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Difference between transportation and assignment problems?

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  • February 11, 2023
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lets understand the Difference between transportation and assignment problems?

Transportation problems and assignment problems are two types of linear programming problems that arise in different applications.

The main difference between transportation and assignment problems is in the nature of the decision variables and the constraints.

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Assignment Problem

Minimization or maximization of the cost of transporting goods from one source to another

Maximization of the total profit or minimization of the total cost in assigning tasks to individuals

Nature of problem

Involves transporting goods from sources to destinations

Involves assigning tasks to individuals

Number of sources and destinations

Multiple sources and destinations

An equal number of sources and destinations

Availability and demand

Each source and destination have a supply or demand value

Each task has only one individual who can perform it

Decision variables

Amount of goods transported from each source to each destination

Binary variables indicate whether an individual is assigned a task or not

Constraints

Capacity constraints on sources and demand constraints on destinations

Each individual can only perform one task

Solution method

Transportation simplex method, northwest corner rule, Vogel’s approximation method

Hungarian algorithm, brute force method

Example

Transporting goods from factories to warehouses

Assigning tasks to employees or jobs to machines

Difference between transportation and assignment problems

Additional Different between Transportation and Assignment Problems are as follows : 

Decision Variables:

In a transportation problem, the decision variables represent the flow of goods from sources to destinations. Each variable represents the quantity of goods transported from a source to a destination.

In contrast, in an assignment problem, the decision variables represent the assignment of agents to tasks. Each variable represents whether an agent is assigned to a particular task or not.

Constraints:

In a transportation problem, the constraints ensure that the supply from each source matches the demand at each destination and that the total flow of goods does not exceed the capacity of each source and destination.

In contrast, in an assignment problem, the constraints ensure that each task is assigned to exactly one agent and that each agent is assigned to at most one task.

Objective function:

The objective function in a transportation problem typically involves minimizing the total cost of transportation or maximizing the total profit of transportation.

In an assignment problem, the objective function typically involves minimizing the total cost or maximizing the total benefit of assigning agents to tasks.

In summary,

The transportation problem is concerned with finding the optimal way to transport goods from sources to destinations,

while the assignment problem is concerned with finding the optimal way to assign agents to tasks.

Both problems are important in operations research and have numerous practical applications.

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Operations Research/Transportation and Assignment Problem

The Transportation and Assignment problems deal with assigning sources and jobs to destinations and machines. We will discuss the transportation problem first.

Suppose a company has m factories where it manufactures its product and n outlets from where the product is sold. Transporting the product from a factory to an outlet costs some money which depends on several factors and varies for each choice of factory and outlet. The total amount of the product a particular factory makes is fixed and so is the total amount a particular outlet can store. The problem is to decide how much of the product should be supplied from each factory to each outlet so that the total cost is minimum.

Let us consider an example.

Suppose an auto company has three plants in cities A, B and C and two major distribution centers in D and E. The capacities of the three plants during the next quarter are 1000, 1500 and 1200 cars. The quarterly demands of the two distribution centers are 2300 and 1400 cars. The transportation costs (which depend on the mileage, transport company etc) between the plants and the distribution centers is as follows:

Cost Table Dist Center D Dist Center E
Plant A 80 215
Plant B 100 108
Plant C 102 68

Which plant should supply how many cars to which outlet so that the total cost is minimum?

The problem can be formulated as a LP model:

{\displaystyle x_{ij}}

The whole model is:

subject to,

{\displaystyle x_{11}+x_{12}=1000}

The problem can now be solved using the simplex method. A convenient procedure is discussed in the next section.

what is the difference between transportation and assignment problem

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Transportation Problem | Set 1 (Introduction)

  • Transportation Problem | Set 6 (MODI Method - UV Method)
  • Transportation Problem | Set 2 (NorthWest Corner Method)
  • Transportation Problem | Set 4 (Vogel's Approximation Method)
  • Transportation Problem Set 8 | Transshipment Model-1
  • Transportation Problem | Set 5 ( Unbalanced )
  • Transportation Problem | Set 3 (Least Cost Cell Method)
  • Transportation Problem | Set 7 ( Degeneracy in Transportation Problem )
  • Max Flow Problem Introduction
  • Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) Implementation
  • Bitonic Travelling Salesman Problem
  • Travelling Salesman Problem implementation using BackTracking
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  • Hungarian Algorithm for Assignment Problem | Set 1 (Introduction)
  • Problem on Trains, Boat and streams
  • History of Transportation
  • Transportation in the United States
  • Transportation and Economic Development
  • Road Transport - Definition, Types, Examples
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Transportation problem is a special kind of Linear Programming Problem (LPP) in which goods are transported from a set of sources to a set of destinations subject to the supply and demand of the sources and destination respectively such that the total cost of transportation is minimized. It is also sometimes called as Hitchcock problem.

