<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><!DOCTYPE article  PUBLIC "-//NLM//DTD Journal Publishing DTD v3.0 20080202//EN" "http://dtd.nlm.nih.gov/publishing/3.0/journalpublishing3.dtd"><article xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" dtd-version="3.0" xml:lang="en" article-type="research article"><front><journal-meta><journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">OJOp</journal-id><journal-title-group><journal-title>Open Journal of Optimization</journal-title></journal-title-group><issn pub-type="epub">2325-7105</issn><publisher><publisher-name>Scientific Research Publishing</publisher-name></publisher></journal-meta><article-meta><article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.4236/ojop.2015.44014</article-id><article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">OJOp-62249</article-id><article-categories><subj-group subj-group-type="heading"><subject>Articles</subject></subj-group><subj-group subj-group-type="Discipline-v2"><subject>Computer Science&amp;Communications</subject><subject> Engineering</subject><subject> Physics&amp;Mathematics</subject></subj-group></article-categories><title-group><article-title>
 
 
  On Merging Cover Inequalities for Multiple Knapsack Problems
 
</article-title></title-group><contrib-group><contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>andal</surname><given-names>Hickman</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"><sup>1</sup></xref><xref ref-type="corresp" rid="cor1"><sup>*</sup></xref></contrib><contrib contrib-type="author" xlink:type="simple"><name name-style="western"><surname>Todd</surname><given-names>Easton</given-names></name><xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff2"><sup>2</sup></xref><xref ref-type="corresp" rid="cor1"><sup>*</sup></xref></contrib></contrib-group><aff id="aff2"><addr-line>Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering Department, Kansas State University, Manhattan, USA</addr-line></aff><aff id="aff1"><addr-line>Department of Mathematical Sciences, United States Military Academy, West Point, USA</addr-line></aff><author-notes><corresp id="cor1">* E-mail:<email>Randal.Hickman@usma.edu(AH)</email>;<email>teaston@ksu.edu(TE)</email>;</corresp></author-notes><pub-date pub-type="epub"><day>11</day><month>12</month><year>2015</year></pub-date><volume>04</volume><issue>04</issue><fpage>141</fpage><lpage>155</lpage><history><date date-type="received"><day>27</day>	<month>August</month>	<year>2015</year></date><date date-type="rev-recd"><day>accepted</day>	<month>21</month>	<year>December</year>	</date><date date-type="accepted"><day>25</day>	<month>December</month>	<year>2015</year></date></history><permissions><copyright-statement>&#169; Copyright  2014 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. </copyright-statement><copyright-year>2014</copyright-year><license><license-p>This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</license-p></license></permissions><abstract><p>
 
 
   This paper describes methods to merge two cover inequalities and also simultaneously merge multiple cover inequalities in a multiple knapsack instance. Theoretical results provide conditions under which merged cover inequalities are valid. Polynomial time algorithms are created to find merged cover inequalities. A computational study demonstrates that merged inequalities improve the solution times for benchmark multiple knapsack instances by about 9% on average over CPLEX with default settings. 
