Collaborative Research: Exploiting Cyberinfrastructure to Solve Real-Time Integer Programs

整数规划是一种支持组织最优决策的优化技术。传统上，它被成功地应用于解决时间不成问题的战略规划问题。本研究的创新之处在于将其适用范围扩展到需要快速解决问题的作战和战术决策领域。实时环境中出现的问题的一个关键特征是，连续的实例通常只有很小的差异，这表明需要支持增量问题解决的技术。此外，开发的算法将被设计为利用新兴网络基础设施的计算能力和数据传输能力。该研究将在三个具体的应用领域得到验证：供应链管理、航空公司中断恢复和放射治疗治疗计划。实时整数规划技术的成功开发在解决棘手的运营问题方面具有巨大的潜力。它的战术使用可能会极大地提高航空公司从中断中恢复的能力，显著提高癌症患者的放射治疗质量，或者通过增加供应链的灵活性来提供巨大的经济效益。这项研究的另一个高影响力方面将是它对网络基础设施的开创性使用。这项提议将为运筹学研究界开辟新的可能性，以利用现在可用于实时决策的计算、数据存储和通信资源。此外，这项研究中开发的方法和框架将有助于塑造如何利用网络基础设施在广泛的应用领域提供决策支持。

Integer programming is an optimization technique that supports optimal decision making in organizations. Traditionally, it has been successfully applied to strategic planning problems where solution time is not an issue. The innovation of this research is to extend the applicability to operational and tactical decision making where rapid solution times are necessary. A key characteristic of problems arising in real-time environments is that consecutive instances typically differ only slightly, indicating a need for technology that supports incremental problem solving. Further, the algorithms developed will be designed to exploit the computational power and data delivery capabilities of the emerging cyberinfrastructure. The applicability of the research will be demonstrated in three specific application areas: supply chain management, airline disruption recovery, and radiation therapy treatment planning.The successful development of real-time integer programming technology has huge potential for addressing difficult operational problems. Its tactical use may dramatically improve airlines' ability to recover from disruptions, significantly enhance the quality of radiation therapy for cancer patients or provide huge economic benefits by increasing the agility of supply chains. Another high-impact aspect of the research will be its pioneering use of cyberinfrastructure. This proposal will open up new possibilities for the operations research community to exploit the computational, data storage, and communication resources that are now becoming available for use in real-time decision making. Moreover, the methods and frameworks developed in this research will help to shape how cyberinfrastructure is harnessed to provide decision support in a widevariety of application areas.