Optimal control policies for resource allocation in an activity network

In the paper a class of project-scheduling problems concerning the allocation of continuously divisible resources is considered. It is assumed that performing speeds of activities are continuous functions of the resource amount, and that the initial and terminal states of activities are known. For such mathematical models of project activities the problem of time-optimal resource allocation under instantaneous and integral constrains on a resource, and the problem of cost-optimal resource allocation with fixed project duration are formulated and a general solution concept is proposed. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a solution in particular cases are derived and properties of optimal schedules are given. The control policies for resource allocation are constructed for the example of the cost-optimal problem.