How do different densities in a network affect the optimal location of service centers?

The p-median problem is often used to locate p service centers by minimizing their distances to a geographically distributed demand (n). The optimal locations are sensitive to geographical context such as road network and demand points especially when they are asymmetrically distributed in the plane. Most studies focus on evaluating performances of the p-median model when p and n vary. To our knowledge this is not a very well-studied problem when the road network is alternated especially when it is applied in a real world context. The aim in this study is to analyze how the optimal location solutions vary, using the p-median model, when the density in the road network is alternated. The investigation is conducted by the means of a case study in a region in Sweden with an asymmetrically distributed population (15,000 weighted demand points), Dalecarlia. To locate 5 to 50 service centers we use the national transport administrations official road network (NVDB). The road network consists of 1.5 million nodes. To find the optimal location we start with 500 candidate nodes in the network and increase the number of candidate nodes in steps up to 67,000. To find the optimal solution we use a simulated annealing algorithm with adaptive tuning of the temperature. The results show that there is a limited improvement in the optimal solutions when nodes in the road network increase and p is low. When p is high the improvements are larger. The results also show that choice of the best network depends on p. The larger p the larger density of the network is needed. 

Does road network density matter in optimally locating facilities?

Optimal location on the transport infrastructure is the preferable requirement for many decision making processes. Most studies have focused on evaluating performances of optimally locate p facilities by minimizing their distances to a geographically distributed demand (n) when p and n vary. The optimal locations are also sensitive to geographical context such as road network, especially when they are asymmetrically distributed in the plane. The influence of alternating road network density is however not a very well-studied problem especially when it is applied in a real world context. This paper aims to investigate how the density level of the road network affects finding optimal location by solving the specific case of p-median location problem. A denser network is found needed when a higher number of facilities are to locate. The best solution will not always be obtained in the most detailed network but in a middle density level. The solutions do not further improve or improve insignificantly as the density exceeds 12,000 nodes, some solutions even deteriorate. The hierarchy of the different densities of network can be used according to location and transportation purposes and increase the efficiency of heuristic methods. The method in this study can be applied to other location-allocation problem in transportation analysis where the road network density can be differentiated. 

Essays on decision sciences: exploring cognition, information processing, and complexity

This thesis provides three original contributions to the field of Decision Sciences. The first contribution explores the field of heuristics and biases. New variations of the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT--a test to measure "the ability or disposition to resist reporting the response that first comes to mind"), are provided. The original CRT (S. Frederick [2005] Journal of Economic Perspectives, v. 19:4, pp.24-42) has items in which the response is immediate--and erroneous. It is shown that by merely varying the numerical parameters of the problems, large deviations in response are found. Not only the final results are affected by the proposed variations, but so is processing fluency. It seems that numbers' magnitudes serve as a cue to activate system-2 type reasoning. The second contribution explores Managerial Algorithmics Theory (M. Moldoveanu [2009] Strategic Management Journal, v. 30, pp. 737-763); an ambitious research program that states that managers display cognitive choices with a "preference towards solving problems of low computational complexity". An empirical test of this hypothesis is conducted, with results showing that this premise is not supported. A number of problems are designed with the intent of testing the predictions from managerial algorithmics against the predictions of cognitive psychology. The results demonstrate (once again) that framing effects profoundly affect choice, and (an original insight) that managers are unable to distinguish computational complexity problem classes. The third contribution explores a new approach to a computationally complex problem in marketing: the shelf space allocation problem (M-H Yang [2001] European Journal of Operational Research, v. 131, pp.107--118). A new representation for a genetic algorithm is developed, and computational experiments demonstrate its feasibility as a practical solution method. These studies lie at the interface of psychology and economics (with bounded rationality and the heuristics and biases programme), psychology, strategy, and computational complexity, and heuristics for computationally hard problems in management science.

Distributed generation impact evaluation using a multi-objective tabu search

Distribution networks paradigm is changing currently requiring improved methodologies and tools for network analysis and planning. A relevant issue is analyzing the impact of the Distributed Generation penetration in passive networks considering different operation scenarios. Studying DG optimal siting and sizing the planner can identify the network behavior in presence of DG. Many approaches for the optimal DG allocation problem successfully used multi-objective optimization techniques. So this paper contributes to the fundamental stage of multi-objective optimization of finding the Pareto optimal solutions set. It is proposed the application of a Multi-objective Tabu Search and it was verified a better performance comparing to the NSGA-II method. © 2009 IEEE.

