Few days earlier on a project presentation on Stochastic Programming Real life applications, i constructed 3 real life scenario based Stochastic Models: A Farmer's Problem, Container Allotment Problem and another on Stochastic Arc Routing. Also solved them for particular scenario.
As stochastic linear programs are lengthy programs with a lot of constraints, it is long-time process to solve a stochastic linear program. And therefore i used LINDO solver to solve the problem. I have a L-shaped algorithm based example too.
But the examiner said me that, why you didn't used the general solving procedure to solve these LP problems? I explained about the long programs and complexity. In reply, I found complement that all credit goes to the LINDO solver, not you.
I am wondering that advances in Science could make our works easier and faster. Shouldn't we take these type of advances in our daily life?
I think the instructor wanted you to see how the solver worked in more detail; just like when in undergraduate studies you are subjected to solve a linear program by the use of the simplex method - writing down all the information in the tableaus, in order to see how you are improving the objective value, and eventually also proving that the last tableau is an optimal one. It is a rather tedious process when you do it by hand, but it is also good to know how it works in detail, even though you probably will be fed up even before the last tableau appears. You will in any case also feel that the simplex method is indeed fool-proof (with the exception of degeneracy).
Undergraduate as well as graduate education are in some ways too easy, but it is important, I guess, to remember the first principles.
Thank you Professor Michael Patriksson for your valuable points. Later i also think the same although i solved a lot of optimization problems with Simplex Algorithm. As i am an undergraduate student and it was my BS(honours) project, so i thought about solving with solver, which one was new for me. And i have approximately 40-50 LP problems (L-shaped algorithm facts) on my project, some of them (SLP) were nearly impossible to do manually.
Best Regards,
Hashnayne Ahmed
Yes, there are a number of softwares which can solve linear programming problem in a click giving the optimal solution or an indication of in-feasibility or unbounded solution. But, that is second stage. First stage is to learn the basics of linear programming solution procedures i.e. graphical method and Simplex method. The students will have in-depth knowledge of such procedures by manually solving them. Once got acquainted with the procedure, they can use software like Lindo, Matlab etc. to solve the complex LP problems which can not be handled manually.
Professor Varinder Pal Singh, thank you for your important opinions. Now, i could understand the concerns.
Best Regards,
Hashnayne Ahmed
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