Simple Algorithm for Large-scale Unbalanced Transportation Problem

As the Transportation Simplex Method of the general transportation problem are inapplicable to the large-scale unbalanced transportation problem, a commercialized linear programming package remains as the only viable means. There is, however, no method made available to verify the optimality of solutions attained by the package. This paper therefore proposes a simple heuristic algorithm to the large-scale unbalanced transportation problem. From a given problem of 31 ×15 supply and demand areas, the proposed algorithm determines the number of demands areas for each supply area and executes on the latter in the ascending order of each of their corresponding demand areas. Next, given a single corresponding demand area, it supplies the full demand volume and else, it supplies first to an area of minimum associated costs and subsequently to the rest so as to meet the demand to the fullest extent. This initial optimal value is then optimized through an adjustment process whereby costs are minimized as much as possible. When tested on the 31 ×15 cost matrix, the proposed algorithm has obtained an optimal result improved from the commercial linear programming package by 8.9%.