Random Search Algorithm for the p-Median Problem

Authors investigate the p-median location problem on networks and propose a heuristic algorithm which is based on the probability changing method (a special case of the genetic algorithm) for an approximate solution to the problem. The ideas of the algorithm are proposed under the assumption that, in the largescale networks with comparatively small edge lengths, the p-median problem has features similar to the Weber problem. The efficiency of the proposed algorithm and its combinations with the known algorithms were proved by experiments.