A GRASPxELS with Depth First Search Split Procedure for the HVRP

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel depth-first search split procedure within a GRASP metaheuristic to improve routing problem solutions, demonstrating enhanced efficiency through numerical experiments.

Contribution

It presents a new depth-first search split method integrated into GRASP for routing problems, extending previous split procedures with resource-aware heuristics.

Findings

Improved solution quality in location routing problems.

Enhanced computational efficiency over existing split methods.

Validated effectiveness through comprehensive numerical experiments.

Abstract

Split procedures have been proved to be efficient within global framework optimization for routing problems by splitting giant tour into trips. This is done by generating optimal shortest path within an auxiliary graph built from the giant tour. An efficient application has been introduced for the first time by Lacomme et al. (2001) within a metaheuristic approach to solve the Capacitated Arc Routing Problem (CARP) and second for the Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) by Prins (2004). In a further step, the Split procedure embedded in metaheuristics has been extended to address more complex routing problems thanks to a heuristic splitting of the giant tour using the generation of labels on the nodes of the auxiliary graph linked to resource management. Lately, Duhamel et al. (2010) defined a new Split family based on a depth first search approach during labels generation in graph. The efficiency of the new split method has been first evaluated in location routing problem with a GRASP metaheuristic. Duhamel et al. (2010) provided full numerical experiments on this topic.