A network flow model for the optimal allocation of both foldable and standard containers

This paper considers a multi-port and multi-period container planning problem of shipping companies that use both standard and foldable containers. A company must decide which number of empty containers of each type to purchase and reposition at each port within a defined period to minimize the total purchasing, repositioning, and storage costs.We develop a model to optimally allocate both foldable and standard containers. We show that a single commodity minimum cost network flow algorithm solves the problem by proving that a two commodity flow problem can be modeled as a single commodity flow problem.     

Multi-period empty container repositioning with stochastic demand and lost sales

This paper considers repositioning empty containers between multi-ports over multi-periods with stochastic demand and lost sales. The objective is to minimize the total operating cost including container-holding cost, stockout cost, importing cost and exporting cost. First, we formulate the single-port case as an inventory problem over a finite horizon with stochastic import and export of empty containers. The optimal policy for period n is characterized by a pair of critical points (A _n , S _n ), that is, importing empty containers up to A _n when the number of empty containers in the port is fewer than A _n ; exporting empty containers down to S _n when the number of empty containers in the port is more than S _n ; and doing nothing, otherwise. A polynomial-time algorithm is developed to determine the two thresholds, that is, A _n and S _n , for each period. Next, we formulate the multi-port problem and determine a tight lower bound on the cost function. On the basis of the two-threshold optimal policy for a single port, a polynomial-time algorithm is developed to find an approximate repositioning policy for multi-ports. Simulation results show that the proposed approximate repositioning algorithm performs very effectively and efficiently.     

On Lie ideals with derivations as homomorphisms and anti-homomorphisms

In [2, Theorem 3], Bell and Kappe proved that if d is a derivation of a prime ring R which acts as a homomorphism or an anti-homomorphism on a nonzero right ideal I of R, then d = 0 on R. In the present paper our objective is to extend this result to Lie ideals. The following result is proved: Let R be a 2-torsion free prime ring and U a nonzero Lie ideal of R such that u ² ∈ U, for all u ∈ U. If d is a derivation of R which acts as a homomorphism or an anti-homomorphism on U, then either d=0 or U ?Z(R).     

考虑横纵向一体化的港航联盟的收益模型

随着港航业竞争的加剧,港口间的联盟与合作、港口与航运企业纵向一体化不断发展。尤其是,航运企业以收购或投资模式参与港口间的资源整合,形成了更为复杂的港航混合联盟。针对港口间的资源整合与竞争、航运企业与港口一体化等因素,构建港航混合联盟模式的收益模型,对比分析在区域港口竞争模式和港航混合联盟模式下港口和航运企业的收益变化,揭示地理位置、内陆运输成本、航运企业投资效果等因素的作用。结果表明,港航混合联盟模式能够实现整合港口和航运企业的双赢。同时,当港口与内陆的集疏运基础设施薄弱、航运企业的影响力较大时,非合作港口也会受益,此时港航横纵向混合联盟模式有利于推动整个区域港口经济的发展。     

Hub-and-spoke network design and fleet deployment for string planning of liner shipping

All shipping liner companies divide their service regions into several rotations (strings) in order to operate their container vessels. A string is the ordered set of ports at which a container vessel will call. Each port is usually called at no more than twice along one string, although a single port may be called at several times on different strings. The size of string dictates the number of vessels required to offer a given frequency of service. In order to better use their shipping capacity, groups of Liner Service Providers sometimes make a short term agreement to merge some of their service routes (in a certain region) into one main ocean going rotation and p feeder rotations. In order to minimize the weighted sum of transit time, and fixed deployment costs, this paper proposes a mixed integer linear programming model of the network design, and an allocation of proper capacity size and frequency setting for every rotation. Given that none of the existing general-purpose MIP solvers is able to solve even very small problem instances in a reasonable time, we propose a Lagrangian decomposition approach which uses a heuristic procedure and is capable of obtaining practical and high quality solutions in reasonable times. The model will be applied on a real example, and we shall present some of the results obtained by our model which show how it facilitates a better use of assets and a significant reduction in the use of fuel, therefore allowing a more environmentally friendly service.     

