Assignment -2 OR

Q1
Q2
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Q9
Shortest Path Problem in Dynamic
Programming
The MD of Universal Teacher Publications wants to visit the Bell Well temple.
Consider the following diagram where circles denote states, and lines between two
such circles represent highways connecting the states. The numbers inside the
circles represent state numbers, and those given beside the lines denote the
distances between the states connected by the lines. The problem is to find the
shortest route from state 1 to state 10 where the Bell Well temple is situated.

Solution.

For a systematic approach to dynamic programming problem, consider the following

notations.

n = number of stages.
s = state variable.
dsj = immediate distance from entering state s to existing state j.
fn(s) = the overall optimal objective function with n more stages to go when he is in
state s.
jn(s) = a decision yielding fn(s).

Notice that the entire trip from state 1 to state 10 requires four stages (highways),
regardless of the particular routing. Now, the problem is to select these four
highways so that the total distance covered is least. The first highway has to be
chosen from 1-2, 1-3, or 1-4, as 1 is the starting state. Likewise, the second highway
has to be chosen from 2, 3, or 4, the third from 5, 6, or 7 and the fourth from 8 or 9.

There is one table for each possible stage n, namely, n = 1, 2, 3, and 4. We start
calculating distances between pair of states from stage 4 backwards. At the
beginning of stage 4, we can be in either 8 or 9 (states). We note that state 10 is the
only destination from both states 8 & 9. We summarize this information in the format
below.

Stage 4 (n = 1)
State Decision (j) Best decision Best distance

(s) 10 j1(s) f1(s)

8 9+0 10 9

9 6+0 10 6

Stage 3 (n = 2)
State Decision (j) Best Decision Best Distance

(s) 8 9 j2(s) f2(s)

5 6 + 9 = 15 8 + 6 = 14 9 14

6 4 + 9 = 13 9 + 6 = 15 8 13

7 3 + 9 = 12 7 + 6 = 13 8 12

The entries in second & third column are the sum of the immediate distance dsj to go
from state s to state j. In each row, we examine the sums to find the smallest.
Observe that f1(8) = 9 is added to each d s8 in the j = 8 column and f 1(9) = 6 is added
to each ds9 in the j = 9 column. The above table shows that with two stages left it is
optimal to go to state 9 from state 5, and state 8 from states 6 & 7.

The analysis for n = 3 appears in the following table.

Stage 2 (n = 3)
State Decision (j) Best Decision Best Distanc

(s) 5 6 7 j3(s) f3(s)

2 6 + 14 = 20 8 + 13 = 21 9 + 12 = 21 5 20

3 5 + 14 = 19 4 + 13 = 17 6 + 12 = 18 6 17

4 5 + 14 = 19 5 + 13 = 18 7 + 12 = 19 6 18
Stage 1 (n = 4)
State Decision (j) Best Decision Best Distanc

(s) 2 3 4 j4(s) f4(s)

1 4 + 20= 24 6 + 17 = 23 6 + 18 = 24 3 23

The computations terminate in the above table with n = 4. The shortest route from
state 1 to state 10 is given by 1-3-6-8-10, and the distance to be covered is 23.

Operations Research Mid - II, January -

2022
1.When the values of decision variables change with time, then these situations are considered to
be

 static
 dynamic
 both A or B
 none of these

Answer: B
2.Dynamic programming is based on _____________________ principle of optimality

 Big-M
 Bellman’s
 Baye’s
 none of these

Answer: B
3.Dynamic programming is a mathematical technique dealing with optimization of ____________
decision problems

 single stage
 double stage
 multi stage
 None of these

Answer: C
4.The father of game theory is

 Morgenstren
 Von Neumann
 A.K.Erlang
 none of these
Answer: B
5.The game theory is based on the minimax principle, which implies that each competitor will act
so as to

 minimize his maximum loss

 maximize his minimum gain
 both A and B
 None of these

Answer: C
6.The replacement policy, consists of calculating the

 increased operating cost

 maintenance cost
 cost of replacing
 all of these

Answer: D
7.Old item is replaced by a new one, when repair and maintenance costs are

 less than the cost of new one

 equal than the cost of new one
 more than the cost of new one
 none of these

Answer: C
8.If the repair and maintenance costs decrease or remain constant with time, then the best policy is

 replace the item

 never replace the item
 either A or B
 none of these

Answer: B
9.Movement inventories are also called as

 pipeline stocks
 buffer stocks
 motion stocks
 none of these

Answer: A
10.The cost related to inventory control models are

 inventory carrying costs

 set up costs
 shortage costs
 all of these
Answer: D
11.In dynamic programming, the outcome of decisions depends upon a______________ number
of variables
Answer: Few
12.The problem is broken down into sub-problems and each sub-problem is referred to as a
____________
Answer: Stage
13.If a player decides to use only one particular course of action during every play, he is said to
use a ___________________

Answer: Pure strategy

14.Two-person zero-sum games are also called as ____________________ games
Answer: Rectangular
15.A _______________ is a table showing the amounts received by the player named at the left
hand side after all possible plays of the game
Answer: Pay off matrix
16.The annual cost of the item at any time t = capital cost - ________________ + maintenance
cost at time t.
Answer: Scrap value
17.If there is no change of decision variables with time then the situation is considered
____________ situation.
Answer: Static
18.______________________ policy is one, in which all items are replaced, irrespective of their
failures
Answer: Group replacement
19.The process of ascertaining independent demand by extrapolating the past demand history is
known as __________________
Answer: Forecasting
20.R.O.L. stands for _____________________
Answer: Re Order Level