While inventory- and revenue-management problems can be represented as Markov decision process (MDP) models, in some cases the well-known dynamic-programming curse of dimensionality makes it computationally prohibitive to solve them exactly. An alternative solution, called here the...

We consider the problem of optimizing inventories for problems where the demand distribution is unknown, and where it does not necessarily follow a standard form such as the normal. We address problems where the process of deciding the inventory, and then realizing the demand, occurs repeatedly....

We study the problem of allocating stocked fibers to made-to-order cables with the goals of satisfying due dates and reducing the costs of scrap, setup, and fiber circulation. These goals are achieved by generating remnant fibers either long enough to satisfy future orders or short enough to...