Optimal procedures for the discrete time/cost trade-off problem in project networks

We describe two algorithms, based on dynamic programming logic, for optimally solving the discrete time/cost trade-off problem in deterministic activity-on-arc networks of the CPM type, where the duration of each activity is a discrete, nonincreasing function of the amount of a single nonrenewable resource committed to it. The first algorithm is based on a procedure proposed by Bein, Kamburowski and Stallmann for finding the minimal number of reductions necessary to transform a general network to a series–parallel network. The second algorithm minimizes the estimated number of possibilities that need to be considered during the solution procedure. Both procedures have been programmed in C and tested on a large set of representative networks to give a good indication of their performance, and indicate the circumstances in which either algorithm performs best.