The stochastic multicommodity flow problem

Hossein Soroush, Pitu B. Mirchandani

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper formulates and classifies some multicommodity flow problems (MFP) on “stochastic networks.” Here, the arc attributes are not necessarily deterministic, but, rather, are allowed to be probabilistic. Some special cases of the stochastic multicommodity flow problems (SMFP) are considered where the resultant formulations are solvable by existing algorithms for MFP. Specifically, we consider the following problems: SMFP‐FLOW INDEPENDENT, where the arc travel attributes are random but not dependent on the flows in the network, and SMFP‐FLOW DEPENDENT, where the stochasticity of arc travel attributes is either due to random demands or due to arc free‐flow travel attributes being probabilistic. The scenario where the cost function c(w), of travel attribute w, is linear is fully explored‐for both the above problems. Also, some special cases of the problems are studied when c(w) is exponential or quadratic in w. As an illustrative application, some traffic assignment problems on stochastic networks are formulated and solved as SMFPs.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)121-155
Number of pages35
JournalNetworks
Volume20
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1990
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Software
  • Information Systems
  • Hardware and Architecture
  • Computer Networks and Communications

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