Shipping Container Logistics and Allocation

A major shipping company in Hong Kong is faced with several logistical and allocation problems. It needs to find a better way to allocate empty containers that are transported from the Middle East to ports in the Far East, subject to vessel schedules and capacities. It needs to know what to do when the supply of empty containers is less than the demand, and it needs to determine the mix of container types that the company should maintain in the long run. To deal with these challenges, a simulation model of the shipping company's operational activities was developed. Heuristic search was employed to identify the policies that yield the lowest operating cost in terms of leasing, storage, pick-up, drop-off and other charges. What makes the problem difficult is that the forecasts of future export movement as well as the demand for empty containers change continually and the company is faced with the possibility of lost sales if containers are not available when requested by customers. This study provided insights that resulted in substantial savings to the shipping company while increasing customers' satisfaction.     

On distance two graphs of upper bound graphs

For a poset P=(X,≤), the upper bound graph (UB-graph) of P is the graph U=(X,E_U), where uv∈E_U if and only if u≠v and there exists m∈X such that u,v≤m. For a graph G, the distance two graph DS₂(G) is the graph with vertex set V(DS₂(G))=V(G) and u,v∈V(DS₂(G)) are adjacent if and only if d_G(u,v)=2. In this paper, we deal with distance two graphs of upper bound graphs. We obtain a characterization of distance two graphs of split upper bound graphs.     

Local-edge-connectivity in digraphs and oriented graphs

A digraph without any cycle of length two is called an oriented graph. The local-edge-connectivityλ(u,v) of two vertices u and v in a digraph or graph D is the maximum number of edge-disjoint u-v paths in D, and the edge-connectivity of D is defined as . Clearly, λ(u,v)?min{d⁺(u),d^-(v)} for all pairs u and v of vertices in D. Let δ(D) be the minimum degree of D. We call a graph or digraph D maximally edge-connected when λ(D)=δ(D) and maximally local-edge-connected when

λ(u,v)=min{d⁺(u),d^-(v)}     

Distance-hereditary graphs and signpost systems

An ordered pair (U,R) is called a signpost system if U is a finite nonempty set, R⊆U×U×U, and the following axioms hold for all u,v,w∈U: (1) if (u,v,w)∈R, then (v,u,u)∈R; (2) if (u,v,w)∈R, then (v,u,w)∉R; (3) if u≠v, then there exists t∈U such that (u,t,v)∈R. (If F is a (finite) connected graph with vertex set U and distance function d, then U together with the set of all ordered triples (u,v,w) of vertices in F such that d(u,v)=1 and d(v,w)=d(u,w)−1 is an example of a signpost system). If (U,R) is a signpost system and G is a graph, then G is called the underlying graph of (U,R) if V(G)=U and xy∈E(G) if and only if (x,y,y)∈R (for all x,y∈U). It is possible to say that a signpost system shows a way how to travel in its underlying graph. The following result is proved: Let (U,R) be a signpost system and let G denote the underlying graph of (U,R). Then G is connected and every induced path in G is a geodesic in G if and only if (U,R) satisfies axioms (4)-(8) stated in this paper; note that axioms (4)-(8)-similarly as axioms (1)-(3)-can be formulated in the language of the first-order logic.     

Scheduling vessels and container-yard operations with conflicting objectives

We consider the problem of coordinating the operations of two supply chain partners: a foreign shipping company and a domestic port. The two partners have conflicting business objectives, and the issue is to determine the optimal cycle time, by which the shipping company removes the empty containers from the domestic port, so that the joint profit of the two partners is maximized. The domestic port prefers a shorter cycle time to mitigate its empty container accumulation and land use problems, while the shipping company wishes a longer cycle time to save its expensive vessel capacities. We propose an iterative procedure to search for this optimal cycle time. In each iteration, a candidate cycle time is evaluated by solving a deterministic vessel scheduling problem and a stochastic container-yard capacity optimization problem. We prove the properties of the vessel scheduling problem, derive the optimality condition under which the vessel scheduling problem can be decomposed, and show that the profit function of the domestic port is convex and thus the optimal container-yard capacity can be determined efficiently. Empirical observations on the algorithm computational performance collected from over 300 randomly generated test cases under various problem settings are reported.     

