Comparison of distributed methods for resource allocation

Resource allocation problems aim to achieve certain goals or objectives by allocating resources. Traditionally, centralized methods are applied to such problems. However, the inherent, decentralized nature of many corporates/companies/factories drives the investigation on decentralized or distributed methods. This paper provides an overview of research activities in the field of distributed methods for resource allocation problems. We concentrate on classifying the resource allocation problems, comparing different methods and discussing how these different methods can be applied to the problems. Finally, a range of open issues and future challenges are highlighted.