scholarly journals The Online Reservation Problem

Algorithms ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 241
Author(s):  
Shashank Goyal ◽  
Diwakar Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Lower Bound ◽  
Competitive Ratio ◽  
Greedy Algorithms ◽  
Sharing Economy ◽  
Optimal Thresholds ◽  
Decision Epoch ◽  
Online Reservation ◽  
New Algorithms ◽  
Future Date ◽  
Rigorous Method

Many sharing-economy platforms operate as follows. Owners list the availability of resources, prices, and contract-length limits. Customers propose contract start times and lengths. The owners decide immediately whether to accept or decline each proposal, even if the contract is for a future date. Accepted proposals generate revenue. Declined proposals are lost. At any decision epoch, the owner has no information regarding future proposals. The owner seeks easy-to-implement algorithms that achieve the best competitive ratio (CR). We first derive a lower bound on the CR of any algorithm. We then analyze CRs of all intuitive “greedy” algorithms. We propose two new algorithms that have significantly better CRs than that of any greedy algorithm for certain parameter-value ranges. The key idea behind these algorithms is that owners may reserve some amount of capacity for late-arriving higher-value proposals in an attempt to improve revenue. Our contribution lies in operationalizing this idea with the help of algorithms that utilize thresholds. Moreover, we show that if non-optimal thresholds are chosen, then those may lead to poor CRs. We provide a rigorous method by which an owner can decide the best approach in their context by analyzing the CRs of greedy algorithms and those proposed by us.

Recent Advances in Lower Bound Shakedown Analysis

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dieter Weichert ◽  
Abdelkader Hachemi
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Lower Bound ◽  
Process Engineering ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Structural Elements ◽  
Shakedown Analysis ◽  
Material Models ◽  
Practical Engineering ◽  
Safe Operating ◽  
New Algorithms

The special interest in lower bound shakedown analysis is that it provides, at least in principle, safe operating conditions for sensitive structures or structural elements under fluctuating thermo-mechanical loading as to be found in power- and process engineering. In this paper achievements obtained over the last years to introduce more sophisticated material models into the framework of shakedown analysis are developed. Also new algorithms will be presented that allow using the addressed numerical methods as post-processor for commercial finite element codes. Examples from practical engineering will illustrate the potential of the methodology.

scholarly journals Optimal Bounds for the k -cut Problem

2022 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Anupam Gupta ◽  
David G. Harris ◽  
Euiwoong Lee ◽  
Jason Li
Keyword(s):  
Lower Bound ◽  
Lower Bounds ◽  
Connected Components ◽  
Small Integer ◽  
Main Ingredient ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Optimal Bounds ◽  
Sunflower Lemma ◽  
General Graphs ◽  
New Algorithms

In the k -cut problem, we want to find the lowest-weight set of edges whose deletion breaks a given (multi)graph into k connected components. Algorithms of Karger and Stein can solve this in roughly O ( n 2k ) time. However, lower bounds from conjectures about the k -clique problem imply that Ω ( n (1- o (1)) k ) time is likely needed. Recent results of Gupta, Lee, and Li have given new algorithms for general k -cut in n 1.98k + O(1) time, as well as specialized algorithms with better performance for certain classes of graphs (e.g., for small integer edge weights). In this work, we resolve the problem for general graphs. We show that the Contraction Algorithm of Karger outputs any fixed k -cut of weight α λ k with probability Ω k ( n - α k ), where λ k denotes the minimum k -cut weight. This also gives an extremal bound of O k ( n k ) on the number of minimum k -cuts and an algorithm to compute λ k with roughly n k polylog( n ) runtime. Both are tight up to lower-order factors, with the algorithmic lower bound assuming hardness of max-weight k -clique. The first main ingredient in our result is an extremal bound on the number of cuts of weight less than 2 λ k / k , using the Sunflower lemma. The second ingredient is a fine-grained analysis of how the graph shrinks—and how the average degree evolves—in the Karger process.