Adjoining an Identity to a Reduced Archimedean f-ring, II: Algebras

In “Part I” (presented at Ord05 (Oxford, MS)), we have discussed, for reduced archimedean f-rings, the canonical extension of such a ring, A, to one with identity, uA, and the class U of u-extendable maps (i.e., homomorphisms which lift over the u’s to identity preserving homomorphisms). We showed that U is a category and u becomes a functor from U which is a monoreflection; the maps in U were characterized. This paper addresses the interaction between our functor u, and v , the vector lattice monoreflection in archimedean ?-groups (due to Conrad and Bleier). In short, v restricts to a monoreflection of reduced archimedean f-rings into reduced archimedean f-algebras, ψ ∈ U if and only if v ψ ∈ U, and vu is a monoreflection into reduced archimedean f-algebras with identity. This work was motivated by the question put to us by G. Buskes at Ord05: what maps are o-extendable; i.e., extend over the orthomorphism rings? (The orthomorphism ring oA is a unital extension of uA, and any o-extendable map lies in U.) While a complete answer seems quite complicated (if not hopelessly out of reach), here we shall identify a class of objects D for which oD = vuD and all maps from D lie in U, hence any map from D to a reduced archimedean f-algebra is o-extendable.     

Functional convergence of stochastic integrals with application to statistical inference

Assuming that {(U_n,V_n)} is a sequence of càdlàg processes converging in distribution to (U,V) in the Skorohod topology, conditions are given under which {?f_n(β,u,v)dU_ndV_n} converges weakly to ?f(β,x,y)dUdV in the space C(R), where f_n(β,u,v) is a sequence of “smooth” functions converging to f(β,u,v). Integrals of this form arise as the objective function for inference about a parameter β in a stochastic model. Convergence of these integrals play a key role in describing the asymptotics of the estimator of β which optimizes the objective function. We illustrate this with a moving average process.     

Degree sum conditions for oriented forests in digraphs

Let F be an oriented forest with n vertices and m arcs and D be a digraph without loops and multiple arcs. In this note we prove that D contains a subdigraph isomorphic to F if D has at least n vertices and min{d⁺(u)+d⁺(v),d⁻(u)+d⁻(v),d⁺(u)+d⁻(v)}≥2m−1 for every pair of vertices u,v∈V(D) with uv∉A(D). This is a common generalization of two results of Babu and Diwan, one on the existence of forests in graphs under a degree sum condition and the other on the existence of oriented forests in digraphs under a minimum degree condition.     

On Lie ideals with generalized derivations

Let R be a prime ring with characteristic different from 2, let U be a nonzero Lie ideal of R, and let f be a generalized derivation associated with d. We prove the following results: (i) If a ∈ R and [a, f(U)] = 0 then a ∈ Z or d(a) = 0 or U ? Z; (ii) If f ²(U) = 0 then U ? Z; (iii) If u ² ∈ U for all u ∈ U and f acts as a homomorphism or antihomomorphism on U then either d = 0 or U ? Z.     

The Directed Geodetic Structure of a Strong Digraph

By a ternary structure we mean an ordered pair (U ₀, T ₀), where U ₀is a finitenonempty set and T ₀is a ternary relation on U ₀. A ternary structure (U ₀, T ₀) is called here a directed geodetic structure if there exists a strong digraph Dwith the properties that V(D) = U ₀and T ₀ (u,v, w)if and only if d _D (u,v)+ d _D (v,w)= d _D (u, w) for all u, v, w U ₀, where d _Ddenotes the (directed) distance function in D. It is proved in this paper that there exists no sentence sof the language of the first-order logic such that a ternary structure is a directed geodetic structure if and only if it satisfies s.     