Types of Transportation problems: Balanced: When both supplies and demands are equal then the problem is said to be a balanced transportation problem.

Unbalanced: When the supply and demand are not equal then it is said to be an unbalanced transportation problem. In this type of problem, either a dummy row or a dummy column is added according to the requirement to make it a balanced problem. Then it can be solved similar to the balanced problem.

Methods to Solve: To find the initial basic feasible solution there are three methods:

  • NorthWest Corner Cell Method.
  • Least Cost Method.
  • Vogel’s Approximation Method (VAM).

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What is the difference between Assignment Problem and Transportation Problem?

Solution Show Solution

The assignment problem is a special case of the transportation problem.

The differences are given below:

This is about reducing the cost of transportation merchandise This is about assigning finite sources to finite destinations where only one destination is allotted for one source with a minimum cost
Number of sources and number of demand need not be equal Number of sources and the number of destinations must be equal
If total demand and total supply are not equal then the problem is said to be unbalanced. If the number of rows is not equal to the number of columns then problems are unbalanced.
It requires 2 stages to solve: Getting initial basic feasible solution, by NWC, LCM, VAM and optimal solution by MODI method It has only one stage. Hungarian method is sufficient for obtaining an optimal solution

RELATED QUESTIONS

A job production unit has four jobs A, B, C, D which can be manufactured on each of the four machines P, Q, R and S. The processing cost of each job is given in the following table:

         Jobs

 

 

                          Machines

P

Q

R

S

                Processing Cost (Rs.)

 

A

31

25

33

29

B

25

24

23

21

C

19

21

23

24

D

38

36

34

40

 How should the jobs be assigned to the four machines so that the total processing cost is minimum?

Solve the following minimal assignment problem and hence find the minimum value : 

 
2 10 9 7
13 2 12 2
3 4 6 1
4 15 4 9

Suggest optimum solution to the following assignment. Problem, also find the total minimum service time.                                              Service Time ( in hrs.)

41 72 39 52
22 29 49 65
27 39 60 51
45 50 48 52

Solve the following minimal assignment problem : 

Machines A B C D E
M 27 18 20 21
M 31 24 21 12 17
M 20 17 20 16
M 21 28 20 16 27

Solve the following maximal assignment problem :

11 11 9 9
13 16 11 10
12 17 13 8
16 14 16 12

A departmental head has three jobs and four subordinates. The subordinates differ in their capabilities and the jobs differ in their work contents. With the help of the performance matrix given below, find out which of the four subordinates should be assigned which jobs ?

Subordinates Jobs
I II III
A 7 3 5
B 2 7 4
C 6 5 3
D 3 4 7

A job production unit has four jobs A, B, C, D which can be manufactured on each of the four machines P, Q, R and S. The processing cost of each job for each machine is given in the following table:


A 31 25 33 29
B 25 24 23 21
C 19 21 23 24
D 38 36 34 40

Find the optimal assignment to minimize the total processing cost.

The assignment problem is said to be unbalance if ______

Choose the correct alternative :

The assignment problem is said to be balanced if it is a ______.

The objective of an assignment problem is to assign ______.

Fill in the blank :

When an assignment problem has more than one solution, then it is _______ optimal solution.

In an assignment problem, if number of column is greater than number of rows, then a dummy column is added.

Solve the following problem :

A dairy plant has five milk tankers, I, II, III, IV and V. These milk tankers are to be used on five delivery routes A, B, C, D and E. The distances (in kms) between the dairy plant and the delivery routes are given in the following distance matrix.

 
150 120 175 180 200
125 110 120 150 165
130 100 145 160 175
40 40 70 70 100
45 25 60 70 95

How should the milk tankers be assigned to the chilling center so as to minimize the distance travelled?

