[Help-glpk] Re: GLPK newbie questions

[Andrew Makhorin]

>You have mentioned the IOS (Integer Optimization Suite), which
> replaces BCS in version 4.2. What is IOS and what are its
> implications?
>Is there work in progress to increase capacity?

IOS is a framework to implement implicit enumeration methods based on
LP relaxation (like branch-and-bound and branch-and-cut). Currently IOS
includes only basic features (the enumeration tree, api routines, and
the driver), besides it is not documented yet. My own interest in IOS is
implementing a more advanced solver for integer programming.

>I note that lp_solve is LGPL and that may promote its use. Is dual
> licensing an option?

I wish to keep glpk under the GNU GPL only.

>There is an existing Math::LP module on the Perl CPAN site, but it is a
> very simple interface to LP's in general and not very useful. I think
> a Math::LP::GLPK would need to be closer to the GLPK user interface,
> but the structure of the API would lend itself to an object oriented
> interface to hide the C structures from the user.

All program objects are passed to api routines by means of pointers
that conforms to object oriented approach. Declarations of glpk data
structures are included in the header files only for convenience, and
formally their content is not available on api level.

>Is GNU MathProg used for any other applications or was it developed
> for GLPK?

The GNU MathProg translator was developed as part of glpk. However, it
can be easily used in other applications, if necessary (there is a set
of interface routines just intended to do that).

Andrew Makhorin