science

Vehicle rescheduling problem

Vehicle rescheduling problem is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Vehicle rescheduling problem rather than just read about it. In short: The vehicle rescheduling problem (VRSP) is a combinatorial optimization and integer programming problem seeking to service customers on a trip after change of schedule such as vehicle break down or major delay. Proposed by Li, Mirchandani and Borenstein in 2007, the VRSP is an important problem in the fields of transportation and logistics.

Key takeaways

Vehicle rescheduling problem belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Vehicle rescheduling problem to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Vehicle rescheduling problem from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The vehicle rescheduling problem (VRSP) is a combinatorial optimization and integer programming problem seeking to service customers on a trip after change of schedule such as vehicle break down or major delay. Proposed by Li, Mirchandani and Borenstein in 2007, the VRSP is an important problem in the fields of transportation and logistics. Determining the optimal solution is an NP-complete problem in combinatorial optimization, so in practice heuristic and deterministic methods are used to find acceptably good solutions for the VRSP.

Overview Several variations and specializations of the vehicle rescheduling problem exist:

Single Depot Vehicle Rescheduling Problem (SDVRSP): A number of trips need to be rescheduled due to delay, vehicle break down or for any other reason. The goal is to find optimal rescheduling of the existing fleet, using possibly extra vehicles from the depot, in order to minimise the delay and the operating costs. In the Single Depot variation, there is only one depot which contains all extra vehicles, and in which every vehicle starts and ends its schedule. Multi Depot Vehicle Rescheduling Problem (MDVRSP): Similar to SDVRSP, except additional depots are introduced. Each depot has capacity constraints, as well as variable extra vehicles. Usually vehicle schedules have an additional constraint which requires that each vehicle returns to the depot where it started its schedule. Open Vehicle Rescheduling Problem (OVRSP): Vehicles are not required to return to the depot. Although VRSP is related to the Single Depot Vehicle Scheduling Problem and the Multi Depot Vehicle Scheduling Problem, there is a significant difference in runtime requirements, as VRSP need to be solved in near real-time to allow rescheduling during operations, while SDVSP and MDVSP are typically solved using long running linear programming methods. Another field where VRSP is used is in transportation of goods in order to reschedule the routes when demand substantially changes

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Vehicle rescheduling problem

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Vehicle rescheduling problem claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Vehicle rescheduling problem before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Vehicle rescheduling problem ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Vehicle rescheduling problem

In research: Vehicle rescheduling problem appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Vehicle rescheduling problem in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Vehicle rescheduling problem is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics NP-complete problems, Optimal scheduling, Transportation planning, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Vehicle rescheduling problem outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Vehicle rescheduling problem in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Vehicle rescheduling problem means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Vehicle rescheduling problem out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Vehicle rescheduling problem in simple terms?

Why does Vehicle rescheduling problem matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Vehicle rescheduling problem?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Vehicle rescheduling problem.