An inexact two-stage stochastic programming (ITSP) model is proposed for water resources management under uncertainty. The model is a hybrid of inexact optimization and two-stage stochastic programming. It can reflect not only uncertainties expressed as probability distributions but also those being available as intervals. The solution meth od for ITSP is computationally effective, which makes it applicable to practical problems. The ITSP is applied to a hypothetical case study of water resources system operation. The results indicate that reasonable solutions have been obtained. They are further analyzed and interpreted for generating decision alternatives and identifying significant factors that affect the system's performance. The information obtained through these post-optimality analyses can provide useful decision support for water managers.
1 February 2017 in Science of The Total Environment
In optimization analysis by linear programming, uncertainties may exist in model coefficients and stipulations (right-hand side constraints). These uncertainties can propagate through the analysis and generate uncertainties in the results. However, among the previous methods dealing with uncertainty, some were too complicated to be applied to actual problems, and some were unable to reflect completely the uncertainties of the input and output information. In this paper, a grey linear programming (GLP) model is introduced to the civil engineering area. This method allows uncertainties in the model inputs to be communicated into the optimization process, and thereby solutions reflecting the inherent uncertainties can be derived. A grey linear programming problem can be solved easily by running a simplex program several times. The modelling approach is applied to a hypothetical problem of waste flow allocation planning within a municipal solid waste management system. The results indicate that reasonable solutions can be generated for both the lower and upper limit objective function cases.
1 June 1995 in European Journal of Operational Research