Karmarkar Algorithm Enables Interactive Planning of Networks

A new method for solving complex linear programming problems is being tested at AT&T Bell Laboratories. Popularly known as the 'Karmarkar algorithm', the high-speed method is being used to solve network planning problems involving overseas transmission facilities, such as the one serving the Pacific Basin. In facilities planning, the overall cost of a network is minimized, subject to such practical constraints as demands to be met, capacity limits, etc.