 
</p></abstract><kwd-group><kwd>Multiple Knapsack Problem</kwd><kwd> Cutting Plane</kwd><kwd> Cover Inequality</kwd><kwd> Inequality Merging</kwd><kwd> Pseudocost</kwd><kwd> Integer Programming</kwd></kwd-group></article-meta></front><body><sec id="s1"><title>1. Introduction to Inequality Merging</title><p>An integer program (IP) is a common type of optimization problem, defined as maximize <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x6.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> subject to <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x7.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x8.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> where<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x9.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x10.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x11.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> where m and n are integers both greater than or equal to 1. Define <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x12.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> as the set of indices of an IP.</p><p>One frequently studied IP is the 0 - 1 knapsack problem (KP), defined as maximize <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x13.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> subject to<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x14.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x15.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> where c and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x16.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>,<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x17.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. The multiple knapsack (MK) problem has</p><p>multiple knapsack constraints and is defined as maximize <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x18.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> subject to <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x19.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x20.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> where<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x20.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x21.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x20.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x21.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x22.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x20.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x21.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x22.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x23.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Solutions to KP and MK problems support a wide variety of real-world applications, including examples in Ahuja and Cunha [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref1">1</xref>] , Chang and Lee [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref2">2</xref>] , Dawande et al. [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref3">3</xref>] , Dizdar et al. [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref4">4</xref>] , Kellerer and Strusevich [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref5">5</xref>] , Martello and Toth [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref6">6</xref>] , Shachnai and Tamir [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref7">7</xref>] , and Szeto and Lo [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref8">8</xref>] . This paper focuses on MK problems.</p><p>A half space is<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x24.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, and a polyhedron is defined as the intersection of finitely many half</p><p>spaces. A set <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x25.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is convex if and only if <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x25.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x26.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x25.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x26.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x27.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> implies <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x25.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x26.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x27.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x28.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> for every<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x25.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x26.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x27.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x28.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x29.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. A polyhedron is convex, and the convex hull of S, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x25.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x26.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x27.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x28.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x29.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x30.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, is the intersection of all convex sets that contain S.</p><p>Let P be the set of feasible points of an integer program, where<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x31.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Define</p><p><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x32.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x32.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x33.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> as the feasible regions of the knapsack and</p><p>multiple knapsack problems, respectively where <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x34.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x34.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x35.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>A well-known technique to improve solution times for IP problems is the generation of valid inequalities. An</p><p>inequality <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x36.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is a valid inequality for <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x36.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x37.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> if every <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x36.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x37.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x38.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> satisfies the inequality. If the</p><p>valid inequality separates the linear relaxation solution from the convex hull of the IP, then it is called a cutting plane. The linear relaxation is the IP with the integrality restriction eliminated. The theoretically best cutting planes define facets of<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x39.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, but any cutting plane that separates the linear relaxation from <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x39.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x40.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> may be computationally useful. A thorough explanation of such results is in Nemhauser and Wolsey [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref9">9</xref>] .</p><p>For a MK problem, a cover cut may be generated in one or more of the m constraints. A set <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x41.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is a</p><p>cover for row <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x42.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> if<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x42.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x43.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. The corresponding cover inequality is valid for <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x42.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x43.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x44.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and takes the form<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x42.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x43.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x44.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x45.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Cover cuts have been studied extensively by Balas and Zemel [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref10">10</xref>] , De Farias</p><p>et al. [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref11">11</xref>] , Louveaux and Weismantel [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref12">12</xref>] , Nemhauser and Vance [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref13">13</xref>] , and Park [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref14">14</xref>] . Knowledge of cover cuts is critical to this research.</p><p>Many such covers may exist and pseudo-costing strategies provide a prioritized variable ordering. Pseudo- costing strategies for integer programming problems were studied by Benichou, et al. in [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref15">15</xref>] and Gauthier and Ribiere in [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref16">16</xref>] . Refalo used pseudo-cost strategies to improve constraint programming in [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref17">17</xref>] , and Achterberg, et al. developed reliability branching rules for IPs as an extension of pseudo-costing in [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref18">18</xref>] .</p><p>In some instances, cover inequalities may be strengthened through lifting. Gomory introduced the technique in [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref19">19</xref>] , taking a valid inequality of a restricted space and tilting it to become a valid inequality of a higher dimensional space. Substantial bodies of research have extended lifting to several categories such as exact up-lifting (Cho et al. [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref20">20</xref>] , Gutierrez [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref21">21</xref>] , Hammer et al. [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref22">22</xref>] , and Wolsey [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref23">23</xref>] ), exact simultaneous up-lifting (Easton and Hooker [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref24">24</xref>] , Kubik [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref25">25</xref>] , and Zemel [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref26">26</xref>] ), exact sequential down and middle lifting by Wolsey [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref23">23</xref>] , sequence dependent lifting (Atamt&#252;rk [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref27">27</xref>] , Gu et al. [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref28">28</xref>] -[<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref30">30</xref>] , and Shebalov and Klabjan [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref31">31</xref>] ), and other approximate lifting methods (Balas [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref32">32</xref>] and Weismantel [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref33">33</xref>] ).</p><p>Theoretical foundations for inequality merging were first introduced by Hickman and Easton in [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref34">34</xref>] . Although merging appears similar to lifting, it yields new cutting planes that are not attainable through straight- forward applications of known lifting techniques. Their paper creates a single cutting plane by merging two inequalities. This merged inequality can be theoretically stronger than the original inequalities, and it may induce a facet under certain conditions.</p><p>This paper extends the idea of inequality merging by focusing on cover inequalities in MK problems. Information from two or more cover inequalities in an MK instance may be merged into a single cutting plane. In some instances, simultaneous merging of cover inequalities may occur across multiple rows at the same time.</p><p>The next section describes the process of cover inequality merging for MK instances and provides theoretical results and examples. The third section offers the results of a computational study that highlights the computa- tional benefits of employing merged cover inequalities in test MK problems. The final section offers some directions for future research.</p></sec><sec id="s2"><title>2. Theory and Examples of Merging Cover Inequalities</title><p>It is straightforward to find cover inequalities in MK instances and merging requires two covers, called host and donor. Let <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x46.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> be a cover in row r and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x46.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x47.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> be a cover in row s for some<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x46.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x47.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x48.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Thus,</p><p>the cover inequalities <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x49.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x49.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x50.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> are valid inequalities of<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x49.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x50.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x51.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Merging the host and donor cover inequalities occurs on binary variable <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x52.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> where <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x52.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x53.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> or if</p><p><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x54.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, then<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x54.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x55.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Since <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x54.