An Optimization Problem in Communication Nets
Son Yeong Chan, Wan-Yao Chou · SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics · 1971
An optimal distribution tree with respect to a node of a nonoriented communication net is defined as a tree such that the distribution cost from the reference node to any other node in the net is a minimum. The paper presents an effective method for determining such a tree. The effectiveness of this method lies in the facts that (i) all the paths of an optimal distribution tree can be determined simultaneously and (ii) because of the recurrence nature of the method, the solution can be obtained very easily by hand for simple problems and can be conveniently adapted for machine computation for complex networks. A repeated application of this method enables one to determine an optimal distribution center of a given net.