Big Segment Small Segment Global Optimization Algorithm on Networks

In this article, we propose a global optimization technique (Big Segment Small Segment) for solving single facility location problems on a network when the location of the facility can either at nodes or along the links of the network. Some multiple facility location problems can be solved by recursively solving single facility problems. The technique is tested on five problems: the mixed weights 1-median problem where the weights are a mix of positive and negative values, the obnoxious facility location problem assuming that the nuisance function declines by the square of the distance, the competitive facility location problem using the gravity model, and minimizing cover by locating two facilities while requiring a minimum distance between them. Computational experiments provided excellent results. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, Vol. 58(1), 1-11 2011