Choose the correct alternative:

The assignment problem is generally defined as a problem of ______

Choose the correct alternative: 

Assignment Problem is special case of ______

When an assignment problem has more than one solution, then it is ______

The assignment problem is said to be balanced if ______

If the given matrix is ______ matrix, the assignment problem is called balanced problem

In an assignment problem if number of rows is greater than number of columns, then dummy ______ is added

State whether the following statement is True or False:

The objective of an assignment problem is to assign number of jobs to equal number of persons at maximum cost

In assignment problem, if number of columns is greater than number of rows, then a dummy row is added

State whether the following statement is True or False: 

In assignment problem each worker or machine is assigned only one job

What is the Assignment problem?

Three jobs A, B and C one to be assigned to three machines U, V and W. The processing cost for each job machine combination is shown in the matrix given below. Determine the allocation that minimizes the overall processing cost.

    Machine
    U V W
Jobs A 17 25 31
B 10 25 16
C 12 14 11

(cost is in ₹ per unit)

Find the optimal solution for the assignment problem with the following cost matrix.

    Area
    1 2 3 4
  P 11 17 8 16
Salesman Q 9 7 12 6
  R 13 16 15 12
  S 14 10 12 11

Assign four trucks 1, 2, 3 and 4 to vacant spaces A, B, C, D, E and F so that distance travelled is minimized. The matrix below shows the distance.

  1 2 3 4
A 4 7 3 7
B 8 2 5 5
C 4 9 6 9
D 7 5 4 8
E 6 3 5 4
F 6 8 7 3

Number of basic allocation in any row or column in an assignment problem can be

If number of sources is not equal to number of destinations, the assignment problem is called ______

The purpose of a dummy row or column in an assignment problem is to

The solution for an assignment problem is optimal if

A car hire company has one car at each of five depots a, b, c, d and e. A customer in each of the fine towers A, B, C, D and E requires a car. The distance (in miles) between the depots (origins) and the towers(destinations) where the customers are given in the following distance matrix.

  a b c d e
A 160 130 175 190 200
B 135 120 130 160 175
C 140 110 155 170 185
D 50 50 80 80 110
E 55 35 70 80 105

How should the cars be assigned to the customers so as to minimize the distance travelled?

A natural truck-rental service has a surplus of one truck in each of the cities 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 and a deficit of one truck in each of the cities 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. The distance(in kilometers) between the cities with a surplus and the cities with a deficit are displayed below:

    To
    7 8 9 10 11 12
From 1 31 62 29 42 15 41
2 12 19 39 55 71 40
3 17 29 50 41 22 22
4 35 40 38 42 27 33
5 19 30 29 16 20 33
6 72 30 30 50 41 20

How should the truck be dispersed so as to minimize the total distance travelled?

A dairy plant has five milk tankers, I, II, III, IV and V. Three milk tankers are to be used on five delivery routes A, B, C, D and E. The distances (in kms) between the dairy plant and the delivery routes are given in the following distance matrix.

 
150 120 175 180 200
125 110 120 150 165
130 100 145 160 170
40 40 70 70 100
45 25 60 70 95

A job production unit has four jobs P, Q, R, and S which can be manufactured on each of the four machines I, II, III, and IV. The processing cost of each job for each machine is given in the following table:


P 31 25 33 29
Q 25 24 23 21
R 19 21 23 24
S 38 36 34 40

A department store has four workers to pack goods. The times (in minutes) required for each worker to complete the packings per item sold is given below. How should the manager of the store assign the jobs to the workers, so as to minimize the total time of packing?

  Books Toys Crockery Cutlery
3 11 10 8
13 2 12 12
3 4 6 1
4 15 4 9

A job production unit has four jobs P, Q, R, S which can be manufactured on each of the four machines I, II, III and IV. The processing cost of each job for each machine is given in the following table :


31 25 33 29
25 24 23 21
19 21 23 24
38 36 34 40

Complete the following activity to find the optimal assignment to minimize the total processing cost.

Step 1: Subtract the smallest element in each row from every element of it. New assignment matrix is obtained as follows :


6 0 8 4
4 3 2 0
0 2 4 5
4 2 0 6

Step 2: Subtract the smallest element in each column from every element of it. New assignment matrix is obtained as above, because each column in it contains one zero.

