Efficient resolutions of the single-item uncapacitated lot problem

Several resolution methods for the ‘economic lot sizing’, as presented by Wagner and Whitin, are described and compared. Their applicability supports discontinuous production processes, frequently found for instance in the chemical industry and useful in other areas. The underlying calculation efficiency, which is made clear, results from the mathematical structure of the problem and is characterized by its speed, although this feature is not readily generalizable. Therefore, this descriptive analysis focuses a problem that is able to become a building element for other, more complex problems, which keeps granting it intense research activity.