@inproceedings{LindnerMasing2024, author = {Lindner, Niels and Masing, Berenike}, title = {SAT-Generated Initial Solutions for Integrated Line Planning and Turn-Sensitive Periodic Timetabling with Track Choice}, booktitle = {hEART 2024: 12th Symposium of the European Association for Research in Transportation}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-98066}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Periodic timetabling is a challenging planning task in public transport. As safety requirements are crucial, track allocation is indispensable for validating the practical feasibility of a railway timetable. For busy stations with limited capacities, this requires a detailed planning of turn-arounds. It is therefore desirable to integrate timetabling not only with track allocation, but also with vehicle scheduling and line planning. This is captured by the Integrated Line Planning and Turn-Sensitive Periodic Timetabling Problem with Track Choice, whose MIP formulation has been demonstrated to be effective for construction site railway rescheduling, as long as a good quality initial solution is available. In this paper, we discuss how to generate such a solution by extending the SAT formulation of the Periodic Event Scheduling Problem with track choice, track occupation, and minimum service frequency components. The SAT approach is superior to pure MIP on real-world instances of the S-Bahn Berlin network.}, language = {de} } @inproceedings{LindnerLiebchenMasing2021, author = {Lindner, Niels and Liebchen, Christian and Masing, Berenike}, title = {Forward Cycle Bases and Periodic Timetabling}, volume = {96}, booktitle = {21st Symposium on Algorithmic Approaches for Transportation Modelling, Optimization, and Systems (ATMOS 2021)}, doi = {10.4230/OASIcs.ATMOS.2021.2}, pages = {2:1 -- 2:14}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Periodic timetable optimization problems in public transport can be modeled as mixed-integer linear programs by means of the Periodic Event Scheduling Problem (PESP). In order to keep the branch-and-bound tree small, minimum integral cycle bases have been proven successful. We examine forward cycle bases, where no cycle is allowed to contain a backward arc. After reviewing the theory of these bases, we describe the construction of an integral forward cycle basis on a line-based event-activity network. Adding turnarounds to the instance R1L1 of the benchmark library PESPlib, we computationally evaluate three types of forward cycle bases in the Pareto sense, and come up with significant improvements concerning dual bounds.}, language = {en} } @misc{LindnerLiebchenMasing2021, author = {Lindner, Niels and Liebchen, Christian and Masing, Berenike}, title = {Forward Cycle Bases and Periodic Timetabling}, issn = {1438-0064}, doi = {10.4230/OASIcs.ATMOS.2021.2}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-82756}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Periodic timetable optimization problems in public transport can be modeled as mixed-integer linear programs by means of the Periodic Event Scheduling Problem (PESP). In order to keep the branch-and-bound tree small, minimum integral cycle bases have been proven successful. We examine forward cycle bases, where no cycle is allowed to contain a backward arc. After reviewing the theory of these bases, we describe the construction of an integral forward cycle basis on a line-based event-activity network. Adding turnarounds to the instance \texttt{R1L1} of the benchmark library PESPlib, we computationally evaluate three types of forward cycle bases in the Pareto sense, and come up with significant improvements concerning dual bounds.}, language = {en} } @misc{LindnerMaristanydelasCasasSchiewe2021, author = {Lindner, Niels and Maristany de las Casas, Pedro and Schiewe, Philine}, title = {Optimal Forks: Preprocessing Single-Source Shortest Path Instances with Interval Data}, issn = {1438-0064}, doi = {10.4230/OASIcs.ATMOS.2021.7}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-82716}, year = {2021}, abstract = {We investigate preprocessing for single-source shortest path queries in digraphs, where arc costs are only known to lie in an interval. More precisely, we want to decide for each arc whether it is part of some shortest path tree for some realization of costs. We show that this problem is solvable in polynomial time by giving a combinatorial algorithm, using optimal structures that we call forks. Our algorithm turns out to be very efficient in practice, and is sometimes even superior in quality to a heuristic developed for the one-to-one shortest path problem in the context of passenger routing in public transport.}, language = {en} } @misc{LindnervanLieshout2021, author = {Lindner, Niels and van Lieshout, Rolf}, title = {Benders Decomposition for the Periodic Event Scheduling Problem}, issn = {1438-0064}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-08623-6_43}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-83338}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The Periodic Event Scheduling Problem (PESP) is the central mathematical model behind the optimization of periodic timetables in public transport. We apply Benders decomposition to the incidence-based MIP formulation of PESP. The resulting formulation exhibits particularly nice features: The subproblem is a minimum cost network flow problem, and feasibility cuts are equivalent to the well-known cycle inequalities by Odijk. We integrate the Benders approach into a branch-and-cut framework, and assess the performance of this method on instances derived from the benchmarking library PESPlib.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{LindnerMaristanydelasCasasSchiewe2021, author = {Lindner, Niels and Maristany de las Casas, Pedro and Schiewe, Philine}, title = {Optimal Forks: Preprocessing Single-Source Shortest Path Instances with Interval Data}, volume = {96}, booktitle = {21st Symposium on Algorithmic Approaches for Transportation Modelling, Optimization, and Systems (ATMOS 2021)}, doi = {10.4230/OASIcs.ATMOS.2021.7}, pages = {7:1 -- 7:15}, year = {2021}, abstract = {We investigate preprocessing for single-source shortest path queries in digraphs, where arc costs are only known to lie in an interval. More precisely, we want to decide for each arc whether it is part of some shortest path tree for some realization of costs. We show that this problem is solvable in polynomial time by giving a combinatorial algorithm, using optimal structures that we call forks. Our algorithm turns out to be very efficient in practice, and is sometimes even superior in quality to a heuristic developed for the one-to-one shortest path problem in the context of passenger routing in public transport.}, language = {en} } @misc{EbertMasingLindneretal.2024, author = {Ebert, Patricia and Masing, Berenike and Lindner, Niels and Gleixner, Ambros}, title = {Sorting Criteria for Line-based Periodic Timetabling Heuristics}, issn = {1438-0064}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-97826}, year = {2024}, abstract = {It is well-known that optimal solutions are notoriously hard to find for the Periodic Event Scheduling Problem (PESP), which is the standard mathematical formulation to optimize periodic timetables in public transport. We consider a class of incremental heuristics that have been demonstrated to be effective by Lindner and Liebchen (2023), however, for only one fixed sorting strategy of lines along which a solution is constructed. Thus, in this paper, we examine a variety of sortings based on the number, weight, weighted span, and lower bound of arcs, and test for each setting various combinations of the driving, dwelling, and transfer arcs of lines. Additionally, we assess the impact on the incremental extension of the event-activity network by minimizing resp. maximizing a connectivity measure between subsets of lines. We compare our 27 sortings on the railway instances of the benchmarking library PESPlib within the ConcurrentPESP solver framework. We are able to find five new incumbent solutions, resulting in improvements of up to 2\%.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{BortolettovanLieshoutMasingetal.2024, author = {Bortoletto, Enrico and van Lieshout, Rolf Nelson and Masing, Berenike and Lindner, Niels}, title = {Periodic Event Scheduling with Flexible Infrastructure Assignment}, volume = {123}, booktitle = {24th Symposium on Algorithmic Approaches for Transportation Modelling, Optimization, and Systems (ATMOS 2024)}, doi = {10.4230/OASIcs.ATMOS.2024.4}, pages = {4:1 -- 4:18}, year = {2024}, abstract = {We present novel extensions of the Periodic Event Scheduling Problem (PESP) that integrate the assignment of activities to infrastructure elements. An application of this is railway timetabling, as station and platform capacities are limited and need to be taken into account. We show that an assignment of activities to platforms can always be made periodic, and that it can be beneficial to allow larger periods for the assignment than for the timetable. We present mixed-integer programming formulations for the general problem, as well as for the practically relevant case when multiple platforms can be considered equivalent, for which we present a bipartite matching approach. We finally test and compare these models on real-world instances.