?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.relation=https%3A%2F%2Fpure.iiasa.ac.at%2Fid%2Feprint%2F4188%2F&rft.title=On+Optimal+Allocation+of+Indivisibles+Under+Uncertainty&rft.creator=Norkin%2C+V.I.&rft.creator=Ermoliev%2C+Y.M.&rft.creator=Ruszczynski%2C+A.&rft.description=The+optimal+use+of+indivisible+resources+is+often+the+central+issue+in+the+economy+and+management.+One+of+the+main+difficulties+is+the+discontinuous+nature++of+the+resulting+resource+allocation+problems+which+may+lead++to+the+failure+of+competitive+market+allocation+mechanisms+(unless+we+agree+to+%22divide%22+the+indivisibles+in+some+indirect+way).+The+problem+becomes+even+more+acute+when+uncertainty+of+the+outcomes+of+decisions+is+present.++%0D%0A%0D%0AIn+this+paper+we+formalize+the+problem+as+a+stochastic+optimization+problem+involving+discrete+decision+variables+and+uncertainties.+By+using+some+concrete+examples%2C+we+illustrate+how+some+problems+of+%22dividing+indivisibles%22+under+uncertainty+can+be+formalized+in+such+terms.+Next%2C+we+develop+a+general+methodology+to+solve+such+problems+based+on+the+concept+of+the+branch+and+bound+method.+The+main+idea+of+the+approach+is+to+process+large+collections+of+possible+solutions+and+to+devote+more+attention+to+the+most+promising+groups.+By+gathering+more+information+to+reduce+the+uncertainty+and+by+specializing+the+solution+the+optimal+decision+can+be+found.&rft.publisher=WP-94-021&rft.date=1994-04&rft.type=Monograph&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=text&rft.language=en&rft.identifier=https%3A%2F%2Fpure.iiasa.ac.at%2Fid%2Feprint%2F4188%2F1%2FWP-94-021.pdf&rft.identifier=++Norkin%2C+V.I.+%3Chttps%3A%2F%2Fpure.iiasa.ac.at%2Fview%2Fiiasa%2F2245.html%3E%2C+Ermoliev%2C+Y.M.+%3Chttps%3A%2F%2Fpure.iiasa.ac.at%2Fview%2Fiiasa%2F338.html%3E%2C+%26+Ruszczynski%2C+A.+%3Chttps%3A%2F%2Fpure.iiasa.ac.at%2Fview%2Fiiasa%2F1544.html%3E++(1994).++On+Optimal+Allocation+of+Indivisibles+Under+Uncertainty.+++IIASA+Working+Paper.+IIASA%2C+Laxenburg%2C+Austria%3A+WP-94-021+++++