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Yes, yes, yes. I've made this comment a few times on here but tools like MIP solvers are vastly unknown since they didn't take on a sexy name when they started
by shaklee3 7y ago
Yes, yes, yes. I've made this comment a few times on here but tools like MIP solvers are vastly unknown since they didn't take on a sexy name when they started out. However, they can outperform most heuristic based algorithms, and even solve some of the largest problems. It's how the NFL makes their schedules oh, and you can imagine how complicated that is.
- new4thaccount 7y agoFun fact. Most power grids in the developed world are run off of some of the largest MILP and LP problems. We're talking about millions of constraints to commit units and hundreds of thousands to dispatch them. These run around the clock 24/7. I've only recently learned about SAT type solvers as MILP/LP problems are very fast and globally optimal, unlike things like A* or Genetic Algorithms. I think GA's are cool because you can write one in less than 1/2 page of Python, where MIP solvers are usually large black-box C codesets (Ex: GLPK, CPLEX, GUROBI, XPRESS, Open-Solver).
- jvanderbot 7y agoGA does not belong anywhere near real problems. They are toy solutions with zero guarantees. Fun to code though!
- new4thaccount 7y agoSadly, I've mostly come to the same conclusion in that I at least need a MIP Gap to tell me how far I am from the optimal solution. My only issue with LP and MILP solvers is scalibility. You have none! Multicore doesn't really seem to help any.