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Danecker2023, author = {Danecker, Fabian}, title = {A Discrete-Continuous Algorithm for Globally Optimal Free Flight Trajectory Optimization}, year = {2023}, abstract = {This thesis introduces the novel hybrid algorithm DisCOptER for globally optimal flight planning. DisCOptER (Discrete-Continuous Optimization for Enhanced Resolution) com- bines discrete and continuous optimization in a two-stage approach to find optimal trajectories up to arbitrary precision in finite time. In the discrete phase, a directed auxiliary graph is created in order to define a set of candidate paths that densely covers the relevant part of the trajectory space. Then, Yen's algorithm is employed to identify a set of promising candidate paths. These are used as starting points for the subsequent stage in which they are refined with a locally convergent optimal control method. The correctness, accuracy, and complexity of DisCOptER are intricately linked to the choice of the switch-over point, defined by the discretization coarseness. Only a sufficiently dense graph enables the algorithm to find a path within the convex domain surrounding the global minimizer. Initialized with such a path, the second stage rapidly converges to the optimum. Conversely, an excessively dense graph poses the risk of overly costly and redundant computations. The determination of the optimal switch-over point necessitates a profound understanding of the local behavior of the problem, the approximation properties of the graph, and the convergence characteristics of the employed optimal control method. These topics are explored extensively in this thesis. Crucially, the density of the auxiliary graph is solely dependent on the en- vironmental conditions, yet independent of the desired solution accuracy. As a consequence, the algorithm inherits the superior asymptotic convergence properties of the optimal control stage. The practical implications of this computational efficiency are demonstrated in realistic environments, where the DisCOptER algorithm consistently delivers highly accurate globally optimal trajectories with exceptional computational efficiency. This notable improvement upon existing approaches underscores the algorithm's significance. Beyond its technical prowess, the DisCOptER algorithm stands as a valuable tool contributing to the reduction of costs and the overall enhancement of flight operations efficiency.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{EulerBorndoerferPuchertetal.2024, author = {Euler, Ricardo and Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf and Puchert, Christian and Takkula, Tuomo}, title = {ULD Build-Up Scheduling with Logic-Based Benders Decomposition}, volume = {14742}, booktitle = {Integration of Constraint Programming, Artificial Intelligence, and Operations Research}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-60597-0_17}, pages = {259 -- 276}, year = {2024}, abstract = {We study a complex planning and scheduling problem arising from the build-up process of air cargo pallets and containers, collectively referred to as unit load devices (ULD), in which ULDs must be assigned to workstations for loading. Since air freight usually becomes available gradually along the planning horizon, ULD build-ups must be scheduled neither too early to avoid underutilizing ULD capacity, nor too late to avoid resource conflicts with other flights. Whenever possible, ULDs should be built up in batches, thereby giving ground handlers more freedom to rearrange cargo and utilize the ULD's capacity efficiently. The resulting scheduling problem has an intricate cost function and produces large time-expanded models, especially for longer planning horizons. We propose a logic-based Benders decomposition approach that assigns batches to time intervals and workstations in the master problem, while the actual schedule is decided in a subproblem. By choosing appropriate intervals, the subproblem becomes a feasibility problem that decomposes over the workstations. Additionally, the similarity of many batches is exploited by a strengthening procedure for no-good cuts. We benchmark our approach against a time-expanded MIP formulation from the literature on a publicly available data set. It solves 15\% more instances to optimality and decreases run times by more than 50\% in the geometric mean. This improvement is especially pronounced for longer planning horizons of up to one week, where the Benders approach solves over 50\% instances more than the baseline}, language = {en} } @article{EulerMaristanydelasCasas2024, author = {Euler, Ricardo and Maristany de las Casas, Pedro}, title = {Labeling methods for partially ordered paths}, volume = {318}, journal = {European Journal of Operational Research}, number = {1}, edition = {1}, publisher = {Elsevier BV}, arxiv = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2307.10332}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejor.2024.05.002}, pages = {19 -- 30}, year = {2024}, abstract = {The landscape of applications and subroutines relying on shortest path computations continues to grow steadily. This growth is driven by the undeniable success of shortest path algorithms in theory and practice. It also introduces new challenges as the models and assessing the optimality of paths become more complicated. Hence, multiple recent publications in the field adapt existing labeling methods in an ad hoc fashion to their specific problem variant without considering the underlying general structure: they always deal with multi-criteria scenarios, and those criteria define different partial orders on the paths. In this paper, we introduce the partial order shortest path problem (POSP), a generalization of the multi-objective shortest path problem (MOSP) and in turn also of the classical shortest path problem. POSP captures the particular structure of many shortest path applications as special cases. In this generality, we study optimality conditions or the lack of them, depending on the objective functions' properties. Our final contribution is a big lookup table summarizing our findings and providing the reader with an easy way to choose among the most recent multi-criteria shortest path algorithms depending on their problems' weight structure. Examples range from time-dependent shortest path and bottleneck path problems to the electric vehicle shortest path problem with recharging and complex financial weight functions studied in the public transportation community. Our results hold for general digraphs and, therefore, surpass previous generalizations that were limited to acyclic graphs.}, language = {en} } @misc{Henning2020, type = {Master Thesis}, author = {Henning, Erin}, title = {Tropical Geometry Approach to Shortest Paths with Parameterized Arc Weights - A Case Study in Public Transportation Networks}, year = {2020}, abstract = {In graphical representations of public transportation networks, there is often some degree of uncertainty in the arc values, due to delays or transfer times. This uncertainty can be expressed as a parameterized weight on the transfer arcs. Classical shortest path algorithms often have difficulty handling parameterized arc weights and a tropical geometry approach has been shown as a possible solution. The connection between the classical shortest path problem and tropical geometry is well establish: Tropically multiplying the n × n adjacency matrix of a graph with itself n - 1 times results in the so-called Kleene star, and is a matrix-form solution to the all-pairs shortest path problem. Michael Joswig and Benjamin Schr{\"o}ter showed in their paper The Tropical Geometry of Shortest Paths that the same method can be used to find the solution to the all-pairs shortest path problem even in the case of variable arc weights and they proposed an algorithm to solve the single-target shortest path problem in such a case. The solution takes the form of a polyhedral subdivision of the parameter space. As the number of variable arc weights grows, the time needed to execute an implementation of this algorithm grows exponentially. As the size of a public transportation network grows, the number of variable arc weights grows exponentially as well. However, it has been observed that in public transportation networks, there are usually only a few possible shortest routes. Geometrically, this