate and guide deeper analytical results. The DIMACS Implementation Challenge was organized to encourage experimental work in the area of network flows and matchings. Participants at sites in the U.S., Europe, and Japan undertook projects between November 1990 and August 1991 to test and evaluate algorithms for these problems. The Challenge culminated in a three-day workshop, held in October 1991 at DIMACS. This volume contains the revised and refereed versions of twenty-two of the papers presented at the workshop, along with supplemental material about the Challenge and the Workshop.




Network flows and network design in theory and practice


Book Description

Network flow and network design problems arise in various application areas of combinatorial optimization, e.g., in transportation, production, or telecommunication. This thesis contributes new results to four different problem classes from this area, providing models and algorithms with immediate practical impact as well as theoretical insights into complexity and combinatorial structure of network optimization problems: (i) We introduce a new model for tactical transportation planning that employs a cyclic network expansion to integrate routing and inventory decisions into a unified capacitated network design formulation. We also devise several algorithmic approaches to solve the resulting optimization problem and demonstrate the applicability of our approach on a set of real-world logistic networks. (ii) We present approximation algorithms for combined location and network design problems, including the first constant factor approximation for capacitated location routing. (iii) We derive a max-flow/min-cut theorem for abstract flows over time, a generalization of the well-known work of Ford and Fulkerson that restricts to a minimal set of structural requirements. (iv) We devise algorithms for finding orientations of embedded graphs with degree constraints on vertices and faces, answering an open question by Frank.




Linear Programming and Network Flows


Book Description

The authoritative guide to modeling and solving complex problems with linear programming—extensively revised, expanded, and updated The only book to treat both linear programming techniques and network flows under one cover, Linear Programming and Network Flows, Fourth Edition has been completely updated with the latest developments on the topic. This new edition continues to successfully emphasize modeling concepts, the design and analysis of algorithms, and implementation strategies for problems in a variety of fields, including industrial engineering, management science, operations research, computer science, and mathematics. The book begins with basic results on linear algebra and convex analysis, and a geometrically motivated study of the structure of polyhedral sets is provided. Subsequent chapters include coverage of cycling in the simplex method, interior point methods, and sensitivity and parametric analysis. Newly added topics in the Fourth Edition include: The cycling phenomenon in linear programming and the geometry of cycling Duality relationships with cycling Elaboration on stable factorizations and implementation strategies Stabilized column generation and acceleration of Benders and Dantzig-Wolfe decomposition methods Line search and dual ascent ideas for the out-of-kilter algorithm Heap implementation comments, negative cost circuit insights, and additional convergence analyses for shortest path problems The authors present concepts and techniques that are illustrated by numerical examples along with insights complete with detailed mathematical analysis and justification. An emphasis is placed on providing geometric viewpoints and economic interpretations as well as strengthening the understanding of the fundamental ideas. Each chapter is accompanied by Notes and References sections that provide historical developments in addition to current and future trends. Updated exercises allow readers to test their comprehension of the presented material, and extensive references provide resources for further study. Linear Programming and Network Flows, Fourth Edition is an excellent book for linear programming and network flow courses at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also a valuable resource for applied scientists who would like to refresh their understanding of linear programming and network flow techniques.




Flows in Networks


Book Description







Research Trends in Combinatorial Optimization


Book Description

The editors and authors dedicate this book to Bernhard Korte on the occasion of his seventieth birthday. We, the editors, are happy about the overwhelming feedback to our initiative to honor him with this book and with a workshop in Bonn on November 3–7,2008.Althoughthiswouldbeareasontolookback,wewouldratherliketolook forward and see what are the interesting research directions today. This book is written by leading experts in combinatorial optimization. All - pers were carefully reviewed, and eventually twenty-three of the invited papers were accepted for this book. The breadth of topics is typical for the eld: combinatorial optimization builds bridges between areas like combinatorics and graph theory, submodular functions and matroids, network ows and connectivity, approximation algorithms and mat- matical programming, computational geometry and polyhedral combinatorics. All these topics are related, and they are all addressed in this book. Combi- torial optimization is also known for its numerous applications. To limit the scope, however, this book is not primarily about applications, although some are mentioned at various places. Most papers in this volume are surveys that provide an excellent overview of an activeresearcharea,butthisbookalsocontainsmanynewresults.Highlightingmany of the currently most interesting research directions in combinatorial optimization, we hope that this book constitutes a good basis for future research in these areas.