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x55.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x56.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is bounded by 1 and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x54.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x55.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x56.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x57.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, it follows that <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x54.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x55.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x56.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x57.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x58.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> could be replaced in host cover inequality with the <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x54.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x55.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x56.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x57.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x58.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x59.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> indices with coefficients<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x54.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x55.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x56.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x57.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x58.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x59.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x60.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Thus, a merged cover inequality has the form<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x54.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x55.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x56.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x57.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x58.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x59.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x60.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x61.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>If the merged inequality is valid, then this inequality includes more nonzero coefficients than either <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x62.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> or<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x62.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x63.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. The question remains as to whether or not the merged inequality is valid. The following theorem provides conditions for its validity.</p><p>Theorem 1. Let <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x64.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> be a cover from row r and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x64.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x65.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> be a cover from some row s in a MK instance such that<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x64.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x65.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x66.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Define index <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x64.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x65.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x66.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x67.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> as the merging index with the restriction that if<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x64.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x65.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x66.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x67.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x68.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, then<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x64.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x65.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x66.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x67.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x68.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x69.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. If <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x64.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x65.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x66.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x67.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x68.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x69.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x70.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is a cover in at least one row of the MK</p><p>instance for each<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x71.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, then the merged cover inequality, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x71.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x72.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>,</p><p>is valid for<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x73.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Proof. Let <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x74.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> be any point in<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x74.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x75.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Define<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x74.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x75.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x76.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. If<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x74.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x75.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x76.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x77.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, then <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x74.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x75.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x76.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x77.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x78.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> because</p><p><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x79.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>is a cover in some constraint for each<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x79.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x80.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Thus,</p><p><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x81.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. If<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x81.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x82.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, then <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x81.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x82.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x83.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> since <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x81.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x82.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x83.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x84.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is a cover. Thus, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x81.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x82.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x83.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x84.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x85.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>and the result follows. <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x81.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x82.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x83.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x84.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x85.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x86.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula></p><p>Theorem 1 describes which indices can be used to create a donor cover. These candidate indices can be easily found based upon a <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x87.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> threshold, which is associated with the host cover inequality and the merging variable. Given a host cover <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x87.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x88.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> in row r and a designated merging variable<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x87.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x88.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x89.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, then</p><p><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x90.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. The purpose of <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x90.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x91.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is to rapidly identify indices that can be used to create a donor cover from any row s. Define these potential donor indices as<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x90.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x91.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x92.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. If</p><p><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x93.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>is a cover and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x93.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x94.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, then merging the host and donor cover on <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x93.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x94.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x95.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> results in a valid merged</p><p>inequality as shown in the following theorem.</p><p>Theorem 2. Given a multiple knapsack instance, a host cover <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x96.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> from row r and a merging variable <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x96.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x97.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> with<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x96.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x97.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x98.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Let <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x96.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x97.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x98.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x99.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> be a cover in some row s such that <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x96.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x97.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x98.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x99.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x100.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> for all<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x96.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x97.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x98.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x99.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x100.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x101.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, then</p><p><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x102.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>is a valid inequality of<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x102.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x103.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Proof. Assume<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x104.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x104.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x105.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>is a cover in row r, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x104.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x105.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x106.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>is a cover in some row s and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x104.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x105.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x106.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x107.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Define</p><p><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x108.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Since <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x108.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x109.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is a cover,<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x108.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x109.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x110.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. The proof divides into two cases, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x108.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x109.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x110.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x111.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>and</p><p><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x112.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>First, assume<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x113.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Thus, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x113.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x114.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>for all<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x113.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x114.