means that there should be few polyhedra in the polyhedral subdivision. This algorithm is used on an example of a real-world public transportation network and an analysis of the polyhedral subdivision is made. Then a geometrical approach is used to analyze the impact of limiting the number of transfers, and thereby limiting the number of parameterized arcs used, as an estimation of the solution to the all-pairs shortest path problem}, language = {en} } @article{BorndoerferEulerKarbstein2021, author = {Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf and Euler, Ricardo and Karbstein, Marika}, title = {Ein Graphen-basiertes Modell zur Beschreibung von Preissystemen im {\"o}ffentlichen Nahverkehr}, volume = {002/127}, journal = {HEUREKA 21}, publisher = {FGSV}, address = {Stuttgart}, pages = {1 -- 15}, year = {2021}, abstract = {In dieser Arbeit wird ein graphenbasiertes Modell zur Einbindung von Preissystemen des {\"o}ffentlichen Nahverkehrs in Routing-Algorithmen vorgestellt. Jeder Knoten des Graphen repr{\"a}sentiert einen abstrakten Preiszustand einer Route und ist an einen tats{\"a}chlichen Preis gekoppelt. Damit sind sehr einfache und konzise Beschreibungen von Tarifstrukturen m{\"o}glich, diesich algorithmisch behandeln lassen. Durch das zeitgleiche Tracken eines Pfades im Routinggraphen im Ticketgraphen kann schon w{\"a}hrend einer Routenberechnung der Preis bestimmt werden. Dies erm{\"o}glicht die Berechnung von preisoptimalen Routen. An den Tarifsystemen der Verkehrsverb{\"u}nde MDV (Mitteldeutscher Verkehrsverbund) und VBB (Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg) wird die Konstruktion des Modells detailliert erl{\"a}utert.}, language = {de} } @misc{Masing2020, type = {Master Thesis}, author = {Masing, Berenike}, title = {Optimal Line Planning in the Parametric City}, year = {2020}, abstract = {One of the fundamental steps in the optimization of public transport is line planning. It involves determining lines and assigning frequencies of service such that costs are minimized while also maximizing passenger comfort and satisfying travel demands. We formulate the problem as a mixed integer linear program that considers all circuit-like lines in a graph and allows free passenger routing. Traveler and operator costs are included in a linear scalarization in the objective. We apply said programming problem to the Parametric City, which is a graph model introduced by Fielbaum, Jara-D{\´i}az and Gschwender that exibly represents different cities. In his dissertation, Fielbaum solved the line planning problem for various parameter choices in the Parametric City. In a first step, we therefore review his results and make comparative computations. Unlike Fielbaum we arrive at the conclusion that the optimal line plan for this model indeed depends on the demand. Consequently, we analyze the line planning problem in-depth: We find equivalent, but easier to compute formulations and provide a lower bound by LP-relaxation, which we show to be equivalent to a multi-commodity flow problem. Further, we examine what impact symmetry has on the solutions. Supported both by computational results as well as by theoretical analysis, we reach the conclusion that symmetric line plans are optimal or near-optimal in the Parametric City. Restricting the model to symmetric line plans allows for a \kappa-factor approximation algorithm for the line planning problem in the Parametric City.}, language = {en} } @masterthesis{Lange2021, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Lange, Johanna}, title = {A Decomposition and Dualization Approach to the Periodic Event Scheduling Problem}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Scheduling ist ein wichtiger Forschungsgegenstand im Bereich der diskreten Optimierung. Es geht darum, einen Schedule, d.h. einen Ablaufplan, f{\"u}r gegebene Ereignisse zu finden. Dieser soll optimal hinsichtlich einer Zielfunktion wie zum Beispiel minimaler Dauer oder Kosten sein. Dabei gibt es in der Regel Nebenbedingungen wie Vorrangbeziehungen zwischen den Ereignissen oder zeitliche Einschr{\"a}nkungen, die zu erf{\"u}llen sind. Falls die Ereignisse periodisch wiederkehren, spricht man von periodischem Scheduling. Beispiele sind das Erstellen von Zugfahrpl{\"a}nen, die Schaltungvon Ampelsignalen oder die Planung von Produktionsabl{\"a}ufen. Mathematisch k{\"o}nnen diese Probleme mit dem Periodic Event Scheduling Problem (PESP) modelliert werden, das als gemischt-ganzzahliges Programm formuliert werden kann. In dieser Bachelorarbeit wird ein Ansatz zur L{\"o}sung des PESP mittels Zerlegung und Dualisierung entwickelt. In den Kapiteln 2 und 3 werden zun{\"a}chst die notwendigen graphentheoretischen Grundlagen und das PESP eingef{\"u}hrt. In Kapitel 4 wird das PESP durch Fixierung der ganzzahligen Variablen in lineare Programme zerlegt. Dieses Unterproblem wird dualisiert und wieder in das PESP eingesetzt. Daf{\"u}r ist eine weitere Nebenbedingung n{\"o}tig. Im f{\"u}nften Kapitel behandeln wir die L{\"o}sung des teildualisierten PESP. Eine M{\"o}glichkeit ist es, sich auf eine Teilmenge der Nebenbedingungen zu beschr{\"a}nken. Eine weitere M{\"o}glichkeit ist ein Algorithmus, der{\"a}hnlich wie BendersZerlegung die Nebenbedingungen dynamisch erzeugt. Dieser Algorithmus wird in Kapitel 6 implementiert und an vier Beispielen getestet.}, language = {en} } @misc{Kuehner2021, type = {Master Thesis}, author = {K{\"u}hner, Arno}, title = {Shortest Paths with Boolean Constraints}, year = {2021}, abstract = {For this thesis we study the Constrained Horizontal Flightplanning Problem (CHFPP) for which one has to find the path of minimum cost between airports s and t in a directed graph that respects a set of boolean constraints. To this end we give a survey of three different multilabel algorithms that all use a domination subroutine. We summarize an approach by Knudsen, Chiarandini and Larsen to define this domination and afterwards present our own method which builds on that approach. We suggest different implementation techniques to speed up the computation time, most notably a Reoptimization for an iterative method to solve the problem. Furthermore we implemented the different versions of the algorithm and present statistics on their computation as well as an overview of statistics on the set of real-world constraints that we were given. Finally we present two alternative approaches that tackle the problem, a heuristic with similarities to a Lagrangian relaxation and an approach that makes use of an algorithm which finds the k shortest path of a graph such as the ones of Epstein or Yen.}, language = {en} } @misc{MaristanydelasCasasSedenoNodaBorndoerfer2021, author = {Maristany de las Casas, Pedro and Sedeno-Noda, Antonio and Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf}, title = {An Improved Multiobjective Shortest Path Algorithm}, issn = {1438-0064}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-79712}, year = {2021}, abstract = {We present a new label-setting algorithm for the Multiobjective Shortest Path (MOSP) problem that computes the minimal complete set of efficient paths for a given instance. The size of the priority queue used in the algorithm is bounded by the number of nodes in the input graph and extracted labels are guaranteed to be efficient. These properties allow us to give a tight output-sensitive running time bound for the new algorithm that can almost be expressed in terms of the running time of Dijkstra's algorithm for the Shortest Path problem. Hence, we suggest to call the algorithm \emph{Multiobjective Dijkstra Algorithm} (MDA). The simplified label management in the MDA allows us to parallelize some subroutines. In our computational experiments, we compare the MDA and the classical label-setting MOSP algorithm by Martins', which we improved using new data structures and pruning techniques. On average, the MDA is \$\times2\$ to \$\times9\$ times faster on all used graph types. On some instances the speedup reaches an order of magnitude.}, language = {en} } @misc{PrauseBorndoerferGrimmetal.2023, author = {Prause, Felix and Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf and Grimm, Boris and Tesch, Alexander}, title = {Approximating the RSRP with Predictive Maintenance}, issn = {1438-0064}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-89531}, year = {2023}, abstract = {We study the solution of the rolling stock rotation problem with predictive maintenance (RSRP-PM) by an iterative refinement approach that is based on a state-expanded event-graph. In this graph, the states are parameters of a failure distribution, and paths correspond to vehicle rotations with associated health state approximations. An optimal set of paths including maintenance can be computed by solving an integer linear program. Afterwards, the graph is refined and the procedure repeated. An associated linear program gives rise to a lower bound that can be used to determine the solution quality. Computational results for two instances derived from real world timetables of a German railway company are presented. The results show the effectiveness of the approach and the quality of the solutions.