Many tasks in operations management require the solution of complex optimization problems. Problems in which decisions are taken sequentially over time can be modeled and solved by dynamic programming. Real-world dynamic programming problems, however, exhibit complexity that cannot be handled by conventional solution techniques. This complexity may stem from large state and solution spaces, huge sets of possible actions, non-convexities in the objective function, and uncertainty. In this book, three highly complex real-world problems from the domain of operations management are modeled and solved by newly developed solution techniques based on stochastic dynamic programming. First, the problem of optimally scheduling participating demand units in an energy transmission network is considered. These units are scheduled such that total cost of supplying demand for electric energy is minimized under uncertainty in demand and generation. Second, the integrated problem of investment in and optimal operations of a network of battery swap stations under uncertain demand and energy prices is modeled and solved. Third, the inventory control problem of a multi-channel retailer selling through independent sales channels is modeled and optimality conditions for replenishment policies of simple structure are proven. This book introduces efficient approximation techniques based on approximate dynamic programming (ADP) and extends existing proximal point algorithms to the stochastic case. The methods are applicable to a wide variety of dynamic programming problems of high dimension.

A path-breaking account of Markov decision processes-theory and computation This book's clear presentation of theory, numerous chapter-end problems, and development of a unified method for the computation of optimal policies in both discrete and continuous time make it an excellent course text for graduate students and advanced undergraduates. Its comprehensive coverage of important recent advances in stochastic dynamic programming makes it a valuable working resource for operations research professionals, management scientists, engineers, and others. Stochastic Dynamic Programming and the Control of Queueing Systems presents the theory of optimization under the finite horizon, infinite horizon discounted, and average cost criteria. It then shows how optimal rules of operation (policies) for each criterion may be numerically determined. A great wealth of examples from the application area of the control of queueing systems is presented. Nine numerical programs for the computation of optimal policies are fully explicated. The Pascal source code for the programs is available for viewing and downloading on the Wiley Web site at www.wiley.com/products/subject/mathematics. The site contains a link to the author's own Web site and is also a place where readers may discuss developments on the programs or other aspects of the material. The source files are also available via ftp at ftp://ftp.wiley.com/public/sci_tech_med/stochastic Stochastic Dynamic Programming and the Control of Queueing Systems features: * Path-breaking advances in Markov decision process techniques, brought together for the first time in book form * A theorem/proof format (proofs may be omitted without loss of continuity) * Development of a unified method for the computation of optimal rules of system operation * Numerous examples drawn mainly from the control of queueing systems * Detailed discussions of nine numerical programs * Helpful chapter-end problems * Appendices with complete treatment of background material

This book presents select proceedings of the national conference on Advanced Modelling and Innovations in Water Resources Engineering (AMIWRE 2021) and examines numerous advancements in the field of water resources engineering and management towards sustainable development of environment. The topics covered includes river basin planning and development, reservoir planning and management, integrated water management, reservoir sedimentation, soil erosion and sedimentation, agricultural technologies for climate change mitigation, uncertainty analysis in hydrology, water distribution networks, floods and droughts management, water quality modelling, environmental modelling, environmental impact assessment, urban water management, open channel hydraulics, hydraulic structures, groundwater hydraulics, groundwater flow and contaminant transport modelling, computational fluid dynamics, ocean engineering, HEC-RAC, SWAT, MIKE, MODFLOW models applications, numerical analysis in water resources engineering, climate change impacts on hydrology, optimization techniques in water resources, soft computing techniques and applications in water resources and remote sensing / geospatial techniques in water resources. This book will be beneficial for water sectors development mainly agricultural production, reservoir operations, improvement of water quality, flood and drought controls, designing hydraulic structures and geospatial analysis. This book will be a valuable reference for faculties, research scholars, students, design engineers, industrialists, R & D personnel and practitioners working in water resources engineering and its related fields.

The development of business intelligence has enhanced the visualization of data to inform and facilitate business management and strategizing. By implementing effective data-driven techniques, this allows for advance reporting tools to cater to company-specific issues and challenges. The Handbook of Research on Advanced Data Mining Techniques and Applications for Business Intelligence is a key resource on the latest advancements in business applications and the use of mining software solutions to achieve optimal decision-making and risk management results. Highlighting innovative studies on data warehousing, business activity monitoring, and text mining, this publication is an ideal reference source for research scholars, management faculty, and practitioners.

