A Case Study in LargeScale Interactive Optimization.pdf

MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC RESEARCH LABORATORIES A Case Study in Large-Scale Interactive Optimization Markus Chimani, Neal Lesh, Michael Mitzenmacher, Candy Sidner, Hidetoshi Tanaka TR2004-113 September 2004 Abstract We describe lessons learned in developing a program for interactive optimization of large airlift scheduling problems. While for small problems one can create a visualization that both shows a complete solution and is editable at the same time, with large problems, such as visualizations provide too high a level of aggregation and cannot display the detail necessary for interaction. We explain how this changes the interactive process, and the implications for our design, such as the need for automatic focusing on parts on the problem to ease optimization. An additional problem requirement was that the user be enabled to change the problem specification (such as delivery deadlines). As a further contribution, we provide a specialized repair algorithm that aims at generating a valid solution after such changes, while introducing as few changes as necessary. IASTED International conference on Arficicial Intelligence and Applications, AIA 2005 This work may not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part for any commercial purpose. Permission to copy in whole or in part without payment of fee is granted for nonprofit educational and research purposes provided that all such whole or partial copies include the following: a notice that such copying is by permission of Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.; an acknowledgment of the authors and individual contributions to the wo