}, language = {en} } @misc{Prause2023, author = {Prause, Felix}, title = {A Multi-Swap Heuristic for Rolling Stock Rotation Planning with Predictive Maintenance}, issn = {1438-0064}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-93133}, year = {2023}, abstract = {We present a heuristic solution approach for the rolling stock rotation problem with predictive maintenance (RSRP-PdM). The task of this problem is to assign a sequence of trips to each of the vehicles and to schedule their maintenance such that all trips can be operated. Here, the health states of the vehicles are considered to be random variables distributed by a family of probability distribution functions, and the maintenance services should be scheduled based on the failure probability of the vehicles. The proposed algorithm first generates a solution by solving an integer linear program and then heuristically improves this solution by applying a local search procedure. For this purpose, the trips assigned to the vehicles are split up and recombined, whereby additional deadhead trips can be inserted between the partial assignments. Subse- quently, the maintenance is scheduled by solving a shortest path problem in a state-expanded version of a space-time graph restricted to the trips of the individual vehicles. The solution approach is tested and evaluated on a set of test instances based on real-world timetables.}, language = {en} } @misc{LoebelBorndoerferWeider2024, author = {L{\"o}bel, Fabian and Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf and Weider, Steffen}, title = {Electric Bus Scheduling with Non-Linear Charging, Power Grid Bottlenecks, and Dynamic Recharge Rates}, arxiv = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2407.14446}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Public transport operators are gradually electrifying their bus fleets, predominantly with battery-powered drive trains. These buses commonly have to be scheduled to recharge in-service, which gives rise to a number of challenges. A major problem is that the relationship between charging time and replenished driving range is non-linear, which is often approximately modeled. We examine the associated approximation error and show how it can result in a gross over- or underestimation of the fleet size. Moreover, we demonstrate that commonly used piecewise linear underestimations of the charge curve do not result in an underestimation of the predicted charge states in electric vehicle scheduling and routing models. Furthermore, since power grid upgrades are currently not keeping up with an ever growing electricity demand, operators are introducing active charge management tools to dynamically adjust the charging speed depending on the amount of available energy. It is therefore imperative to extend electric bus scheduling models to account for these developments. We propose a novel mixed-integer programming formulation for the electric bus scheduling problem featuring an improved approximation of the non-linear battery charging behavior as well as dynamic recharge speeds to accommodate grid load limits. The idea is to linearly interpolate what we call the charge increment function, which is closely related to the derivative of the commonly used charge curve. This provides very good error control and integrates easily into integer programming models. We demonstrate the practical usefulness of our model on a diverse library of real-life instances.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{BorndoerferLoebelLoebeletal.2024, author = {Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf and L{\"o}bel, Andreas and L{\"o}bel, Fabian and Weider, Steffen}, title = {Solving the Electric Bus Scheduling Problem by an Integrated Flow and Set Partitioning Approach}, volume = {123}, booktitle = {24th Symposium on Algorithmic Approaches for Transportation Modelling, Optimization, and Systems (ATMOS 2024)}, publisher = {Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik}, address = {Dagstuhl, Germany}, doi = {10.4230/OASIcs.ATMOS.2024.11}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-211992}, pages = {11:1 -- 11:16}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Attractive and cost-efficient public transport requires solving computationally difficult optimization problems from network design to crew rostering. While great progress has been made in many areas, new requirements to handle increasingly complex constraints are constantly coming up. One such challenge is a new type of resource constraints that are used to deal with the state-of-charge of battery-electric vehicles, which have limited driving ranges and need to be recharged in-service. Resource constrained vehicle scheduling problems can classically be modelled in terms of either a resource constrained (multi-commodity) flow problem or in terms of a path-based set partition problem. We demonstrate how a novel integrated version of both formulations can be leveraged to solve resource constrained vehicle scheduling with replenishment in general and the electric bus scheduling problem in particular by Lagrangian relaxation and the proximal bundle method.}, language = {en} } @article{PrauseBorndoerfer2024, author = {Prause, Felix and Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf}, title = {An Iterative Refinement Approach for the Rolling Stock Rotation Problem with Predictive Maintenance}, arxiv = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2404.08367}, year = {2024}, abstract = {The rolling stock rotation problem with predictive maintenance (RSRP-PdM) involves the assignment of trips to a fleet of vehicles with integrated maintenance scheduling based on the predicted failure probability of the vehicles. These probabilities are determined by the health states of the vehicles, which are considered to be random variables distributed by a parameterized family of probability distribution functions. During the operation of the trips, the corresponding parameters get updated. In this article, we present a dual solution approach for RSRP-PdM and generalize a linear programming based lower bound for this problem to families of probability distribution functions with more than one parameter. For this purpose, we define a rounding function that allows for a consistent underestimation of the parameters and model the problem by a state-expanded event-graph in which the possible states are restricted to a discrete set. This induces a flow problem that is solved by an integer linear program. We show that the iterative refinement of the underlying discretization leads to solutions that converge from below to an optimal solution of the original instance. Thus, the linear relaxation of the considered integer linear program results in a lower bound for RSRP-PdM. Finally, we report on the results of computational experiments conducted on a library of test instances.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{Prause2024, author = {Prause, Felix}, title = {A Multi-Swap Heuristic for Rolling Stock Rotation Planning with Predictive Maintenance}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the 11th International Network Optimization Conference (INOC), Dublin, Ireland, March 11-23, 2024}, doi = {10.48786/inoc.2024.11}, pages = {58 -- 63}, year = {2024}, abstract = {We present a heuristic solution approach for the rolling stock rotation problem with predictive maintenance (RSRP-PdM). The task of this problem is to assign a sequence of trips to each of the vehicles and to schedule their maintenance such that all trips can be operated. Here, the health states of the vehicles are considered to be random variables distributed by a family of probability distribution functions, and the maintenance services should be scheduled based on the failure probability of the vehicles. The proposed algorithm first generates a solution by solving an integer linear program and then heuristically improves this solution by applying a local search procedure. For this purpose, the trips assigned to the vehicles are split up and recombined, whereby additional deadhead trips can be inserted between the partial assignments. Subsequently, the maintenance is scheduled by solving a shortest path problem in a state-expanded version of a space-time graph restricted to the trips of the individual vehicles. The solution approach is tested and evaluated on a set of test instances based on real-world timetables.