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x115.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Since<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x113.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x114.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x115.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x116.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>,</p><p><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x117.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Thus,<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x117.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x118.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Every <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x117.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x118.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x119.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> has the</p><p>property that <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x120.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and so <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x120.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x121.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> for all<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x120.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x121.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x122.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Consequently,</p><p><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x123.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Second, assume<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x124.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Since C<sup>donor</sup> is a cover in row s,<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x124.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x125.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Thus,<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x124.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x125.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x126.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Consequently,<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x127.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>These two cases are exhaustive. Therefore every <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x128.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> satisfies</p><p><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x129.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>and this merged inequality is valid for<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x129.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x130.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x129.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x130.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x131.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula></p><p>To identify valid merged cover inequalities, the user must identify a host cover, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x132.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>and a merged index<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x132.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x133.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Some selections for <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x132.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x133.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x134.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and a merged variable <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x132.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x133.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x134.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x135.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> may not allow a candidate donor inequality to exist. The Reducing <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x132.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x133.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x134.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x135.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x136.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> Algorithm changes <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x132.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x133.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x134.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x135.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x136.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x137.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> to increase the likelihood of the existence of an appropriate donor cover.</p><p>The input to the Reducing <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x138.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> Algorithm is a multiple knapsack instance, a valid host cover from row r and a merging variable <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x138.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x139.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> with<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x138.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x139.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x140.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. In addition, a threshold <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x138.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x139.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x140.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x141.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is provided. The output of this algorithm is a new host cover inequality and a new merging variable. These are denoted by <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x138.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x139.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x140.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x141.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x142.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x138.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x139.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x140.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x141.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x142.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x143.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, respectively.</p><p>Reducing <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x144.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> Algorithm</p><disp-formula id="scirp.62249-formula262"><graphic  xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x145.png"  xlink:type="simple"/></disp-formula><p>If the Reducing <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x146.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> Algorithm terminates successfully, then <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x146.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x147.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is a cover because it satisfies the</p><p>condition that<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x148.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. When this happens, the last index q added to <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x148.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x149.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> becomes the newly deter-</p><p>mined overlapped variable<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x150.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x150.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x151.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Since<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x150.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x151.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x152.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, smaller <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x150.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x151.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x152.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x153.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> coef-</p><p>ficients may identify acceptable additional variables for use in<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x154.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. This increases the likelihood of achieving a valid<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x154.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x155.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, thus increasing the opportunity for construction of a merged cutting plane inequality.</p><p>In some instances, the Reducing <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x156.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> Algorithm terminates successfully with a new cover <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x156.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x157.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and a new value<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x156.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x157.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x158.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, but it may not have a sufficient number indices in <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x156.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x157.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x158.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x159.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> to construct<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x156.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x157.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x158.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x159.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x160.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. If this happens, the</p><p>Reducing <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x161.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> Algorithm may be used iteratively until a suitable <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x161.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x162.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is attained.</p><p>Observe that the Reducing <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x163.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> Algorithm also requires a careful selection of <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x163.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x164.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> to achieve stronger results in many instances. A small value of <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x163.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x164.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x165.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> tends to allow indices with small a coefficients to enter<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x163.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x164.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x165.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x166.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. When this happens, the size of <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x163.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x164.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x165.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x166.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x167.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> may become undesirably large or fail to generate a cover. Including too many variables in the host cover results in fewer candidate indices in<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x163.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x164.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x165.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x166.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x167.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x168.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>High values of <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x169.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> may allow few (or zero) new candidate indices for inclusion in<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x169.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x170.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. In such instances, it is more likely that the reducing <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x169.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x170.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x171.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> algorithm fails to return a new <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x169.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x170.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x171.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x172.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and/or fails to reduce the value of<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x169.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x170.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x171.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x172.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x173.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Even if the algorithm succeeds, higher values of <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x169.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x170.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x171.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x172.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x173.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x174.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> tend to result in relatively smaller reductions in<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x169.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x170.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x171.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x172.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x173.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x174.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x175.