Patent ID: 8924341

Claim:
A computer comprising: a microprocessor; and, polishing software executing in the computer by the microprocessor to the software being enabled to: obtain by the microprocessor, a first solution to a primary combinatorial optimization problem by determining first and second portions of the first solution; obtain, by the microprocessor, a second solution to the primary combinatorial optimization problem by determining first and second portions of the second solution, wherein the first portion of the second solution is equal to the first portion of the first solution, and wherein the second portion of the second solution is not equal to the second portion of the first solution; after obtaining the first and second solutions, obtain, by the microprocessor, a third solution to the primary combinatorial optimization problem by determining first and second portions of the third solution, wherein the first portion of the third solution is determined by setting the first portion of the third solution equal to the first portions of the first and second solutions, and wherein the second portion of the third solution is determined by solving a secondary combinatorial optimization problem, the secondary combinatorial optimization problem being formulated as a problem of which one or more solutions may be determined by applying combinatorial optimization problem solving techniques.