Patent ID: 7584112

Claim:
A computer-implemented method performed by a computer comprising: optimizing by the computer a multivariate representation of resources using multiple single-variable optimizations, wherein the resources are used in producing a set of products, and the resources, the set of products and their respective connectivities are represented in a product space plan, the optimizing comprising converting a non-linear expected value function associated with the resources and products into a closed form expression; transforming by the computer the product space plan into a working transformed space plan, wherein: the products are transformed into working elements, the transforming includes taking a transformation of the product space plan to provide the working transformed space plan, and the transforming maps a distribution induced on the resources by a product demand distribution into a distribution with a diagonal covariance matrix; performing by the computer a loading step to form elemental blocks as a function of a single variable of the multivariate representation with elements being loaded with resources that gate production of the element; examining the elemental blocks to determine if a first element has not been loaded with a corresponding first resource that gates production of the first element; if the examining indicates that the first element has not been loaded with the first resource, performing a re-loading step to form elemental blocks as a function of a single variable of the multivariate representation with the first element being reloaded with the first resource; solving by the computer for the maximum of each elemental block over each associated single variable of the multivariate representation; and determining and presenting the optimum level of resources as a function of the solved for maximums.