ONLINE SCHEDULING OF DYNAMIC TREES

1995 ◽  
Vol 05 (04) ◽  
pp. 635-646 ◽  
Author(s):  
MICHAEL A. PALIS ◽  
JING-CHIOU LIOU ◽  
SANGUTHEVAR RAJASEKARAN ◽  
SUNIL SHENDE ◽  
DAVID S.L. WEI
Keyword(s):  
Lower Bound ◽  
Competitive Ratio ◽  
Scheduling Algorithm ◽  
Optimal Schedule ◽  
Online Scheduling ◽  
The Other ◽  
Static Case ◽  
Scheduling Problem ◽  
Dynamic Trees ◽  
Dynamic Tree

The scheduling problem for dynamic tree-structured task graphs is studied and is shown to be inherently more difficult than the static case. It is shown that any online scheduling algorithm, deterministic or randomized, has competitive ratio Ω((1/g)/ log d(1/g)) for trees with granularity g and degree at most d. On the other hand, it is known that static trees with arbitrary granularity can be scheduled to within twice the optimal schedule. It is also shown that the lower bound is tight: there is a deterministic online tree scheduling algorithm that has competitive ratio O((1/g)/ log d(1/g)). Thus, randomization does not help.

Online-List Scheduling on a Single Bounded Parallel-Batch Machine to Minimize Makespan

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (04) ◽  
pp. 1550028
Author(s):  
Wenhua Li ◽  
Jie Gao ◽  
Jinjiang Yuan
Keyword(s):  
Lower Bound ◽  
Competitive Ratio ◽  
Online Algorithm ◽  
Positive Root ◽  
List Scheduling ◽  
Batch Machine

In this paper, we consider the online-list scheduling on a single bounded parallel-batch machine to minimize makespan. In the problem, the jobs arrive online over list. The first unassigned job in the list should be assigned to a batch before the next job is released. Each batch can accommodate up to b jobs. For b = 2, we establish a lower bound 1 + γ of competitive ratio and provide an online algorithm with a competitive ratio of [Formula: see text], where γ is the positive root of γ(γ + 1)2 = 1. For b = 3, we establish a lower bound 1 + α of competitive ratio and provide an online algorithm with a competitive ratio of 2, where α is the positive root of the equation (1 + α)(1 + α2) = 2.

scholarly journals On-line Search in Two-Dimensional Environment

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (8) ◽  
pp. 1819-1848
Author(s):  
Dariusz Dereniowski ◽  
Dorota Osula
Keyword(s):  
Lower Bound ◽  
Competitive Ratio ◽  
Mobile Agents ◽  
Line Search ◽  
Search Strategy ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Pursuit Evasion ◽  
On Line ◽  
Evasion Problem

Abstract We consider the following on-line pursuit-evasion problem. A team of mobile agents called searchers starts at an arbitrary node of an unknown network. Their goal is to execute a search strategy that guarantees capturing a fast and invisible intruder regardless of its movements using as few searchers as possible. We require that the strategy is connected and monotone, that is, at each point of the execution the part of the graph that is guaranteed to be free of the fugitive is connected and whenever some node gains a property that it cannot be occupied by the fugitive, the strategy must operate in such a way to keep this property till its end. As a way of modeling two-dimensional shapes, we restrict our attention to networks that are embedded into partial grids: nodes are placed on the plane at integer coordinates and only nodes at distance one can be adjacent. Agents do not have any knowledge about the graph a priori, but they recognize the direction of the incident edge (up, down, left or right). We give an on-line algorithm for the searchers that allows them to compute a connected and monotone strategy that guarantees searching any unknown partial grid with the use of $O(\sqrt {n})$ O ( n ) searchers, where n is the number of nodes in the grid. As for a lower bound, there exist partial grids that require ${\varOmega }(\sqrt {n})$ Ω ( n ) searchers. Moreover, we prove that for each on-line searching algorithm there is a partial grid that forces the algorithm to use ${\varOmega }(\sqrt {n})$ Ω ( n ) searchers but $O(\log n)$ O ( log n ) searchers are sufficient in the off-line scenario. This gives a lower bound on ${\varOmega }(\sqrt {n}/\log n)$ Ω ( n / log n ) in terms of achievable competitive ratio of any on-line algorithm.

ON THE LOWER BOUND OF THE COMPETITIVE RATIO FOR THE WEIGHTED ONLINE ROOMMATES PROBLEM

2010 ◽  
Vol 02 (02) ◽  
pp. 257-262
Author(s):  
SATYAJIT BANERJEE
Keyword(s):  
Lower Bound ◽  
Competitive Ratio ◽  
Deterministic Algorithm ◽  
Weighted Version ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Competitive Algorithm

We show that the best possible worst case competitive ratio of any deterministic algorithm for weighted online roommates problem is arbitrarily close to 4. This proves that the 4-competitive algorithm proposed by Bernstein and Rajagopalan [3] for the weighted version of the online roommates problem actually attains the best possible competitive ratio.