}, language = {en} } @article{PrauseBorndoerferGrimmetal.2024, author = {Prause, Felix and Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf and Grimm, Boris and Tesch, Alexander}, title = {Approximating rolling stock rotations with integrated predictive maintenance}, volume = {30}, journal = {Journal of Rail Transport Planning \& Management}, doi = {10.1016/j.jrtpm.2024.100434}, pages = {100434}, year = {2024}, abstract = {We study the solution of the rolling stock rotation problem with predictive maintenance (RSRP-PdM) by an iterative refinement approach that is based on a state-expanded event-graph. In this graph, the states are parameters of a failure distribution, and paths correspond to vehicle rotations with associated health state approximations. An optimal set of paths including maintenance can be computed by solving an integer linear program. Afterwards, the graph is refined and the procedure repeated. An associated linear program gives rise to a lower bound that can be used to determine the solution quality. Computational results for six instances derived from real-world timetables of a German railway company are presented. The results show the effectiveness of the approach and the quality of the solutions.}, language = {en} } @article{SahinDigehsaraBorndoerfer2021, author = {Sahin, Guvenc and Digehsara, Amin Ahmadi and Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf}, title = {Efficient Algorithms for the Multi-Period Line Planning Problem in Public Transportation}, volume = {96}, journal = {Open Access Series in Informatics (OASIcs), 21st Symposium on Algorithmic Approaches for Transportation Modelling, Optimization, and Systems (ATMOS 2021)}, doi = {10.4230/OASIcs.ATMOS.2021.17}, pages = {17:1 -- 17:6}, year = {2021}, abstract = {In order to plan and schedule a demand-responsive public transportation system, both temporal and spatial changes in demand should be taken into account even at the line planning stage. We study the multi-period line planning problem with integrated decisions regarding dynamic allocation of vehicles among the lines. Given the NP-hard nature of the line planning problem, the multi-period version is clearly difficult to solve for large public transit networks even with advanced solvers. It becomes necessary to develop algorithms that are capable of solving even the very-large instances in reasonable time. For instances which belong to real public transit networks, we present results of a heuristic local branching algorithm and an exact approach based on constraint propagation.}, language = {en} } @article{BorndoerferDaneckerWeiser2021, author = {Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf and Danecker, Fabian and Weiser, Martin}, title = {A Discrete-Continuous Algorithm for Free Flight Planning}, volume = {14}, journal = {Algorithms}, number = {1}, publisher = {MDPI}, issn = {1438-0064}, doi = {10.3390/a14010004}, pages = {4}, year = {2021}, abstract = {We propose a hybrid discrete-continuous algorithm for flight planning in free flight airspaces. In a first step, our DisCOptER method discrete-continuous optimization for enhanced resolution) computes a globally optimal approximate flight path on a discretization of the problem using the A* method. This route initializes a Newton method that converges rapidly to the smooth optimum in a second step. The correctness, accuracy, and complexity of the method are goverened by the choice of the crossover point that determines the coarseness of the discretization. We analyze the optimal choice of the crossover point and demonstrate the asymtotic superority of DisCOptER over a purely discrete approach.}, language = {en} } @misc{Bortoletto2021, type = {Master Thesis}, author = {Bortoletto, Enrico}, title = {The tropical tiling of periodic timetable space and a dual modulo network simplex algorithm}, year = {2021}, abstract = {We propose a tropical interpretation of the solution space of the Periodic Event Scheduling Problem as a collection of polytropes, making use of the characterization of tropical cones as weighted digraph polyhedra. General and geometric properties of the polytropal collection are inspected and understood in connection with the combinatorial properties of the underlying periodic event scheduling instance. Novel algorithmic ideas are presented and tested, making use of the aforementioned theoretical results to solve and optimize the problem.}, language = {en} } @masterthesis{Kraus2021, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Kraus, Luitgard}, title = {A Label Setting Multiobjective Shortest Path FPTAS}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Algorithms that solve the shortest path problem can largely be split into the two categories of label setting and label correcting. The Multiobjective Shortest Path (MOSP) problem is a generalization of the classical shortest path problem in terms of the dimension of the cost function. We explore the differences of two similar MOSP label setting algorithms. Furthermore, we present and prove a general method of how to derive Fully Polynomial Time Approximation Schemes (FPTAS) for MOSP label setting algorithms. Finally, we explore two pruning techniques for the one to one variants of exact label setting MOSP algorithms and adapt them to their FPTAS variants.}, language = {en} } @misc{Rahmati2021, type = {Master Thesis}, author = {Rahmati, Niloofar}, title = {Resource Constrained APSP-Algorithm with Possible Reloading Stops}, year = {2021}, language = {en} } @misc{PrauseBorndoerfer2023, author = {Prause, Felix and Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf}, title = {Construction of a Test Library for the Rolling Stock Rotation Problem with Predictive Maintenance}, issn = {1438-0064}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-91734}, year = {2023}, abstract = {We describe the development of a test library for the rolling stock rotation problem with predictive maintenance (RSRP-PdM). Our approach involves the utilization of genuine timetables from a private German railroad company. The generated instances incorporate probability distribution functions for modeling the health states of the vehicles and the considered trips possess varying degradation functions. RSRP-PdM involves assigning trips to a fleet of vehicles and scheduling their maintenance based on their individual health states. The goal is to minimize the total costs consisting of operational costs and the expected costs associated with vehicle failures. The failure probability is dependent on the health states of the vehicles, which are assumed to be random variables distributed by a family of probability distributions. Each distribution is represented by the parameters characterizing it and during the operation of the trips, these parameters get altered. Our approach incorporates non-linear degradation functions to describe the inference of the parameters but also linear ones could be applied. The resulting instances consist of the timetables of the individual lines that use the same vehicle type. Overall, we employ these assumptions and utilize open-source data to create a library of instances with varying difficulty. Our approach is vital for evaluating and comparing algorithms designed to solve the RSRP-PdM.}, language = {en} } @misc{LoebelBorndoerferWeider2023, author = {L{\"o}bel, Fabian and Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf and Weider, Steffen}, title = {Non-Linear Battery Behavior in Electric Vehicle Scheduling Problems}, issn = {1438-0064}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-58405-3_53}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-92441}, year = {2023}, abstract = {The currently most popular approach to handle non-linear battery behavior for electric vehicle scheduling is to use a linear spline interpolation of the charge curve. We show that this can lead to approximate models that underestimate the charge duration and overestimate the state of charge, which is not desirable. While the error is of second order with respect to the interpolation step size, the associated mixed-integer linear programs do not scale well with the number of spline segments. It is therefore recommendable to use coarse interpolation grids adapted to the curvature of the charge curve, and to include sufficient safety margins to ensure solutions of approximate models remain feasible subjected to the exact charge curve.