The bi-objective stochastic covering tour problem

• Published in: Computers & operations research Vol. 39; no. 7; pp. 1582 - 1592
• Main Authors: Tricoire, Fabien, Graf, Alexandra, Gutjahr, Walter J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2012; Elsevier; Pergamon Press Inc; Pergamon Press
• Subjects: Branch & bound algorithms; Branch-and-cut; Computation; Covering; Covering tour problem; Demand; Disaster relief; Logistics; Marketing; Mathematical analysis; Mathematical models; Multi-objective optimization; Stochastic models; Stochastic optimization; Stochasticity; Studies; Tours; Senegal; Covering tour problem; Multi-objective optimization; Stochastic optimization; Branch-and-cut; Disaster relief
• ISSN: 0305-0548; 1873-765X; 1873-765X; 0305-0548
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cor.2011.09.009

We formulate a bi-objective covering tour model with stochastic demand where the two objectives are given by (i) cost (opening cost for distribution centers plus routing cost for a fleet of vehicles) and (ii) expected uncovered demand. In the model, it is assumed that depending on the distance, a certain percentage of clients go from their homes to the nearest distribution center. An application in humanitarian logistics is envisaged. For the computational solution of the resulting bi-objective two-stage stochastic program with recourse, a branch-and-cut technique, applied to a sample-average version of the problem obtained from a fixed random sample of demand vectors, is used within an epsilon-constraint algorithm. Computational results on real-world data for rural communities in Senegal show the viability of the approach.