Interfacing with the Algebraic Modeling Language AMPL

AMPL is a language for expressing and manipulating mathematical programming problems, including large-scale linear and nonlinear programming and complementarily problems. AMPL does not solve problems itself, but invokes separate solvers, which return solution information to AMPL for further manipulation. An open AMPL/solver interface is intended to make AMPL useful with both research and produce and output of data, provision of user-defined functions, exchange of problem informationwith solvers, and control of AMPL by other programs -- both applications and graphical user interfaces. This talk includes a brief overview of AMPL and discussion of these interfacing issues, with emphasis on our recent work in these areas.