}, language = {en} } @article{BorndoerferEsserFrankenbergeretal.2021, author = {Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf and Eßer, Thomas and Frankenberger, Patrick and Huck, Andreas and Jobmann, Christoph and Krostitz, Boris and Kuchenbecker, Karsten and Moorhagen, Kai and Nagl, Philipp and Peterson, Michael and Reuther, Markus and Schang, Thilo and Schoch, Michael and Sch{\"u}lldorf, Hanno and Sch{\"u}tz, Peter and Therolf, Tobias and Waas, Kerstin and Weider, Steffen}, title = {Deutsche Bahn Schedules Train Rotations Using Hypergraph Optimization}, volume = {51}, journal = {Informs Journal on Applied Analytics}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1287/inte.2020.1069}, pages = {42 -- 62}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Deutsche Bahn (DB) operates a large fleet of rolling stock (locomotives, wagons, and train sets) that must be combined into trains to perform rolling stock rotations. This train composition is a special characteristic of railway operations that distinguishes rolling stock rotation planning from the vehicle scheduling problems prevalent in other industries. DB models train compositions using hyperarcs. The resulting hypergraph models are ad-dressed using a novel coarse-to-fine method that implements a hierarchical column genera-tion over three levels of detail. This algorithm is the mathematical core of DB's fleet em-ployment optimization (FEO) system for rolling stock rotation planning. FEO's impact within DB's planning departments has been revolutionary. DB has used it to support the company's procurements of its newest high-speed passenger train fleet and its intermodal cargo locomotive fleet for cross-border operations. FEO is the key to successful tendering in regional transport and to construction site management in daily operations. DB's plan-ning departments appreciate FEO's high-quality results, ability to reoptimize (quickly), and ease of use. Both employees and customers benefit from the increased regularity of operations. DB attributes annual savings of 74 million euro, an annual reduction of 34,000 tons of CO2 emissions, and the elimination of 600 coupling operations in cross-border operations to the implementation of FEO.}, language = {en} } @article{SahinAhmadiBorndoerferetal.2020, author = {Sahin, Guvenc and Ahmadi, Amin and Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf and Schlechte, Thomas}, title = {Multi-period line planning with resource transfers}, volume = {119}, journal = {Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies}, doi = {10.1016/j.trc.2020.102726}, pages = {102726}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Urban transportation systems are subject to a high level of variation and fluctuation in demand over the day. When this variation and fluctuation are observed in both time and space, it is crucial to develop line plans that are responsive to demand. A multi-period line planning approach that considers a changing demand during the planning horizon is proposed. If such systems are also subject to limitations of resources, a dynamic transfer of resources from one line to another throughout the planning horizon should also be considered. A mathematical modelling framework is developed to solve the line planning problem with a cost-oriented approach considering transfer of resources during a finite length planning horizon of multiple periods. We use real-life public transportation network data for our computational results. We analyze whether or not multi-period solutions outperform single period solutions in terms of feasibility and relevant costs. The importance of demand variation on multi-period solutions is investigated. We evaluate the impact of resource transfer constraints on the effectiveness of solutions. We also study the effect of period lengths along with the problem parameters that are significant for and sensitive to the optimality of solutions.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{LoebelBorndoerferWeider2023, author = {L{\"o}bel, Fabian and Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf and Weider, Steffen}, title = {Non-Linear Charge Functions for Electric Vehicle Scheduling with Dynamic Recharge Rates}, volume = {115}, booktitle = {23rd Symposium on Algorithmic Approaches for Transportation Modelling, Optimization, and Systems (ATMOS 2023)}, doi = {10.4230/OASIcs.ATMOS.2023.15}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0030-drops-187765}, pages = {15:1 -- 15:6}, year = {2023}, abstract = {The ongoing electrification of logistics systems and vehicle fleets increases the complexity of associated vehicle routing or scheduling problems. Battery-powered vehicles have to be scheduled to recharge in-service, and the relationship between charging time and replenished driving range is non-linear. In order to access the powerful toolkit offered by mixed-integer and linear programming techniques, this battery behavior has to be linearized. Moreover, as electric fleets grow, power draw peaks have to be avoided to save on electricity costs or to adhere to hard grid capacity limits, such that it becomes desirable to keep recharge rates dynamic. We suggest a novel linearization approach of battery charging behavior for vehicle scheduling problems, in which the recharge rates are optimization variables and not model parameters.}, language = {en} } @misc{Loebel2020, type = {Master Thesis}, author = {L{\"o}bel, Fabian}, title = {Implementing the Network Simplex for Hypergraphs}, year = {2020}, abstract = {The well-known network simplex algorithm is a powerful tool to solve flow problems on graphs. Based on a recent dissertation by Isabel Beckenbach, we develop the necessary theory to extend the network simplex to capacitated flow problems on hypergraphs and implement this new variant. We then attempt to solve instances arising from real-life vehicle rotation planning problems.}, language = {en} } @article{EulerLindnerBorndoerfer2024, author = {Euler, Ricardo and Lindner, Niels and Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf}, title = {Price optimal routing in public transportation}, volume = {13}, journal = {EURO Journal on Transportation and Logistics}, publisher = {Elsevier BV}, issn = {2192-4376}, doi = {10.1016/j.ejtl.2024.100128}, pages = {1 -- 15}, year = {2024}, language = {en} } @article{EulerMaristanydelasCasasBorndoerfer2024, author = {Euler, Ricardo and Maristany de las Casas, Pedro and Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf}, title = {Logic-Constrained Shortest Paths for Flight Planning}, arxiv = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2412.13235}, year = {2024}, abstract = {The Logic-Constrained Shortest Path Problem (LCSP) combines a one-to-one shortest path problem with satisfiability constraints imposed on the routing graph. This setting arises in flight planning, where air traffic control (ATC) authorities are enforcing a set of traffic flow restrictions (TFRs) on aircraft routes in order to increase safety and throughput. We propose a new branch and bound-based algorithm for the LCSP. The resulting algorithm has three main degrees of freedom: the node selection rule, the branching rule and the conflict. While node selection and branching rules have been long studied in the MIP and SAT communities, most of them cannot be applied out of the box for the LCSP. We review the existing literature and develop tailored variants of the most prominent rules. The conflict, the set of variables to which the branching rule is applied, is unique to the LCSP. We analyze its theoretical impact on the B\&B algorithm. In the second part of the paper, we show how to model the Flight Planning Problem with TFRs as an LCSP and solve it using the branch and bound algorithm. We demonstrate the algorithm's efficiency on a dataset consisting of a global flight graph and a set of around 20000 real TFRs obtained from our industry partner Lufthansa Systems GmbH. We make this dataset publicly available. Finally, we conduct an empirical in-depth analysis of node selection rules, branching rules and conflicts. Carefully choosing an appropriate combination yields an improvement of an order of magnitude compared to an uninformed choice.}, language = {en} } @article{MasingLindnerEbert2023, author = {Masing, Berenike and Lindner, Niels and Ebert, Patricia}, title = {Forward and Line-Based Cycle Bases for Periodic Timetabling}, volume = {4}, journal = {Operations Research Forum}, number = {3}, doi = {10.1007/s43069-023-00229-0}, pages = {53}, year = {2023}, abstract = {The optimization of periodic timetables is an indispensable planning task in public transport. Although the periodic event scheduling problem (PESP) provides an elegant mathematical formulation of the periodic timetabling problem that led to many insights for primal heuristics, it is notoriously hard to solve to optimality. One reason is that for the standard mixed-integer linear programming formulations, linear programming relaxations are weak, and the integer variables are of pure technical nature and in general do not correlate with the objective value. While the first problem has been addressed by developing several families of cutting planes, we focus on the second aspect. We discuss integral forward cycle bases as a concept to compute improved dual bounds for PESP instances. To this end, we develop the theory of forward cycle bases on general digraphs. Specifically for the application of timetabling, we devise a generic procedure to construct line-based event-activity networks and give a simple recipe for an integral forward cycle basis on such networks. Finally, we analyze the 16 railway instances of the benchmark library PESPlib, match them to the line-based structure, and use forward cycle bases to compute better dual bounds for 14 out of the 16 instances.