This book gathers a collection of extended papers based on presentations given during the SimHydro 2017 conference, held in Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France on June 14–16, 2017. It focuses on how to choose the right model in applied hydraulics and considers various aspects, including the modeling and simulation of fast hydraulic transients, 3D modeling, uncertainties and multiphase flows. The book explores both limitations and performance of current models and presents the latest developments in new numerical schemes, high-performance computing, multiphysics and multiscale methods, and better interaction with field or scale model data. It gathers the lastest theoretical and innovative developments in the modeling field and presents some of the most advance applications on various water related topics like uncertainties, flood simulation and complex hydraulic applications. Given its breadth of coverage, it addresses the needs and interests of practitioners, stakeholders, researchers and engineers alike.

This book surveys the state-of-the-art in efficiency and productivity analysis, examining advances in the analytical foundations and empirical applications. The analytical techniques developed in this book for efficiency provide alternative ways of defining optimum outcome sets, typically as a (technical) production frontier or as an (economic) cost, revenue or profit frontier, and alternative ways of measuring efficiency relative to an appropriate frontier. Simultaneously, the analytical techniques developed for efficiency analysis extend directly to productivity analysis, thereby providing alternative methods for estimating productivity levels, and productivity change through time or productivity variation across producers. This book includes chapters using data envelopment analysis (DEA) or stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) as quantitative techniques capable of measuring efficiency and productivity. Across the book’s 15 chapters, it broadly extends into popular application areas including agriculture, banking and finance, and municipal performance, and relatively new application areas including corporate social responsibility, the value of intangible assets, land consolidation, and the measurement of economic well-being. The chapters also cover topics such as permutation tests for production frontier shifts, new indices of total factor productivity, and also randomized controlled trials and production frontiers.

Unrivaled coverage of a broad spectrum of industrial engineering concepts and applications The Handbook of Industrial Engineering, Third Edition contains a vast array of timely and useful methodologies for achieving increased productivity, quality, and competitiveness and improving the quality of working life in manufacturing and service industries. This astoundingly comprehensive resource also provides a cohesive structure to the discipline of industrial engineering with four major classifications: technology; performance improvement management; management, planning, and design control; and decision-making methods. Completely updated and expanded to reflect nearly a decade of important developments in the field, this Third Edition features a wealth of new information on project management, supply-chain management and logistics, and systems related to service industries. Other important features of this essential reference include: * More than 1,000 helpful tables, graphs, figures, and formulas * Step-by-step descriptions of hundreds of problem-solving methodologies * Hundreds of clear, easy-to-follow application examples * Contributions from 176 accomplished international professionals with diverse training and affiliations * More than 4,000 citations for further reading The Handbook of Industrial Engineering, Third Edition is an immensely useful one-stop resource for industrial engineers and technical support personnel in corporations of any size; continuous process and discrete part manufacturing industries; and all types of service industries, from healthcare to hospitality, from retailing to finance. Of related interest . . . HANDBOOK OF HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS, Second Edition Edited by Gavriel Salvendy (0-471-11690-4) 2,165 pages 60 chapters "A comprehensive guide that contains practical knowledge and technical background on virtually all aspects of physical, cognitive, and social ergonomics. As such, it can be a valuable source of information for any individual or organization committed to providing competitive, high-quality products and safe, productive work environments."-John F. Smith Jr., Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President, General Motors Corporation (From the Foreword)

This book presents recent findings and results concerning the solutions of especially finite state-space Markov decision problems and determining Nash equilibria for related stochastic games with average and total expected discounted reward payoffs. In addition, it focuses on a new class of stochastic games: stochastic positional games that extend and generalize the classic deterministic positional games. It presents new algorithmic results on the suitable implementation of quasi-monotonic programming techniques. Moreover, the book presents applications of positional games within a class of multi-objective discrete control problems and hierarchical control problems on networks. Given its scope, the book will benefit all researchers and graduate students who are interested in Markov theory, control theory, optimization and games.

This conference volume is a collection of over thirty refereed contributions in the areas of optimization and control. The volume is organized into the following sections: Mathematics of Operations Research and Global Optimization Linear and Combinatorial Programming Tours, Locations and Scheduling Dynamic Programming and Game Theory Control Theory Economic Models. There is a balance between papers dealing with theoretical aspects of the field and those discussing the respective areas of application.