Basic mathematical programming models for capacity allocation in mesh-based survivable networks

Designing a low cost, survivable, telecommunication network is an extremely complicated process. Most commercial products available to help with this process are based on simulation and/or proprietary heuristics. However, there is a growing consensus that mathematical programming belongs in the designer's "toolkit." Easy-to-use modeling languages coupled with powerful optimization solvers have greatly reduced the burden of implementation of mathematical programming theory into the practice of commercial network design. This manuscript presents an introduction to the basic mathematical programming models for capacity allocation that have been proposed for mesh-based survivable networks.