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{KlugReutherSchlechte2022, author = {Klug, Torsten and Reuther, Markus and Schlechte, Thomas}, title = {Does Laziness Pay Off? - A Lazy-Constraint Approach to Timetabling}, volume = {106}, booktitle = {22nd Symposium on Algorithmic Approaches for Transportation Modelling, Optimization, and Systems (ATMOS 2022)}, publisher = {Schloss Dagstuhl -- Leibniz-Zentrum f{\"u}r Informatik}, doi = {10.4230/OASIcs.ATMOS.2022.11}, pages = {11:1 -- 11:8}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Timetabling is a classical and complex task for public transport operators as well as for railway undertakings. The general question is: Which vehicle is taking which route through the transportation network in which order? In this paper, we consider the special setting to find optimal timetables for railway systems under a moving block regime. We directly set up on our work of [8 ], i.e., we consider the same model formulation and real-world instances of a moving block headway system. In this paper, we present a repair heuristic and a lazy-constraint approach utilizing the callback features of Gurobi, see [3]. We provide an experimental study of the different algorithmic approaches for a railway network with 100 and up to 300 train requests. The computational results show that the lazy-constraint approach together with the repair heuristic significantly improves our previous approaches.}, language = {en} } @article{MaristanydelasCasasSedenoNodaBorndoerfer2021, author = {Maristany de las Casas, Pedro and Sedeno-Noda, Antonio and Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf}, title = {An Improved Multiobjective Shortest Path Algorithm}, volume = {135}, journal = {Computers \& Operations Research}, doi = {10.1016/j.cor.2021.105424}, year = {2021}, abstract = {We present a new label-setting algorithm for the Multiobjective Shortest Path (MOSP) problem that computes a minimum complete set of efficient paths for a given instance. The size of the priority queue used in the algorithm is bounded by the number of nodes in the input graph and extracted labels are guaranteed to be efficient. These properties allow us to give a tight output-sensitive running time bound for the new algorithm that can almost be expressed in terms of the running time of Dijkstra's algorithm for the Shortest Path problem. Hence, we suggest to call the algorithm Multiobjective Dijkstra Algorithm (MDA). The simplified label management in the MDA allows us to parallelize some subroutines. In our computational experiments, we compare the MDA and the classical label-setting MOSP algorithm by Martins, which we improved using new data structures and pruning techniques. On average, the MDA is 2 to 9 times faster on all used graph types. On some instances the speedup reaches an order of magnitude.}, language = {en} } @article{SchlechteBorndoerferDenissenetal.2022, author = {Schlechte, Thomas and Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf and Denißen, Jonas and Heller, Simon and Klug, Torsten and K{\"u}pper, Michael and Lindner, Niels and Reuther, Markus and S{\"o}hlke, Andreas and Steadman, William}, title = {Timetable Optimization for a Moving Block System}, volume = {22}, journal = {Journal of Rail Transport Planning \& Management}, issn = {2210-9706}, doi = {10.1016/j.jrtpm.2022.100315}, pages = {100315}, year = {2022}, abstract = {We present an optimization model which is capable of routing and ordering trains on a microscopic level under a moving block regime. Based on a general timetabling definition (GTTP) that allows the plug in of arbitrarily detailed methods to compute running and headway times, we describe a layered graph approach using velocity expansion, and develop a mixed integer linear programming formulation. Finally, we present promising results for a German corridor scenario with mixed traffic, indicating that applying branch-and-cut to our model is able to solve reasonably sized instances with up to hundred trains to optimality.}, language = {en} } @article{MaristanydelasCasasBorndoerferKrausetal.2021, author = {Maristany de las Casas, Pedro and Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf and Kraus, Luitgard and Sede{\~n}o-Noda, Antonio}, title = {An FPTAS for Dynamic Multiobjective Shortest Path Problems}, volume = {14}, journal = {Algorithms}, number = {2}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.3390/a14020043}, pages = {1 -- 22}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The Dynamic Multiobjective Shortest Path problem features multidimensional costs that can depend on several variables and not only on time; this setting is motivated by flight planning applications and the routing of electric vehicles. We give an exact algorithm for the FIFO case and derive from it an FPTAS for both, the static Multiobjective Shortest Path (MOSP) problems and, under mild assumptions, for the dynamic problem variant. The resulting FPTAS is computationally efficient and beats the known complexity bounds of other FPTAS for MOSP problems.}, language = {en} } @article{Roth2021, author = {Roth, Sarah}, title = {SAT-Heuristiken f{\"u}r das Periodic Event Scheduling-Problem}, journal = {OR News}, number = {71}, issn = {1437-2045}, year = {2021}, language = {en} } @misc{BortolettoLindnerMasing2022, author = {Bortoletto, Enrico and Lindner, Niels and Masing, Berenike}, title = {The Tropical and Zonotopal Geometry of Periodic Timetables}, issn = {1438-0064}, arxiv = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2204.13501}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s00454-024-00686-2}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-86708}, year = {2022}, abstract = {The Periodic Event Scheduling Problem (PESP) is the standard mathematical tool for optimizing periodic timetabling problems in public transport. A solution to PESP consists of three parts: a periodic timetable, a periodic tension, and integer periodic offset values. While the space of periodic tension has received much attention in the past, we explore geometric properties of the other two components, establishing novel connections between periodic timetabling and discrete geometry. Firstly, we study the space of feasible periodic timetables, and decompose it into polytropes, i.e., polytopes that are convex both classically and in the sense of tropical geometry. We then study this decomposition and use it to outline a new heuristic for PESP, based on the tropical neighbourhood of the polytropes. Secondly, we recognize that the space of fractional cycle offsets is in fact a zonotope. We relate its zonotopal tilings back to the hyperrectangle of fractional periodic tensions and to the tropical neighbourhood of the periodic timetable space. To conclude we also use this new understanding to give tight lower bounds on the minimum width of an integral cycle basis.}, language = {en} } @misc{BorndoerferDaneckerWeiser2023, author = {Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf and Danecker, Fabian and Weiser, Martin}, title = {Newton's Method for Global Free Flight Trajectory Optimization}, doi = {10.12752/8987}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-89876}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Globally optimal free flight trajectory optimization can be achieved with a combination of discrete and continuous optimization. A key requirement is that Newton's method for continuous optimization converges in a sufficiently large neighborhood around a minimizer. We show in this paper that, under certain assumptions, this is the case.}, language = {en} } @misc{BortolettoLindnerMasing2022, author = {Bortoletto, Enrico and Lindner, Niels and Masing, Berenike}, title = {Tropical Neighbourhood Search: A New Heuristic for Periodic Timetabling}, issn = {1438-0064}, doi = {10.4230/OASIcs.ATMOS.2022.3}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-87385}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Periodic timetabling is a central aspect of both the long-term organization and the day-to-day operations of a public transportation system. The Periodic Event Scheduling Problem (PESP), the combinatorial optimization problem that forms the mathematical basis of periodic timetabling, is an extremely hard problem, for which optimal solutions are hardly ever found in practice. The most prominent solving strategies today are based on mixed-integer programming, and there is a concurrent PESP solver employing a wide range of heuristics [3]. We present tropical neighborhood search (tns), a novel PESP heuristic. The method is based on the relations between periodic timetabling and tropical geometry [4]. We implement tns into the concurrent solver, and test it on instances of the benchmarking library PESPlib. The inclusion of tns turns out to be quite beneficial to the solver: tns is able to escape local optima for the modulo network simplex algorithm, and the overall share of improvement coming from tns is substantial compared to the other methods available in the solver. Finally, we provide better primal bounds for five PESPlib instances.