Step 3: Draw minimum number of vertical and horizontal lines to cover all zeros:

Step 4: From step 3, as the minimum number of straight lines required to cover all zeros in the assignment matrix equals the number of rows/columns. Optimal solution has reached.

Examine the rows one by one starting with the first row with exactly one zero is found. Mark the zero by enclosing it in (`square`), indicating assignment of the job. Cross all the zeros in the same column. This step is shown in the following table :


6 8 4
4 3 2
2 4 5
4 2 6

Step 5: It is observed that all the zeros are assigned and each row and each column contains exactly one assignment. Hence, the optimal (minimum) assignment schedule is :

P II `square`
Q `square` 21
R I `square`
S III 34

Hence, total (minimum) processing cost = 25 + 21 + 19 + 34 = ₹`square`

A plant manager has four subordinates and four tasks to perform. The subordinates differ in efficiency and task differ in their intrinsic difficulty. Estimates of the time subordinate would take to perform tasks are given in the following table:

 
3 11 10 8
13 2 12 2
3 4 6 1
4 15 4 9

Complete the following activity to allocate tasks to subordinates to minimize total time.

Step I: Subtract the smallest element of each row from every element of that row:

 
0 8 7 5
11 0 10 0
2 3 5 0
0 11 0 5

Step II: Since all column minimums are zero, no need to subtract anything from columns.

Step III : Draw the minimum number of lines to cover all zeros.

Since minimum number of lines = order of matrix, optimal solution has been reached

Optimal assignment is A →`square`  B →`square`

C →IV  D →`square`

Total minimum time = `square` hours.

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The Geography of Transport Systems

The spatial organization of transportation and mobility

Traffic Assignment Problem

what is the difference between transportation and assignment problem

Traffic assignment problems usually consider two dimensions.

  • Generation and attraction . A place of origin generates movements that are bound (attracted) to a place of destination. The relationship between traffic generation and attraction is commonly labeled as spatial interaction. The above example considers one origin/generation and destination/attraction, but the majority of traffic assignment problems consider several origins and destinations.
  • Path selection . Traffic assignment considers which paths are to be selected and the amount of traffic using these paths (if more than one unit). For simple problems, a single path will be selected, while for complex problems, several paths could be used. Factors behind the choice of traffic assignment may include cost, time, or the number of connections.

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Transportation and Assignment Problems

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what is the difference between transportation and assignment problem

  • James K. Strayer 2  

Part of the book series: Undergraduate Texts in Mathematics ((UTM))

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Transportation and assignment problems are traditional examples of linear programming problems. Although these problems are solvable by using the techniques of Chapters 2–4 directly, the solution procedure is cumbersome; hence, we develop much more efficient algorithms for handling these problems. In the case of transportation problems, the algorithm is essentially a disguised form of the dual simplex algorithm of 4§2. Assignment problems, which are special cases of transportation problems, pose difficulties for the transportation algorithm and require the development of an algorithm which takes advantage of the simpler nature of these problems.

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Strayer, J.K. (1989). Transportation and Assignment Problems. In: Linear Programming and Its Applications. Undergraduate Texts in Mathematics. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-1009-2_7

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Balanced and Unbalanced Transportation Problems

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The two categories of transportation problems are balanced and unbalanced transportation problems . As we all know, a transportation problem is a type of Linear Programming Problem (LPP) in which items are carried from a set of sources to a set of destinations based on the supply and demand of the sources and destinations, with the goal of minimizing the total transportation cost. It is also known as the Hitchcock problem.

Introduction to Balanced and Unbalanced Transportation Problems

Balanced transportation problem.

The problem is considered to be a balanced transportation problem when both supplies and demands are equal.

Unbalanced Transportation Problem

Unbalanced transportation problem is defined as a situation in which supply and demand are not equal. A dummy row or a dummy column is added to this type of problem, depending on the necessity, to make it a balanced problem. The problem can then be addressed in the same way as the balanced problem.

