Abstract

In this paper, we consider solution approaches to a multi-hour combined capacity design and routing problem which arises in the design of dynamically reconfigurable broadband communication networks that uses the virtual path concept. We present a comparative evaluation of four approaches, namely: a genetic algorithm; a Lagrangean relaxation based subgradient optimization method; a generalized proximal point algorithm with subgradient optimization; and finally, a hybrid approach where the subgradient based method is combined with a genetic algorithm. Our computational experience on a set of test problems of varying network sizes shows that the hybrid approach often is the desirable choice in obtaining the minimum cost network.

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