AN INTEGRATED CONCEPT FOR SCHEDULING TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS

THE FOCUS OF THIS PROPOSED EFFORT IS THE INTEGRATION OF OPTIMIZATION, SIMULATION, HUMAN INTERACTION, AND EXPERT SYSTEMS TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS OF SCHEDULING TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS. TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS ARE THE FOUNDATIONAL STRUCTURES ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOVEMENT AND STORAGE OF MATERIAL. MILITARY TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS INCLUDE AIR NETWORKS SUCH AS THE ONE RUN BY THE MILITARY AIRLIFT COMMAND (MAC), AND GROUND TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS SUCH AS THOSE RUN BY THE MILITARY TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT COMMAND (MTMC). SCHEDULING TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS INVOLVES COMPLEX INTERACTIONS BETWEEN VARIOUS SYSTEM ELEMENTS. TRADITIONALLY, MATHEMATICAL OPTIMIZATION BASED METHODS AND SIMULATION HAVE BEEN VIEWED AS COMPETING APPROACHES FOR SOLVING SCHEDULING PROBLEMS. WHILE THESE CONCEPTS IN ISOLATION HAVE SERIOUS LIMITATIONS, THE INTEGRATION OF OPTIMIZATION AND SIMULATION UNDER A KNOWLEDGE BASED SYSTEM, ALSO OUR ABILITY TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS, VALIDATE AND INTERPRET THE SOLUTIONS RETURNED BY THE MODELS, AND MAKE SCHEDULING REFINEMENTS IN RESPONSE TO THE REAL WORLD EXECUTION OF THE SCHEDULES.