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Large-scale programming, volume 1 and 2
410
Book Remews
G.B. DANTZIG, M,A.H. DEMPSTER and M.J. KALLIO (Eds.) Large-Scale Linear Programming, Volume I and 2 IIASA, Laxenburg, 1981, 1176 pages, $30.00, lecture note format The two volumes give a complete record of the papers presented at the workshop on large-scale linear programming organized during June 2-6, 1980, by the System and Decision Sciences Area of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) m collaboration with the Systems Optimizatton Laboratory (SOL) of Stanford University. The theme of the workshop was the improvement of the long range applicability ot linear programming techmques. Several papers solicitated by the editors supplement the scope of the workshop. The first volume ~s devoted to the mainstream of current research on large-scale solution algorithms in linear programming and the ellipsoidal algorithm. After a historical review by G.B. Dantzig on time-staged methods in linear programming in chapter 1 (16 pages), chapter 2 (110 p.) addresses various techniques in the LU decomposition of the basis for exploiting sparsity and degeneracy of nonstructured problems. Dynamic and block-angular linear programs are treated in chapter 3 (2'38 p.) by variants of the simplex method which take into account the special structure through basis factorization. In contrast to this, chapter 4 (112 p.) addresses extensions and implementations of the Dantzig-Wolfe decomposition. Chapter 5 (102 p.) on eilipsoidal algorithms completes volume i. Applications to both real and integer problems are discussed, and numerical investigations are presented, too. Volume 2 is a little heterogeneous. Chapter 6 (84 p.) contains a state of the art survey on the Lagrangian relaxation method for solving integer programming problems and two papers on iteratire non-simplex algorithms for linear programmmg. Chapter 7 (46 p.) deals with a. linear programming approach to the dynamic traffic assignment problem, the update of bases of generalized network problems and an iterative algorithm for obtaining good initial solutions to an irrigation model. Chapter 8 (198 p.) takes into account the practically often crucial problems of model generation and is intended to give some guidance. Tech-
niques for model size reduction through detection of imbedded special constraint structures are discussed, too. The final chapter 9 (238 p.) contains large-scale applications of hierarchical and multiperiod models to practical problems in agriculture (crop production, forest development) and industry (refinery planning, electricity production, energy flow). Some of these involve multicriteria analysis. Volume 2 is completed by a general bibliography on large-scale systems from 1949 to 1966 and a classified one from 1949 to 1'980. It was the aim of the editors to produce the proceedings as quickly as possible. Thus, they decided on the lecture note format. Including all papers presented at the workshop and editing most of them without refereeing and revising makes clear that there are great differences in the scientific level. Nevertheless, the two volumes give a good reflection of the current state of large-scale linear programming in both East and West. Wdhelm H U M M E L T E N B E R G R WTH Aachen Aachen, Germany, Fed. Rep.
John HAWGOOD (Ed.)
Evolutionary Information Systems Proceedings of the IFIP TC 8 Working Conference on Evolutionary Information Systems, Budapest, Hungary, 1-3 Septembe ~ 1981, North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1982, x + 272 pages, Dfl.75.00 Th~s book represents the Proceedings of the IFIP TC 8 Working Conference on Evolutionary Information Systems. in our changing world there are two possibilities: revolution or evolution. The main goal of the Conference was to explore the second possibility with regard to the function and structure of information systems. This book is said to be directed to all those who think that system change is more effective if it is incremental rather than revolutionary. The book is divided in three parts: Review papers, Contributed papers and Discussions. Four review papers build an overall picture of concepts, perspectives, techniques, formal tools, models and methodologies for evolutionary information systems, The contributed papers examine some concepts and techniques with more practical points of
Book Remews
G.B. DANTZIG, M,A.H. DEMPSTER and M.J. KALLIO (Eds.) Large-Scale Linear Programming, Volume I and 2 IIASA, Laxenburg, 1981, 1176 pages, $30.00, lecture note format The two volumes give a complete record of the papers presented at the workshop on large-scale linear programming organized during June 2-6, 1980, by the System and Decision Sciences Area of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) m collaboration with the Systems Optimizatton Laboratory (SOL) of Stanford University. The theme of the workshop was the improvement of the long range applicability ot linear programming techmques. Several papers solicitated by the editors supplement the scope of the workshop. The first volume ~s devoted to the mainstream of current research on large-scale solution algorithms in linear programming and the ellipsoidal algorithm. After a historical review by G.B. Dantzig on time-staged methods in linear programming in chapter 1 (16 pages), chapter 2 (110 p.) addresses various techniques in the LU decomposition of the basis for exploiting sparsity and degeneracy of nonstructured problems. Dynamic and block-angular linear programs are treated in chapter 3 (2'38 p.) by variants of the simplex method which take into account the special structure through basis factorization. In contrast to this, chapter 4 (112 p.) addresses extensions and implementations of the Dantzig-Wolfe decomposition. Chapter 5 (102 p.) on eilipsoidal algorithms completes volume i. Applications to both real and integer problems are discussed, and numerical investigations are presented, too. Volume 2 is a little heterogeneous. Chapter 6 (84 p.) contains a state of the art survey on the Lagrangian relaxation method for solving integer programming problems and two papers on iteratire non-simplex algorithms for linear programmmg. Chapter 7 (46 p.) deals with a. linear programming approach to the dynamic traffic assignment problem, the update of bases of generalized network problems and an iterative algorithm for obtaining good initial solutions to an irrigation model. Chapter 8 (198 p.) takes into account the practically often crucial problems of model generation and is intended to give some guidance. Tech-
niques for model size reduction through detection of imbedded special constraint structures are discussed, too. The final chapter 9 (238 p.) contains large-scale applications of hierarchical and multiperiod models to practical problems in agriculture (crop production, forest development) and industry (refinery planning, electricity production, energy flow). Some of these involve multicriteria analysis. Volume 2 is completed by a general bibliography on large-scale systems from 1949 to 1966 and a classified one from 1949 to 1'980. It was the aim of the editors to produce the proceedings as quickly as possible. Thus, they decided on the lecture note format. Including all papers presented at the workshop and editing most of them without refereeing and revising makes clear that there are great differences in the scientific level. Nevertheless, the two volumes give a good reflection of the current state of large-scale linear programming in both East and West. Wdhelm H U M M E L T E N B E R G R WTH Aachen Aachen, Germany, Fed. Rep.
John HAWGOOD (Ed.)
Evolutionary Information Systems Proceedings of the IFIP TC 8 Working Conference on Evolutionary Information Systems, Budapest, Hungary, 1-3 Septembe ~ 1981, North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1982, x + 272 pages, Dfl.75.00 Th~s book represents the Proceedings of the IFIP TC 8 Working Conference on Evolutionary Information Systems. in our changing world there are two possibilities: revolution or evolution. The main goal of the Conference was to explore the second possibility with regard to the function and structure of information systems. This book is said to be directed to all those who think that system change is more effective if it is incremental rather than revolutionary. The book is divided in three parts: Review papers, Contributed papers and Discussions. Four review papers build an overall picture of concepts, perspectives, techniques, formal tools, models and methodologies for evolutionary information systems, The contributed papers examine some concepts and techniques with more practical points of