Covering problems
Describes examples that involve allocating a number of resources or materials to cover a problem space.
Covering problems are a typical application of integer programming (IP). They involve allocating a number of resources or materials to cover a problem space.
A house building example
Consider selecting workers to build a house. The construction of a house can be divided into a number of tasks, each requiring a number of skills (such as plumbing or masonry). Workers may or may not perform different tasks, depending on their skills. Each worker can be hired for a cost that depends on the worker's qualifications.
The problem consists of selecting a set of workers to perform all the tasks, while minimizing the cost.
To access this example, go to: examples/opl/covering
See also Set covering in the Language User’s Manual.