Alocação ótima de reguladores de tensão em sistemas de distribuição de energia elétrica radiais usando uma formulação linear inteira mista. -

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Automação do despacho dinâmico de viaturas para o atendimento das ordens de serviços nas redes de distribuição de energia elétrica

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Elétrica - FEIS

Alocação otimizada de dispositivos de proteção em sistema de distribuição de energia elétrica

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Elétrica - FEIS

Alocação de perdas e custos pelo uso do sistema de transmissão

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Elétrica - FEIS

Um método para determinação de pontos de operação com diversidade em linha digital de assinante usando balanceamento de espectro e algoritmo evolucionário

Este trabalho apresenta um método para encontrar um conjunto de pontos de operação, os quais são ótimos de Pareto com diversidade, para linhas digitais de assinante (DSL - digital subscriber line). Em diversos trabalhos encontrados na literatura, têm sido propostos algoritmos para otimização da transmissão de dados em linhas DSL, que fornecem como resultado apenas um ponto de operação para os modems. Esses trabalhos utilizam, em geral, algoritmos de balanceamento de espectro para resolver um problema de alocação de potência, o que difere da abordagem apresentada neste trabalho. O método proposto, chamado de diverseSB , utiliza um processo híbrido composto de um algoritmo evolucionário multiobjetivo (MOEA - multi-objective evolutionary algorithm), mais precisamente, um algoritmo genético com ordenamento por não-dominância (NSGA-II - Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II), e usando ainda, um algoritmo de balanceamento de espectro. Os resultados obtidos por simulações mostram que, para uma dada diversidade, o custo computacional para determinar os pontos de operação com diversidade usando o algoritmo diverseSB proposto é muito menor que métodos de busca de “força bruta”. No método proposto, o NSGA-II executa chamadas ao algoritmo de balanceamento de espectro adotado, por isso, diversos testes envolvendo o mesmo número de chamadas ao algoritmo foram realizadas com o método diverseSB proposto e o método de busca por força bruta, onde os resultados obtidos pelo método diverseSB proposto foram bem superiores do que os resultados do método de busca por força bruta. Por exemplo, o método de força bruta realizando 1600 chamadas ao algoritmo de balanceamento de espectro, obtém um conjunto de pontos de operação com diversidade semelhante ao do método diverseSB proposto com 535 chamadas.

Modelos de programação inteira mista para a alocação ótima de bancos de capacitores em sistemas de distribuição de energia elétrica radias

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Elétrica - FEIS

Alocação de modem PLC utilizando SNR em uma rede elétrica de baixa tensão

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Elétrica - FEIS

Heurística especializada aplicada na alocação ótima de bancos de capacitores em sistemas de distribuição radial

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Elétrica - FEIS

Alocação ótima de chaves de interconexão nas redes de distribuição de energia elétrica

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Elétrica - FEIS

Otimização da operação de sistemas de distribuição radiais usando um algoritmo genético especializado

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Elétrica - FEIS

Effiziente, operative Torbelegung mittels kombinatorischer Auktionen

Das operative Torbelegungsproblem (TBP) z. B. an einem Distributions- oder Cross-dockingzentrum ist ein logistisches Problem, bei dem es gilt, an- und abfahrende Fahrzeuge zeitlich und räumlich so auf die Warenein- und -ausgangstore zu verteilen, dass eine mög-lichst kostengünstige Abfertigung ermöglicht wird. Bisherige Arbeiten, die sich mit dem TBP beschäftigen, lassen Aspekte der Kooperation außer Acht. Dieser Beitrag stellt ein Verfahren vor, durch das der Nachteil einseitig optimaler Torbelegungen überwunden werden kann. Dabei wird auf das Mittel der kombinatorischen Auktionen zurückgegriffen und das TBP als Allokationsproblem modelliert, bei dem Frachtführer um Bündel konsekutiver Einheitszeit-intervalle an den Toren konkurrieren. Mittels eines Vickrey-Clarke-Groves-Mechanismus wird einerseits die Anreizkompatibilität, andererseits die individuelle Rationalität des Auk-tionsverfahrens sichergestellt. Das Verfahren wurde in ILOG OPL Studio 3.6.1 implemen-tiert und die durch Testdaten gewonnenen Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Laufzeiten gering genug sind, um das Verfahren für die operative (kurzfristige) Planung einzusetzen und so transportlogistische Prozesse für alle Beteiligten wirtschaftlicher zu gestalten.