COMBINATORIAL OPTIMIZATION ALGORITHMS FOR A CAD WORKSTATION

Sequential versions of combinatorial optimisation algorithms which are based on random search heuristics are generally too slow to be of value to the interactive user of a CAD workstation. This paper describes a concurrent version of the simulated annealing algorithm, and also a variant of this algorithm called CCO. The results are given of comparative trials of these algorithms. A significant gain in speed can be achieved by using concurrent algorithms to drive an optimising accelerator attached to the workstation. Also discussed is a divide and conquer procedure for decomposing complex combinatorial problems into minimally interdependent subproblems of managable size. This decomposition procedure makes use of the CCO algorithm. © 1990.