Program > Tutorials

Solving routing and scheduling problems using LocalSolver Thierry Benoist - Innovation 24 & LocalSolver Monday, June 6 - 2:00pm Room: 1 - Kastler

LocalSolver is a heuristic solver for large-scale optimization problems. Having modeled your optimization problem using common mathematical operators, LocalSolver provides you with high-quality solutions in short running times. Combining different optimization techniques, LocalSolver scales up to millions of variables, running on basic computers.

One of the strengths of LocalSolver is its rich yet simple modeling framework. Indeed, most usual mathematical operators are available, including arithmetical expressions (sum, product, trigonometric functions) or logical expressions (comparisons, conditional terms, array indexing). As a consequence, there is no need to linearize the considered problem: the user can model it directly and naturally.

Initially this modeling power was based on numerical decision variables only (binary, integer or continuous). A significant extension to this approach was brought in 2015 with the introduction of high level decision variables, inspired from Constraint Programming Set-Based Variables. Many optimization problems involve sequencing or ordering concepts: scheduling, routing, network design. For these problems, a new type of variables yields even simpler and more compact models. The value of such a variable is not a number but a collection of numbers. More precisely, a list variable list(n) represents a sub-permutation of the set {0,1,2,….n-1}. We will show in this presentation how this new kind of variables allows building very simple and very effective models for a number of optimization problems, including routing and scheduling problems.

PTV xServer – developer components for logistical and geographical functions Stefan Hug, Sébastien Beolet – PTV Group Tuesday, June 7 – 2:00pm Room: 1 - Kastler

PTV xServer comprises different developer components that offer a broad range of useful logistical and geographical optimization functions. Among others the scope covers trip optimization, field force management, loading space optimization or territory design as well as shortest-path calculation, ge­ocoding and map rendering.

The interactive tutorial session will show how easily PTV xServer can be integrated in existing sys­tems and applications to provide basic planning functionality in order to tackle successfully real world problems in the field of transportation logistics. During the session the participants can instantly use PTV xServer and experiment with concrete samples directly on their devices.

We will focus on 2 different use-cases. First we present how to calculate the best ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) for a route. Different featurelayer themes representing truck attributes (e.g. vehicle dimensions and weights) or traffic incidents are taken into account. Furthermore we illustrate how these data sources can be visualized on a map. We also show how further values, like emission calcu­lation or exact toll price reports can be added to the results.

The second use-case concentrates on advanced route planning. Here we demonstrate possibilities to solve various vehicle routing problems.

PTV will provide a free academic license for PTV xServer. Further details will be given in the session.