Methods of Solving Transportation Problems

There are three ways for determining the initial basic feasible solution. They are

1. NorthWest Corner Cell Method.

2. Vogel’s Approximation Method (VAM).

3. Least Call Cell Method.

The following is the basic framework of the balanced transportation problem:

Basic Structure of Balanced Transportation Problem

The destinations D1, D2, D3, and D4 in the above table are where the products/goods will be transported from various sources O1, O2, O3, and O4. The supply from the source Oi is represented by S i . The demand for the destination Dj is d j . If a product is delivered from source Si to destination Dj, then the cost is called C ij .

Let us now explore the process of solving the balanced transportation problem using one of the ways known as the NorthWest Corner Method in this article.

Solving Balanced Transportation problem by Northwest Corner Method

Consider this scenario:

Balanced Transportation Problem -1

With three sources (O1, O2, and O3) and four destinations (D1, D2, D3, and D4), what is the best way to solve this problem? The supply for the sources O1, O2, and O3 are 300, 400, and 500, respectively. Demands for the destination D1, D2, D3, and D4 are 250, 350, 400, and 200, respectively.

The starting point for the North West Corner technique is (O1, D1), which is the table’s northwest corner. The cost of transportation is calculated for each value in the cell. As indicated in the diagram, compare the demand for column D1 with the supply from source O1 and assign a minimum of two to the cell (O1, D1).

Column D1’s demand has been met, hence the entire column will be canceled. The supply from the source O1 is still 300 – 250 = 50.

Balanced Transportation Problem - 2

Analyze the northwest corner, i.e. (O1, D2), of the remaining table, excluding column D1, and assign the lowest among the supply for the appropriate column and rows. Because the supply from O1 is 50 and the demand for D2 is 350, allocate 50 to the cell (O1, D2).

Now, row O1 is canceled because the supply from row O1 has been completed. Hence, the demand for Column D2 has become 350 – 50 = 50.

Balanced Transportation Problem - 3

The northwest corner cell in the remaining table is (O2, D2). The shortest supply from source O2 (400) and the demand for column D2 (300) is 300, thus putting 300 in the cell (O2, D2). Because the demand for column D2 has been met, the column can be deleted, and the remaining supply from source O2 is 400 – 300 = 100.

Balanced Transportation Problem - 4

Again, find the northwest corner of the table, i.e. (O2, D3), and compare the O2 supply (i.e. 100) to the D2 demand (i.e. 400) and assign the smaller (i.e. 100) to the cell (O2, D2). Row O2 has been canceled because the supply from O2 has been completed. Column D3 has a leftover demand of 400 – 100 = 300.

Balanced Transportation Problem -5

Continuing in the same manner, the final cell values will be:

Balanced Transportation Problem - 6

It should be observed that the demand for the relevant columns and rows is equal in the last remaining cell, which was cell (O3, D4). In this situation, the supply from O3 was 200, and the demand for D4 was 200, therefore this cell was assigned to it. Nothing was left for any row or column at the end.

To achieve the basic solution, multiply the allotted value by the respective cell value (i.e. the cost) and add them all together.

I.e., (250 × 3) + (50 × 1) + (300 × 6) + (100 × 5) + (300 × 3) + (200 × 2) = 4400.

:

Solving Unbalanced Transportation Problem

An unbalanced transportation problem is provided below. Because the sum of all the supplies, O1, O2, O3, and O4, does not equal the sum of all the demands, D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5, the situation is unbalanced.

Unbalanced Transportation Problem - 1

The idea of a dummy row or dummy column will be applied in this type of scenario. Because the supply is more than the demand in this situation, a fake demand column will be inserted, with a demand of (total supply – total demand), i.e. 117 – 95 = 22, as seen in the image below. A fake supply row would have been introduced if demand was greater than supply.

Unbalanced Transportation Problem - 2

Now this problem has been changed to a balanced transportation problem, and it can be addressed using any of the ways listed below to solve a balanced transportation problem, such as the northwest corner method mentioned earlier.

Frequently Asked Questions on Balanced and Unbalanced Transportation Problems

What is meant by balanced and unbalanced transportation problems.

The problem is referred to as a balanced transportation problem when both supplies and demands are equal. Unbalanced transportation is defined as a situation where supply and demand are not equal.

What is called a transportation problem?

The transportation problem is a type of Linear Programming Problem in which commodities are carried from a set of sources to a set of destinations while taking into account the supply and demand of the sources and destinations, respectively, in order to reduce the total cost of transportation.

