Method and apparatus for forming expressive combinatorial auctions and exchanges

A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

• (a) electronically store a plurality of bids of a combinatorial exchange in a computer storage, with each bid including at least one item and an associated bid price;
• (b) cause exchange description data (EDD) stored in the computer storage to be electronically associated with at least one of the following:
• a subset of the received bids, each bid of the subset of the received bids, and/or the combinatorial exchange itself, wherein the EDD stored in the computer storage comprises a representation of at least one of the following features:
• a non-price attribute of a bid;
• a non-price attribute of an item;
• an item adjustment;
• a bid adjustment;
• a cost constraint;
• a unit constraint;
• a cost requirement;
• a unit requirement;
• a counting constraint;
• a counting requirement;
• a homogeneity constraint;
• a mixture constraint;
• cost conditional pricing;
• or unit conditional pricing;
• (c) cause a model builder to electronically build a model of the received plurality of bids and the EDD associated with each bid of the subset of the plurality of bids;
• (d) cause a solver/analyzer to electronically process said model to determine an infeasible allocation, a winning allocation or a feasible allocation and an allocation value for said exchange;
• and
• (e) electronically output the allocation determined in step (d).

A computer-implemented method of conducting a combinatorial exchange comprising:

• (a) electronically storing in a computer storage a plurality of bids of a combinatorial exchange, wherein each bid includes at least one item and an associated bid price;
• (b) electronically associating exchange description data (EDD) stored in the computer storage with at least one of the following:
• a subset of the received bids, each bid of the subset of the received bids, and/or the combinatorial exchange itself, wherein the EDD stored in the computer storage comprises a representation of at least one of the following features:
• a non-price attribute of an item,
• an item adjustment,
• a cost requirement,
• a unit requirement,
• a counting requirement,
• a mixture constraint,
• a homogeneity constraint,
• cost conditional pricing, or
• unit conditional pricing;
• (c) a model builder electronically constructing a model of (1) the bids received in step (a) and (2) the EDD electronically associated in step (b) with:
• the subset of the received bids, each bid of the subset of the received bids, and/or the combinatorial exchange itself;
• (d) a solver/analyzer electronically processing the model constructed in step (c) to determine for the combinatorial exchange an infeasible allocation, a winning allocation or a feasible allocation of received bids and a value for said allocation, subject to the EDD electronically associated in step (b);
• and
• (e) electronically outputting the allocation and the value determined in step (d).

A computer-implemented method of conducting a combinatorial exchange comprising:

• (a) electronically storing in a computer storage a plurality of bids of a combinatorial exchange, wherein each bid includes at least one item and an associated bid price;
• (b) electronically associating exchange description data (EDD) stored in the computer storage with at least one of the following:
• a subset of the received bids, each bid of the subset of the received bids, and/or the combinatorial exchange itself, wherein the EDD stored in the computer storage comprises a representation of at least one of the following features:
• an item adjustment,
• a cost requirement,
• a unit requirement,
• a counting requirement,
• cost conditional pricing, or
• unit conditional pricing;
• (c) a model builder electronically constructing a model of (1) the bids received in step (a) and (2) the EDD electronically associated in step (b) with:
• the subset of the received bids, each bid of the subset of the received bids, and/or the combinatorial exchange itself;
• (d) a solver/analyzer electronically processing the model constructed in step (c) to determine for the combinatorial exchange an infeasible allocation, a winning allocation or a feasible allocation of received bids and a value for said allocation, subject to the EDD electronically associated in step (b);
• and
• (e) electronically outputting the allocation and the value determined in step (d).

A computer-implemented method of conducting a combinatorial exchange comprising:

• (a) electronically storing in a computer storage a plurality of bids of a combinatorial exchange, wherein each bid includes at least one item and an associated bid price;
• (b) electronically associating exchange description data (EDD) stored in the computer storage with at least one of the following:
• a subset of the received bids, each bid of the subset of the received bids, and/or the combinatorial exchange itself, wherein the EDD stored in the computer storage comprises a representation of at least one of the following features:
• an item adjustment,
• a cost requirement,
• a counting requirement, or
• cost conditional pricing;
• (c) a model builder electronically constructing a model of (1) the bids received in step (a) and (2) the EDD electronically associated in step (b) with:
• the subset of the received bids, each bid of the subset of the received bids, and/or the combinatorial exchange itself;
• (d) a solver/analyzer electronically processing the model constructed in step (c) to determine for the combinatorial exchange an infeasible allocation, a winning allocation or a feasible allocation of received bids and a value for said allocation, subject to the EDD electronically associated in step (b);
• and
• (e) electronically outputting the allocation and the value determined in step (d).