On a class of inverse optimal control problems

Four distinct, though closely related, inverse optimal control problems are considered. Given a closed, convex setU in a real Hilbert spaceX and an elementu ₀ inU, it is desired to find all functionals of the form (u,Ru) such that (i)R is a self-adjoint positive operator and (u,Ru) is minimized over the setU at the pointu ₀, (ii)R is self-adjoint, positive definite and (u,Ru) is minimized overU atu ₀, (iv)R is self-adjoint, positive definite and (u,Ru) is uniquely minimized overU atu ₀. The interrelationships among the sets of solutions of these problems are pointed out. Necessary and sufficient conditions which explicitly characterize the solutions to each of these problems are derived. The question of existence of a solution (namely, Given a particular setU and a particular elementu ₀, under what conditions does there exist an operatorR having certain required properties?) is discussed. The results derived are illustrated by an example.     

Harmonic analysis on unitary groups

A theory of harmonic analysis on a metric group (G, d) is developed with the model of U$\text{U}$, the unitary group of a C¹-algebra $\text{U}$, in mind. Essential in this development is the set $\text{G}\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{d}}$ of contractive, irreducible representations of G, and its concomitant set P_d(G) of positive-definite functions. It is shown that $\text{G}\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{d}}$ is compact and closed in $\text{G}\text{?}$. The set $\text{G}\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{d}}$ is determined in a number of cases, in particular when G = U($\text{U}$) with $\text{U}$ abelian. If $\text{U}$ is an AW¹-algebra, it is shown that $\text{G}\text{?}$_d is essentially the same as $\text{U}\text{?}$. Unitary groups are characterised in terms of a certain Lie algebra $\text{g}$_u and several characterisations of G = U($\text{U}$) when $\text{U}$ is abelian are given.     

The number of independent sets in unicyclic graphs with a given diameter

Let U_n,d denote the set of unicyclic graphs with a given diameter d. In this paper, the unique unicyclic graph in U_n,d with the maximum number of independent sets, is characterized.     

Integers with dense divisors

Let 1=d₁(n)<d₂(n)<?<d_τ(n)=n be the sequence of all positive divisors of the integer n in increasing order. We say that the divisors of n are y-dense iff max_1?i<τ(n)d_i+1(n)/d_i(n)?y. Let D(x,y,z) be the number of positive integers not exceeding x whose divisors are y-dense and whose prime divisors are bigger than z, and let , and . We show that is equivalent, in a large region, to a function d(u,v) which satisfies a difference-differential equation. Using that equation we find that d(u,v)?(1−u/v)/(u+1) for v?3+ε. Finally, we show that d(u,v)=e^−γd(u)+O(1/v), where γ is Euler's constant and d(u)∼x⁻¹D(x,y,1), for fixed u. This leads to a new estimate for d(u).     

Convexity in oriented graphs

For vertices u and v in an oriented graph D, the closed interval I[u,v] consists of u and v together with all vertices lying in a u−v geodesic or v−u geodesic in D. For S⊆V(D), I[S] is the union of all closed intervals I[u,v] with u,v∈S. A set S is convex if I[S]=S. The convexity number con(D) is the maximum cardinality of a proper convex set of V(D). The nontrivial connected oriented graphs of order n with convexity number n−1 are characterized. It is shown that there is no connected oriented graph of order at least 4 with convexity number 2 and that every pair k, n of integers with 1⩽k⩽n−1 and k≠2 is realizable as the convexity number and order, respectively, of some connected oriented graph. For a nontrivial connected graph G, the lower orientable convexity number con⁻(G) is the minimum convexity number among all orientations of G and the upper orientable convexity number con⁺(G) is the maximum such convexity number. It is shown that con⁺(G)=n−1 for every graph G of order n⩾2. The lower orientable convexity numbers of some well-known graphs are determined, with special attention given to outerplanar graphs.