What are the different methods to solve transportation problems?

The following are three approaches to solve the transportation issue:

  • NorthWest Corner Cell Method.
  • Least Call Cell Method.
  • Vogel’s Approximation Method (VAM).
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what is the difference between transportation and assignment problem

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AllDifferences

Difference Between Assignment and Transportation Model

  • 1.1 Comparison Between Assignment and Transportation Model With Tabular Form
  • 1.2 Comparison Chart
  • 1.3 Similarities
  • 2 More Difference

Comparison Between Assignment and Transportation Model With Tabular Form

The Major Difference Between Assignment and Transportation model is that Assignment model may be regarded as a special case of the transportation model. However, the Transportation algorithm is not very useful to solve this model because of degeneracy.

Assignment Model and Transportation Model Comparison

Comparison Chart

The problem may have a rectangular matrix or a square matrix. The assignment algorithm can not be used to solve the transportation model.
The rows and columns may have any number of allocations depending on the rim conditions. The rows and columns must have one-to-one allocation. Because of this property, the matrix must be a square matrix.
The basic feasible solution is obtained by the northwest corner method or LCM method or VAM The basic feasible solution is obtained by the Hungarian method or Flood’s technique or by Assignment algorithm.
The optimality test is given by the stepping stone method or by the MODI method. The optimality test is given by drawing a minimum number of horizontal and vertical lines to cover all the zeros in the matrix.
The rim requirement may have any positive numbers. The optimality test is given by drawing a minimum number of horizontal and vertical lines to cover all the zeros in the matrix.
The transportation algorithm can be used to solve the assignment model. The assignment algorithm can not be used to solve the transportation model.

Similarities

  • Both are special types of linear programming problems.
  • Both have an objective function, structural constraints, and non-negativity constraints. And the relationship between variables and constraints is linear.
  • The coefficients of variables in the solution will be either 1 or zero in both cases.
  • Both are basically minimization problems. For converting them into maximization problems same procedure is used.

More Difference

  • Difference between Lagrangian and Eulerian Approach
  • Difference between Line Standards and End Standards

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COMMENTS

  1. Difference between transportation and assignment problems?

    The transportation problem is concerned with finding the optimal way to transport goods from sources to destinations, while the assignment problem is concerned with finding the optimal way to assign agents to tasks. Both problems are important in operations research and have numerous practical applications.

  2. Difference Between Transportation Problem and Assignment Problem

    The transportation problem is commonly approached through simplex methods, and the assignment problem is addressed using specific algorithms like the Hungarian method. In this article, we will learn the difference between transportation problems and assignment problems with the help of examples.

  3. PDF CHAPTER 15 TRANSPORTATION AND ASSIGNMENT PROBLEMS

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  4. PDF Module 4: Transportation Problem and Assignment problem

    Prasad A Y, Dept of CSE, ACSCE, B'lore-74. Page 33. Module 4: Transportation Problem and Assignment problem. This means that programmer 1 is assigned programme C, programmer 2 is assigned programme A, and so on. The minimum time taken in developing the programmes is = 80 + 80 + 100 + 90 = 350 min.

  5. Operations Research/Transportation and Assignment Problem

    The Transportation and Assignment problems deal with assigning sources and jobs to destinations and machines. We will discuss the transportation problem first. Suppose a company has m factories where it manufactures its product and n outlets from where the product is sold. Transporting the product from a factory to an outlet costs some money ...

  6. Transportation and Related Problems

    Transportation and Related Problems. In this section, we will discuss several special types of linear programs. These are the transportation problems, the assignment problems, and the transshipment problems. The standard scenario where a transportation problem arises is that of sending units of a product across a network of highways that ...

  7. Transportation and Assignment Problems

    Describe the characteristics of assignment problems. Identify the relationship between assignment problems and transportation problems. Formulate a spreadsheet model for an assignment problem from a description of the problem. Do the same for some variants of assignment problems. Give the name of an algorithm that can solve huge assignment ...

  8. PDF 9 Transportation and Assignment Problems

    It turns out that transportation problems already capture the full expressiveness of minimum cost flow problems. Theorem 9.1. Every minimum cost flow problem with finite capacities or non-negative costs has an equivalent transportation problem. Proof. Consider a minimum cost flow problem on a network G =(V,E)with supplies or demands b i ...

