Patent ID: 8082549

Claim:
A method for allocating resources using a linear programming model comprising an objective function and a set of model constraints that describe feasible allocations of the resources, the method comprising the steps of: (a) ranking the model constraints according to a constraint selection metric based on at least one criterion selected from a first group and at least one criterion selected from a second group; (b) making an initial selection of one or more of the top ranked model constraints; (c) determining a new problem by adding the selected model constraints to the objective function or a previously determined new problem; (d) determining a tentative resource allocation based on the new problem if the tentative resource allocation exists; (e) if the tentative resource allocation cannot be determined, then terminating the method and reporting that the tentative resource allocation cannot be determined; (f) whenever any of the ranked model constraints have not been previously selected: (1) selecting one or more next ranked model constraints that have not been previously selected, (2) if the tentative resource allocation violates the selected next ranked model constraints, repeating step (c) using the selected next ranked model constraints instead of the selected model constraints and steps (d), (e) and (f), and (3) if the tentative resource allocation does not violate the selected next ranked model constraints, repeating step (f); and (g) whenever all the model constraints have been previously selected, allocating the resources in accordance with the tentative resource allocation.