A hybrid metaheuristic algorithm for dynamic rail car fleet sizing problem

The aim of this paper is to present a model and a solution method for rail freight car fleet sizing problem. The mathematical model is dynamic and multi-periodic and car demands and travel times are assumed deterministic, and the proposed solution method is hybridization of genetic algorithms and simulated annealing algorithms. Experimental analysis is conducted using several test problems. The results of the proposed algorithm and CPLEX software are compared. The results show high efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. The solution method is applied to solve fleet sizing problem in the Iran Railways as a case study.     

A coupling cutting stock-lot sizing problem in the paper industry

An important production programming problem arises in paper industries coupling multiple machine scheduling with cutting stocks. Concerning machine scheduling: how can the production of the quantity of large rolls of paper of different types be determined. These rolls are cut to meet demand of items. Scheduling that minimizes setups and production costs may produce rolls which may increase waste in the cutting process. On the other hand, the best number of rolls in the point of view of minimizing waste may lead to high setup costs. In this paper, coupled modeling and heuristic methods are proposed. Computational experiments are presented.     

A simulation study of despatch bay performance in the steel processing industry

The despatch bay is a critical interface within an organisation, linking the warehousing and transport operations. However, delays here have wider supply chain implications given that the flow of materials through the supply chain is disrupted. Despite this, there has been little research on improvement activities to this process. This paper uses a case study of a steel processor to develop a simulation model to test strategies for increasing despatch bay productivity. From the simulation results, it was found that a combination of improvements were needed, to both reduce process times and ensure the earlier receipt of orders. The research approach presented in this paper can be used in other business environments having similar operating conditions.     

A branch-and-price algorithm to solve the integrated berth allocation and yard assignment problem in bulk ports

In this research, two crucial optimization problems of berth allocation and yard assignment in the context of bulk ports are studied. We discuss how these problems are interrelated and can be combined and solved as a single large scale optimization problem. More importantly we highlight the differences in operations between bulk ports and container terminals which highlights the need to devise specific solutions for bulk ports. The objective is to minimize the total service time of vessels berthing at the port. We propose an exact solution algorithm based on a branch and price framework to solve the integrated problem. In the proposed model, the master problem is formulated as a set-partitioning problem, and subproblems to identify columns with negative reduced costs are solved using mixed integer programming. To obtain sub-optimal solutions quickly, a metaheuristic approach based on critical-shaking neighborhood search is presented. The proposed algorithms are tested and validated through numerical experiments based on instances inspired from real bulk port data. The results indicate that the algorithms can be successfully used to solve instances containing up to 40 vessels within reasonable computational time.     

On a singular boundary value problem arising in the theory of shallow membrane caps

We investigate the following singular boundary value problem which originates from the theory of shallow membrane caps,

     

Existence and nonexistence results for a singular boundary value problem arising in the theory of epitaxial growth

The existence of stationary radial solutions to a partial differential equation arising in the theory of epitaxial growth is studied. It turns out that the existence or not of such solutions depends on the size of a parameter that plays the role of the velocity at which mass is introduced into the system. For small values of this parameter, we prove the existence of solutions to this boundary value problem. For large values of the same parameter, we prove the nonexistence of solutions. We also provide rigorous bounds for the values of this parameter, which separate existence from nonexistence. The proofs come as a combination of several differential inequalities and the method of upper and lower functions applied to an associated two‐point boundary value problem. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A mixed problem for the equation of internal gravity waves in an infinite cylindrical domain

The existence of a unique classical solution to the mixed problem for the equation describing internal gravity waves in a cylindrical domain is proved. The behavior of the solution is studied at t → +∞.     

A regularity result for a minimum problem in orlicz-sobolev spaces with applications in the study of the dirichlet problem for the operator of hencky-nadai theory

The existence and uniqueness of the solution to the problem of minimum for functionals generated by N- functions are obtained in Orlicz-Sobolev spaces. Applications for some functionals dealing with Hencky theory are given.     

A singularly perturbed boundary value problem for a second-order equation in the case of variation of stability

A boundary value problem for a second-order nonlinear singularly perturbed differential equation is considered for the case in which there is variation of stability caused by the intersection of roots of the degenerate equation. By the method of differential inequalities, we prove the existence of a solution such that the limit solution is nonsmooth. Translated fromMatematicheskie Zametki, Vol. 63, No. 3, pp. 354–362, March, 1998. This research was partially supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research under grant No. 96-01-00694.     

A numerical approach for solving a class of the nonlinear Lane–Emden type equations arising in astrophysics

In this paper, a collocation method based on the Bessel polynomials is presented for the approximate solution of a class of the nonlinear Lane–Emden type equations, which have many applications in mathematical physics. The exact solution can be obtained if the exact solution is polynomial. In other cases, such as an increasing number of nodes, a good approximation can be obtained with applicable errors. In addition, the method is presented with error and stability analysis. The numerical results show the effectiveness of the method for this type of equations. Comparing the methodology with some known techniques shows that the present approach is relatively easy and highly accurate. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.