LOWER BOUNDS FOR STREETS AND GENERALIZED STREETS

2001 ◽  
Vol 11 (04) ◽  
pp. 401-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALEJANDRO LÓPEZ-ORTIZ ◽  
SVEN SCHUIERER
Keyword(s):  
Lower Bound ◽  
Lower Bounds ◽  
Real Line ◽  
Upper Bound ◽  
Competitive Ratio ◽  
Search Strategy ◽  
The Real ◽  
Simple Polygons ◽  
On Line ◽  
Special Classes

We present lower bounds for on-line searching problems in two special classes of simple polygons called streets and generalized streets. In streets we assume that the location of the target is known to the robot in advance and prove a lower bound of [Formula: see text] on the competitive ratio of any deterministic search strategy—which can be shown to be tight. For generalized streets we show that if the location of the target is not known, then there is a class of orthogonal generalized streets for which the competitive ratio of any search strategy is at least [Formula: see text] in the L2-metric—again matching the competitive ratio of the best known algorithm. We also show that if the location of the target is known, then the competitive ratio for searching in generalized streets in the L1-metric is at least 9 which is tight as well. The former result is based on a lower bound on the average competitive ratio of searching on the real line if an upper bound of D to the target is given. We show that in this case the average competitive ratio is at least 9-O(1/ log D).

A SEMI-ON-LINE SCHEDULING PROBLEM OF TWO PARALLEL MACHINES WITH COMMON MAINTENANCE TIME

2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (04) ◽  
pp. 1250020 ◽  
Author(s):  
YUHUA CAI ◽  
QI FENG ◽  
WENJIE LI
Keyword(s):  
Lower Bound ◽  
Competitive Ratio ◽  
Parallel Machines ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Scheduling Problem ◽  
Maintenance Time ◽  
Identical Machines ◽  
On Line

In this paper, we consider a semi-on-line scheduling problem of two identical machines with common maintenance time interval and nonresumable availability. We prove a lower bound of 2.79129 on the competitive ratio and give an on-line algorithm with competitive ratio 2.79633 for this problem.

scholarly journals COMPETITIVE ALGORITHMS FOR ONLINE PRICING

2012 ◽  
Vol 04 (02) ◽  
pp. 1250015 ◽  
Author(s):  
YONG ZHANG ◽  
YUXIN WANG ◽  
FRANCIS Y. L. CHIN ◽  
HING-FUNG TING
Keyword(s):  
Lower Bound ◽  
Competitive Ratio ◽  
Online Algorithm ◽  
Value Function ◽  
Unit Price ◽  
Competitive Algorithms ◽  
Online Pricing

Given a seller with m items, a sequence of users {u1, u2, …} come one by one, the seller must set the unit price and assign some items to each user on his/her arrival. Items can be sold fractionally. Each ui has his/her value function vi(⋅) such that vi(x) is the highest unit price ui is willing to pay for x items. The objective is to maximize the revenue by setting the price and number of items for each user. In this paper, we have the following contributions: if the highest value h among all vi(x) is known in advance, we first show the lower bound of the competitive ratio is ⌊ log h⌋/2, then give an online algorithm with competitive ratio 4⌊ log h⌋ + 6; if h is not known in advance, we give an online algorithm with competitive ratio 2⋅h log -1/2 h + 8⋅h3 log -1/2 h.

An Improved Online Algorithm for the Online Preemptive Scheduling of Equal-Length Intervals on a Single Machine with Lookahead

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (06) ◽  
pp. 1550047
Author(s):  
Wenjie Li ◽  
Jinjiang Yuan
Keyword(s):  
Lower Bound ◽  
Single Machine ◽  
Operations Research ◽  
Competitive Ratio ◽  
Processing Time ◽  
Online Algorithm ◽  
Equal Length ◽  
Preemptive Scheduling ◽  
Time Segment ◽  
Time Point

This paper studies the online preemptive scheduling of equal-length intervals on a single machine with lookahead. Let [Formula: see text] be the length (processing time) of all intervals. In the problem, at every time point [Formula: see text], online algorithms can foresee all the intervals that will arrive in the time segment [Formula: see text] for a certain [Formula: see text]. When [Formula: see text], Zheng et al. [Comput- ers & Operations Research, 2013] established a lower bound of [Formula: see text] and provided an online algorithm with a competitive ratio of 3. In this paper, we provide for this problem an improved online algorithm with a competitive ratio of 2.

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