Solving hard set covering problems

Conference · Sat Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:36257

Mannino, C; Sassano, A

We propose a fast combinatorial algorithm to solve hard instances of Set Covering Problems. The algorithm uses a branch-and-bound scheme: the bounding phase is based on a procedure which computes a lower bound for the covering number of a graph; the branching scheme is based on a Specialization to Set Covering of Balas and Yu`s branching rule, devised for the maximum clique problem in a graph. In particular, the algorithm was able to solve the previously unsolved set covering problem known as A81, and to find a better than the previously known solution for A243: both instances derive from Steiner Triple Systems, and are known to be extremely hard to solve in practice.

• OSTI ID: 36257
• Report Number(s): CONF-9408161-; TRN: 94:009753-0583
• Resource Relation: Conference: 15. international symposium on mathematical programming, Ann Arbor, MI (United States), 15-19 Aug 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of Mathematical programming: State of the art 1994; Birge, J.R.; Murty, K.G. [eds.]; PB: 312 p.
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

99 MATHEMATICS
COMPUTERS
INFORMATION SCIENCE
MANAGEMENT
LAW
MISCELLANEOUS
NONLINEAR PROGRAMMING
ALGORITHMS
OPTIMIZATION
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
CONVERGENCE