  9. PDF Chapter5 Thetransportationproblemandthe assignmentproblem

    Chapter5 Thetransportationproblemandthe assignmentproblem Inthischapterweintroducethealgorithmsusedtosolvetwospecificlinearprob-lems ...

  10. The Transportation and Assignment Problems

    Definition of the Transportation Problem. Properties of the A Matrix. Representation of a Nonbasic Vector in Terms of the Basic Vectors. The Simplex Method for Transportation Problems. Illustrative Examples and a Note on Degeneracy. The Simplex Tableau Associated with a Transportation Tableau. The Assignment Problem: (Kuhn's) Hungarian Algorithm

  11. PDF Transportation and Assignment Models

    transportation problem. We won't even try showing what it would be like to type all of these constraints into an. AMPL. model file. Clearly we want to set up a general model to deal with this prob-lem. 3.2 An AMPL model for the transportation problem. Two fundamental sets of objects underlie the transportation problem: the sources or

  12. PDF Transportation and Assignment Problems

    Assignment problems, which are special cases of transportation problems, pose difficulties for the transportation algorithm and require the development of an algorithm which takes advantage of the simpler nature of these problems. § 1. An Example; The Balanced Transportation Problem We begin with a typical example of a transportation problem.

  13. Transportation Problem

    An introduction to the transportation problem has been discussed in this article. In this article, the method to solve the unbalanced transportation problem will be discussed. Below transportation problem is an unbalanced transportation problem. The problem is unbalanced because the sum of all the supplies i.e. O1 , O2 , O3 and O4 is not equal to t

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    Must Check: Difference Between Transporation Problem and Assignment Problem Conclusion. Transportation Problem in operational research is a special kind of linear programming problem, having an objective to find the minimum cost of transportation of goods from m source to n destination.

  15. What is the difference between Assignment Problem and Transportation

    The assignment problem is said to be balanced if it is a _____. Choose the correct alternative : In an assignment problem if number of rows is greater than number of columns then. The objective of an assignment problem is to assign _____. Fill in the blank : When an assignment problem has more than one solution, then it is _____ optimal solution.

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    Traffic Assignment Problem. Traffic assignment problems usually consider two dimensions. Generation and attraction. A place of origin generates movements that are bound (attracted) to a place of destination. The relationship between traffic generation and attraction is commonly labeled as spatial interaction.

  17. Transportation and Assignment Problems

    Abstract. Transportation and assignment problems are traditional examples of linear programming problems. Although these problems are solvable by using the techniques of Chapters 2-4 directly, the solution procedure is cumbersome; hence, we develop much more efficient algorithms for handling these problems.

  18. Chapter 6 (multiple choice) Flashcards

    The difference between the transportation and assignment problems is that a. total supply must equal total demand in the transportation problem b. the number of origins must equal the number of destinations in the transportation problem c. each supply and demand value is 1 in the assignment problem d. there are many differences between the ...

  19. PDF Transportation and Transshipment Problems Theory

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  20. Balanced and Unbalanced Transportation Problems

    Unbalanced Transportation Problem. Unbalanced transportation problem is defined as a situation in which supply and demand are not equal. A dummy row or a dummy column is added to this type of problem, depending on the necessity, to make it a balanced problem. The problem can then be addressed in the same way as the balanced problem.

  21. Difference Between Assignment and Transportation Model

    Comparison Between Assignment and Transportation Model With Tabular Form. The Major Difference Between Assignment and Transportation model is that Assignment model may be regarded as a special case of the transportation model. However, the Transportation algorithm is not very useful to solve this model because of degeneracy.

  22. 190 Ch 10 Flashcards

    a. total supply must equal total demand in the transportation problem. b. the number of origins must equal the number of destinations in the transportation problem. c. each supply and demand value is 1 in the assignment problem. d. there are many differences between the transportation and assignment problem.

  23. Solved The difference between the assignment and the

    The difference between the assignment and the transportation problem is that. Select one: A. the number of origins must equal the number of destinations in the transportation problem. B. the supply and demand value at each node must equal1 in the assignment problem. C. the number of origins must equal the number of destinations in the ...