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PAM—A Practitioner's Approach to Modeling

James S. Welch, Jr.

Management Science · 1987 · Volume 33 · Issue 5

DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.33.5.610

Abstract

Many Linear Programming (LP) practitioners formulate and document their models with block schematics of LP matrices. They subscribe to neither the column-wise emphasis of commercial matrix generators nor to the constraint orientation of recently proposed “modelling languages.” PAM is a nonprocedural modeling language in which the practitioner describes an LP matrix with a set of two-dimensional tables: a table representing the block schematic of the matrix and supporting data tables. A computer program processes these tables to produce an LP matrix ready for optimization. This paper describes block-wise model formulation, discusses the relationships of the data to the model, presents an overview of PAM's matrix generation language, and gives some experience with a prototype system.

Keywords

linear programming, formulation, matrix generation

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