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Branch and Win: OR tree search algorithms for solving combinatorial optimisation problems. (English) Zbl 1148.90339

Summary: Currently, most combinatorial optimisation problems have to be solved, if the optimum solution is sought, using general techniques to explore the space of feasible solutions and, more specifically, through exploratory enumerative procedures in trees and search graphs. We propose branch and win, a general formulation for understanding and synthesising the different tree search procedures that have been presented in the literature of operations research as well as in that of artificial intelligence. Several general ideas are also presented, whose application allows designing new hybrid search algorithms, in order to implement the procedure.

MSC:

90C27 Combinatorial optimization
68T20 Problem solving in the context of artificial intelligence (heuristics, search strategies, etc.)
90C57 Polyhedral combinatorics, branch-and-bound, branch-and-cut
Full Text: DOI

References:

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