Reduction approaches for robust shortest path problems

We investigate the uncertain versions of two classical combinatorial optimization problems, namely the Single-Pair Shortest Path Problem (SP-SPP) and the Single-Source Shortest Path Problem (SS-SPP). The former consists of finding a path of minimum length connecting two specific nodes in a finite directed graph G; the latter consists of finding the shortest paths from a fixed node to the remaining nodes of G. When considering the uncertain versions of both problems we assume that cycles may occur in G and that arc lengths are (possibly degenerating) nonnegative intervals. We provide sufficient conditions for a node and an arc to be always or never in an optimal solution of the Minimax regret Single-Pair Shortest Path Problem (MSP-SPP). Similarly, we provide sufficient conditions for an arc to be always or never in an optimal solution of the Minimax regret Single-Source Shortest Path Problem (MSS-SPP). We exploit such results to develop pegging tests useful to reduce the overall running time necessary to exactly solve both problems. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.