}, language = {en} } @misc{MasingLindnerLiebchen2022, author = {Masing, Berenike and Lindner, Niels and Liebchen, Christian}, title = {Periodic Timetabling with Integrated Track Choice for Railway Construction Sites}, issn = {1438-0064}, doi = {10.1016/j.jrtpm.2023.100416}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-88626}, year = {2022}, abstract = {We propose a mixed-integer linear programming model to generate and optimize periodic timetables with integrated track choice in the context of railway construction sites. When a section of a railway network becomes unavailable, the nearby areas are typically operated close to their capacity limits, and hence carefully modeling headways and allowing flexible routings becomes vital. We therefore discuss first how to integrate headway constraints into the Periodic Event Scheduling Problem (PESP) that do not only prevent overtaking, but also guarantee conflict-free timetables in general and particularly inside stations. Secondly, we introduce a turn-sensitive event-activity network, which is able to integrate routing alternatives for turnarounds at stations, e.g., turning at a platform vs. at a pocket track for metro-like systems. We propose several model formulations to include track choice, and finally evaluate them on six real construction site scenarios on the S-Bahn Berlin network.}, language = {en} } @article{EulerLindnerBorndoerfer2022, author = {Euler, Ricardo and Lindner, Niels and Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf}, title = {Price Optimal Routing in Public Transportation}, arxiv = {http://arxiv.org/abs/2204.01326}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2204.01326}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-86414}, year = {2022}, abstract = {We consider the price-optimal earliest arrival problem in public transit (POEAP) in which we aim to calculate the Pareto-front of journeys with respect to ticket price and arrival time in a public transportation network. Public transit fare structures are often a combination of various fare strategies such as, e.g., distance-based fares, zone-based fares or flat fares. The rules that determine the actual ticket price are often very complex. Accordingly, fare structures are notoriously difficult to model as it is in general not sufficient to simply assign costs to arcs in a routing graph. Research into POEAP is scarce and usually either relies on heuristics or only considers restrictive fare models that are too limited to cover the full scope of most real-world applications. We therefore introduce conditional fare networks (CFNs), the first framework for representing a large number of real-world fare structures. We show that by relaxing label domination criteria, CFNs can be used as a building block in label-setting multi-objective shortest path algorithms. By the nature of their extensive modeling capabilities, optimizing over CFNs is NP-hard. However, we demonstrate that adapting the multi-criteria RAPTOR (MCRAP) algorithm for CFNs yields an algorithm capable of solving POEAP to optimality in less than 400 ms on average on a real-world data set. By restricting the size of the Pareto-set, running times are further reduced to below 10 ms.}, language = {en} } @article{LindnerReisch2022, author = {Lindner, Niels and Reisch, Julian}, title = {An analysis of the parameterized complexity of periodic timetabling}, volume = {25}, journal = {Journal of Scheduling}, doi = {10.1007/s10951-021-00719-1}, pages = {157 -- 176}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Public transportation networks are typically operated with a periodic timetable. The periodic event scheduling problem (PESP) is the standard mathematical modeling tool for periodic timetabling. PESP is a computationally very challenging problem: For example, solving the instances of the benchmarking library PESPlib to optimality seems out of reach. Since PESP can be solved in linear time on trees, and the treewidth is a rather small graph parameter in the networks of the PESPlib, it is a natural question to ask whether there are polynomial-time algorithms for input networks of bounded treewidth, or even better, fixed-parameter tractable algorithms. We show that deciding the feasibility of a PESP instance is NP-hard even when the treewidth is 2, the branchwidth is 2, or the carvingwidth is 3. Analogous results hold for the optimization of reduced PESP instances, where the feasibility problem is trivial. Moreover, we show W[1]-hardness of the general feasibility problem with respect to treewidth, which means that we can most likely only accomplish pseudo-polynomial-time algorithms on input networks with bounded tree- or branchwidth. We present two such algorithms based on dynamic programming. We further analyze the parameterized complexity of PESP with bounded cyclomatic number, diameter, or vertex cover number. For event-activity networks with a special—but standard—structure, we give explicit and sharp bounds on the branchwidth in terms of the maximum degree and the carvingwidth of an underlying line network. Finally, we investigate several parameters on the smallest instance of the benchmarking library PESPlib.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{EulerBorndoerferStrunketal.2022, author = {Euler, Ricardo and Bornd{\"o}rfer, Ralf and Strunk, Timo and Takkula, Tuomo}, title = {ULD Build-Up Scheduling with Dynamic Batching in an Air Freight Hub}, booktitle = {Operations Research Proceedings 2021}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-08623-6_38}, pages = {254 -- 260}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Air freight is usually shipped in standardized unit load devices (ULDs). The planning process for the consolidation of transit cargo from inbound flights or locally emerging shipments into ULDs for outbound flights is called build-up scheduling. More specifically, outbound ULDs must be assigned a time and a workstation subject to both workstation capacity constraints and the availability of shipments which in turn depends on break-down decisions for incoming ULDs. ULDs scheduled for the same outbound flight should be built up in temporal and spatial proximity. This serves both to minimize overhead in transportation times and to allow workers to move freight between ULDs. We propose to address this requirement by processing ULDs for the same outbound flight in batches. For the above build-up scheduling problem, we introduce a multi-commodity network design model. Outbound flights are modeled as commodities; transit cargo is represented by cargo flow volume and unpack and batch decisions are represented as design variables. The model is solved with a standard MIP solver on a set of benchmark data. For instances with a limited number of resource conflicts, near-optimal solutions are found in under two hours for a whole week of operations.}, language = {en} } @misc{SchlechteBlomeGerberetal.2023, author = {Schlechte, Thomas and Blome, Christian and Gerber, Stefan and Hauser, Stefan and Kasten, Jens and M{\"u}ller, Gilbert and Schulz, Christof and Th{\"u}ring, Michel and Weider, Steffen}, title = {The Bouquet of Features in Rolling Stock Rotation Planning}, journal = {Conference Proceedings RailBelgrade 2023}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Rolling stock is one of the major assets for a railway transportation company. Hence, their utilization should be as efficiently and effectively as possible. Railway undertakings are facing rolling stock scheduling challenges in different forms - from rather idealized weekly strategic problems to very concrete operational ones. Thus, a vast of optimization models with different features and objectives exist. Thorlacius et al. (2015) provides a comprehensive and valuable collection on technical requirements, models, and methods considered in the scientific literature. We contribute with an update including recent works. The main focus of the paper is to present a classification and elaboration of the major features which our solver R-OPT is able to handle. Moreover, the basic optimization model and algorithmic ingredients of R-OPT are discussed. Finally, we present computational results for a cargo application at SBB CARGO AG and other railway undertakings for passenger traffic in Europe to show the capabilities of R-OPT.}, language = {en} }