Solving mixed integer programs with peer-to-peer applications

A system for solving at least one computationally significant problem on a distributed basis as a series of sub-problems, the system comprising a plurality of interconnected agent computers providing a distributed peer to peer network of computers, wherein each agent computer may be in a parent relationship with one or more other agent computers (“parent computer”) and in a child relationship with one or more other agent computers (“child computer”):

• each agent computer including or being linked to a distributed processing management utility for enabling distributed solution of the problem;
• at least one agent computer being operable to define a computationally significant problem for solving by the distributed network, such agent computer being the first computer(s);
• the distributed processing management utility of each agent computer being operable to:
• (a) define one or more sub-trees for the problem, or for the sub-tree assigned to the agent computer, using a branch and bound algorithm;
• (b) assign each defined sub-tree to one of the agent computers, wherein each agent computer is operable to solve the sub-tree and to define, by operation of its distributed processing management utility, one or more further sub-trees that are each assigned to one of the other agent computers for solving or defining of yet further sub-trees as required;
• (c) return the result of each sub-tree solution to the agent computer that assigned the corresponding sub-tree;
• and
• (d) aggregate the sub-tree solutions corresponding to the sub-trees the agent computer assigned to other agent computers to provide a sub-tree solution corresponding to the sub-tree assigned to the agent computer;
• wherein the first computer(s) is operable to provide a solution to the problem by aggregating the sub-tree solutions from the agent computers it assigned sub-trees to
• wherein each agent computer, depending on the distributed solution, communicates with its one or more parent computers and its one or more child computers;
• each agent computer (whether a parent computer or child computer) can perform a sub-problem;
• and
• using the distributed processing management utility each agent computer (whether a parent computer or child computer) can determine whether to assign sub-problems to other child computers and assign the sub-problems based on this determination.

A computer program for enabling solution of at least one computationally significant problem on a distributed basis, the computer program comprising computer instructions which when made available to each of a plurality of interconnected agent computers provides on each of the agent computers a peer-to-peer utility, the agent computers thereby defining a distributed network of computers for solving the problem;

• wherein each agent computer may be in a parent relationship with one or more other agent computers (“parent computer”) and in a child relationship with one or more other agent computers (“child computer”):
• wherein the peer-to-peer utility is operable to enable at one or more of the agent computers definition of a computationally significant problem for solving by the distributed network as a series of sub-problems, such agent computers being the first computer(s);
• and wherein the peer-to-peer utility includes a distributed processing management utility operable to:
• (a) define one or more sub-trees for the problem using a branch and bound algorithm;
• (b) recursively assign each sub-tree to one of the agent computers, wherein each agent computer is operable to solve the sub-tree and to define, by operation of its distributed processing management utility, one or more further sub-trees that are each assigned to one of the other agent computers for solving or defining of yet further sub-trees as required;
• and
• (c) recursively:
• (i) return the result of each sub-tree solution to the agent computer that assigned the sub-tree;
• and
• (ii) aggregate the sub-tree solutions on the agent computer that assigned the sub-trees to provide a solution to the sub-tree assigned to that agent computer;
• until the first computer(s) aggregates the sub-tree solutions to provide a solution to the problem
• wherein each agent computer, depending on the distributed solution, communicates with its one or more parent computers and its one or more child computers;
• each agent computer (whether a parent computer or child computer) can perform a sub-problem;
• and
• using the distributed processing management utility each agent computer (whether a parent computer or child computer) can determine whether to assign sub-problems to other child computers and assign the sub-problems based on this determination.