Abstract
A decision-support system for the Fiber Deployment Plan problem is developed for the telephone cable network design in the telecommunications industry. The system employs a Geographic Information System (GIS) and uses combinatorial optimization techniques as its components. A mathematical combinatorial optimization model is formulated for the problem and a heuristic solution procedure is developed for the model. A GIS within the ESRI Arc/INFO and ArcView environment is used to provide data needed to build the mathematical combinatorial optimization model and to furnish an interface between the users and computers in data input and in solution result display. Combinatorial optimization techniques are used in the heuristic solution procedure to find good solutions for the optimization model. The developed decision-support system has been used to real life problems and has resulted in tremendous improvements in the telephone cable network design process. The user is completely satisfied with the performance of the system.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aarts, E.H.L and J.H. Korst. (1989). Simulated Annealing and Boltzmann Machines: A Stochastic Approach to Combinatorial Optimization and Neural Computing. New York: Wiley.
Braca, J., J. Bramel, B. Posner, and D. Simchi-Levi. (1997). “A Computerized Approach to the New York City School Bus Routing Problem,” IIE Transactions 29(8), 693–702.
Burkard, R.E. (1984). “Quadratic Assignment Problems,” European Journal of Operational Research 15, 283–289.
Cao, B. and F. Glover. (1997). “Tabu Search and Ejection Chains—Application to a Node Weighted Version of the Cardinality-Constrained TSP,” Management Science 43(7), 908–921.
Cao, B. and B. von Stengel. (1993). “Search-Hide Games on Graphs.” Technique Report S-9303, University of the Federal Armed Forces Munich, Neubiberg, Germany.
Dijkstra, E.W. (1959). “A Note on Two Problems in Connection with Graphs,” Numerische Mathematik 1, 269–271.
Dorndorf, U. and E. Pesch. (1994). “Fast Clustering Algorithms,” ORSA Journal on Computing 6, 141–153.
Erkut, E. (1996). “The Road Not Taken,” OR/MS Today December 1996, 22–28.
ESRI, Inc. (1994). Proceedings of the 1994 User Conference. California: Redlands.
Finke, G., Burkard, R.E., and F. Rendl. (1987). “Quadratic Assignment Problems,” Annals of Discrete Mathematics 31, 61–82.
Fischetti, M., Hamacher, H.W., Jrnsten, K., and F. Maffioli. (1994). “Weighted k-Cardinality Trees: Complexity and Polyhedral Structure,” Networks 24, 11–21.
Garey, M.R. and D.S. Johnson. (1979). Computers and Intractability: A Guide to the Theory of NP-Completeness. San Francisco, CA: W.H. Freeman.
Glover, F. (1992). Ejection Chains, Reference Structures and Alternating Path Methods for Traveling Salesman Problems. School of Business, University of Colorado at Boulder.
Glover, F. and M. Laguna. (1997). Tabu Search. Hingham, MA: Kluwar Academic Publishers.
Holland, J. (1975). Adaptation in Natural and Artificial Systems. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
Kirkpatrick, S. (1984). “Optimization by Simulated Annealing: Quantitative Studies,” Journal of Statistical Physics 34, 975–986.
Kirkpatric, S., Gelatt, C.D., and M.P. Vecchi. (1983). “Optimization by Simulated Annealing,” Science 222, 671–680.
Lawler, E.L., Lenstra, J.K., Rinnooy Kan, A.H.G., and D.B. Shmoys. (eds.). (1985). The Traveling Salesman Problem: A Guided Tour of Combinatorial Optimization. New York: Wiley.
Lin, S. (1965). “Computer Solutions of the Traveling Salesman Problem,” Bell System Technical Journal 44, 2245–2269.
Nemhauser, G.L. and L.A. Wolsey. (1988). Integer and Combinatorial Optimization. New York: Wiley.
Pesch, E. and F. Glover. (1997). “TSP Ejection Chains,” Discrete Applied Mathematics 76, 165–181.
Reinelt, G. (1994). The Travelling Salesman Problem: Computational Solutions for TSP Applications. Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag.
Star, J. and J. Estes. (1990). Geographic Information Systems—An Introduction. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Sun, M. (1997). “Applying Tabu Search to Multiple Objective Combinatorial Optimization Problems,” Proceedings of the 1997 DSI Annual Meeting. Vol. 2, pp. 945–947.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cao, B., Sun, M. & Macleod, C. Applying GIS and Combinatorial Optimization to Fiber Deployment Plans. Journal of Heuristics 5, 385–402 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009628321600
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009628321600