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, possibly requiring multiple calls to this procedure when a valid merged inequality is not yet attainable. Given this sensitivity to<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x169.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x170.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x171.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x172.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x173.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x174.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x175.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x176.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, a careful selection of <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x169.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x170.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x171.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x172.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x173.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x174.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x175.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x176.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x177.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is required. For practical purposes, it is recommended to consider values of <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x169.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x170.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x171.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x172.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x173.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x174.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x175.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x176.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x177.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x178.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> between 0.3 and 0.7.</p><p>The Reducing <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x179.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> Algorithm is a linear algorithm for each specified <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x179.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x180.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> value. The initialization requires</p><p><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x181.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. The main step could search through all other indices, so it performs in <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x181.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x182.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> effort. Thus,</p><p>the algorithm runs in<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x183.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, which is linear for a fixed<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x183.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x184.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><sec id="s2_1"><title>2.1. Merging over Multiple Donor Covers Simultaneously</title><p>This section presents a method to strengthen the previous results by merging on multiple donor covers at the same time. Conditions are provided to create valid inequalities from merging over three or more cover inequa- lities simultaneously. Another algorithm is presented to search for the strongest merging coefficients among multiple potential donor rows in the MK instance.</p><p>Simultaneous merging over multiple donor covers begins with a <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x185.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> cover from a MK constraint with</p><p><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x186.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>and its associated <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x186.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x187.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and set<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x186.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x187.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x188.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. The inequality <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x186.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x187.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x188.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x189.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is likely to be valid for any <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x186.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x187.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x188.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x189.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x190.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> where <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x186.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x187.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x188.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x189.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x190.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x191.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is any cover from any constraint of the MK instance with<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x186.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x187.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x188.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x189.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x190.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x191.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x192.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Thus, the strongest such inequality would select <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x186.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x187.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x188.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x189.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x190.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x191.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x192.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x193.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> where <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x186.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x187.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x188.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x189.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x190.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x191.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x192.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x193.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x194.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x186.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x187.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x188.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x189.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x190.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x191.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x192.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x193.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x194.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x195.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is the</p><p>maximum cardinality cover from any row.</p><p>The check of validity must assure that there does not exist a feasible point which violates this new inequality.</p><p>Prior to this result, define<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x196.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x196.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x197.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x196.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x197.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x198.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Theorem 3. Let <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x199.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> be a cover from a MK constraint with<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x199.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x200.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, corresponding value <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x199.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x200.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x201.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and</p><p>associated set<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x202.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Then the inequality <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x202.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x203.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is valid for <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x202.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x203.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x204.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> for any <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x202.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x203.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x204.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x205.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> where <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x202.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x203.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x204.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x205.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x206.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is any cover from any constraint of the MK instance as long as one of</p><p>the following conditions holds</p><p>1) <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x207.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula></p><p>2) <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x208.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>for all integer<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x208.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x209.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Proof. Let<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x210.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Since<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x210.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x211.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, then <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x210.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x211.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x212.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is a cover in row r. If<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x210.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x211.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x212.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x213.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, then<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x210.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x211.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x212.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x213.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x214.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Thus, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x210.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x211.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x212.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x213.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x214.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x215.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>for every value of<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x210.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x211.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x212.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x213.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x214.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x215.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x216.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Assume 1) is true. If<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x217.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, then <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x217.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x218.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> because 1) is true and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x217.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x218.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x219.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is bounded by 1. Consequently,<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x217.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x218.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x219.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x220.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Assume 2) is true. Let<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x221.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Thus<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x221.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x222.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. By 2) <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x221.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x222.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x223.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>and thus <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x221.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x222.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x223.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x224.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Thus,<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x221.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x222.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x223.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x224.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x225.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x221.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x222.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x223.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x224.