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A lattice covering model for evaluating existing service facilities *
Author(s) -
O'Kelly Morton E.,
Murray Alan T.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
papers in regional science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.937
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1435-5957
pISSN - 1056-8190
DOI - 10.1111/j.1435-5597.2004.tb01925.x
Subject(s) - maxima and minima , grid , computer science , siren (mythology) , heuristic , set (abstract data type) , excursion , mathematical optimization , service (business) , operations research , algorithm , mathematics , artificial intelligence , business , geometry , art , mathematical analysis , literature , marketing , political science , law , programming language
. This article presents the following location problem: align a regularly spaced grid of new facilities as well as possible with a set of existing centres. The problem has some similarity to a problem in classical central place theory, namely the spatial arrangement of services with a particular range of coverage. The article poses the problem, gives a non‐linear formulation, and details solution approaches. A robust heuristic, based on geometric insights, is also devised: if the basis for the new grid is centred on at least one fixed centre, an enumeration of various rotation angles will be effective for finding local minima (and maxima). As a practical application of this problem, a region may wish to supplement an existing system of fixed siren locations with additional facilities in such a way as to fill in, or complete, the partial coverage pattern. An evaluation of the siren system in Dublin, OH, USA, is utilised to demonstrate the effectiveness of the technique.