User-friendly Microcomputer Interface with Optimization Languages

Mathematical optimization is used extensively in the Government and private sector to allocate scarce resources over desired activities ranging from strategic deployment of military forces to scheduling of commercial aircraft. Although extremely beneficial optimization has traditionally required a lengthy mathematical modeling phase, which has limited its application in such fluid environments as tactical military operations and day-to-day business management. The long-term goal of this project is to develop a "Rapid Deployment" system for optimization applications which is based on widely available user-friendly micro- computer software. Specifically, the objective of Phase I is to prove the feasibility of translating between Lotus IMPROV (a new multi-dimensional spreadsheet) and one or more existing state-of-the-art optimization packages. The user of the proposed system will develop models in IMPROV, which will then be fed transparently to the optimization package, which will return its results to IMPROV. As part of the development process the system will be tested by end users, and as practical real-world problems will be solved.