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Solving hard set covering problems

Conference ·
OSTI ID:36257

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--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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