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x225.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x226.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula></p><p>An immediate result of Theorem 3 is an algorithm to merge over multiple donor covers simultaneously. This algorithm explores all rows to determine the smallest eligible covers of each merging variable in<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x227.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. This translates into the stronger coefficients for each merging variable. The input to the Donor Coefficient Streng- thening Algorithm (DCSA) is a MK instance, a host cover <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x227.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x228.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> from row r and an index<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x227.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x228.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x229.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Donor Coeffcient Strengthening Algorithm</p><disp-formula id="scirp.62249-formula263"><graphic  xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x230.png"  xlink:type="simple"/></disp-formula><p>DCSA identifies the smallest donor covers possible for each index in <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x231.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> from each row in the MK</p><p>instance using the indices sorted in each row by the a values. Observe that DCSA does not guarantee a valid inequality, but it does identify the strongest possible merged inequality. If the reported merged inequality satisfies a condition of Theorem 3, then it is a valid inequality.</p><p>DCSA’s computational effort required for the initialization is<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x232.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. The main step requires<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x232.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x233.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Thus DCSA’s effort is<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x232.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x233.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x234.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Although this is a cubic run time, DCSA performs quickly in practice.</p></sec><sec id="s2_2"><title>2.2. Inequality Merging Example</title><p>The following example demonstrates the theoretical concepts discussed earlier. Consider multiple knapsack constraints of the form <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x235.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> with <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x235.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x236.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x235.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x236.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x237.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> where</p><disp-formula id="scirp.62249-formula264"><graphic  xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x238.png"  xlink:type="simple"/></disp-formula><p>and</p><disp-formula id="scirp.62249-formula265"><graphic  xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x239.png"  xlink:type="simple"/></disp-formula><p>Designate the first constraint as the host constraint, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x240.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>and let the host cover be<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x240.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x241.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. If the merging index is<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x240.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x241.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x242.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, then<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x240.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x241.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x242.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x243.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Because <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x240.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x241.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x242.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x243.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x244.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x240.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x241.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x242.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x243.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x244.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x245.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> are all greater than or equal to 10, the candidate indices for the donor cover are restricted to<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x240.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x241.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x242.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x243.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x244.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x245.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x246.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>No subset of <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x247.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is a cover. The Reducing <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x247.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x248.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> Algorithm is used to change the host cover to create a</p><p>smaller<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x249.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Let<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x249.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x250.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, then the Reducing <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x249.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x250.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x251.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> Algorithm seeks a host cover with a <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x249.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x250.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x251.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x252.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> value that is less than</p><p>or equal to 5. In this case {5} is eliminated from the host cover, and the host cover adds an index with a coefficient between 5 and 9. Indices 10, 11, 12, and 13 are all suitable and index 11 is added to<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x253.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. However, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x253.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x254.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>is not a cover. Including either index 12 or 13 would create a host cover and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x253.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x254.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x255.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. The new value for <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x253.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x254.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x255.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x256.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is reduced exactly by the coefficient of the first added index,<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x253.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x254.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x255.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x256.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x257.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Thus<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x253.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x254.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x255.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x256.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x257.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x258.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, and the candidate indices for the donor cover are<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x253.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x254.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x255.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x256.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x257.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x258.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x259.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. There exist several covers in constraint two from this candidate set. One such cover is<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x253.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x254.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x255.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x256.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x257.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x258.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x259.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x260.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Since a donor cover now exists, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x253.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x254.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x255.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x256.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x257.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x258.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x259.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x260.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x261.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>becomes<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x253.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x254.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x255.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x256.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x257.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x258.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x259.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x260.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x261.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x262.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>The algorithm has now determined a host and donor cover that can be merged. Merging the host with the donor on <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x263.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> yields (1), a valid inequality according to Theorem 2.</p><disp-formula id="scirp.62249-formula266"><label>(1)</label><graphic position="anchor" xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x264.png"  xlink:type="simple"/></disp-formula><p>The following arguments demonstrate Theorems 1 and 2 in practice. Verifying the validity of (1) requires that <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x265.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is a cover for some constraint for every<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x265.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x266.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. The sum of the <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x265.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x266.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x267.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> coeffi- cients is 76. Clearly <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x265.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x266.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x267.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x268.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is a cover in the first knapsack as long as <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x265.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x266.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x267.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x268.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x269.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x265.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x266.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x267.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x268.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x269.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x270.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Since all candidate donor indices have<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x265.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x266.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x267.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x268.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x269.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x270.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x271.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, (1) is verified as a valid inequality of<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x265.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x266.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x267.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x268.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x269.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x270.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x271.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x272.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Observe that numerous other minimal donor covers exist when<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x273.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Two other examples are <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x273.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x274.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x273.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x274.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x275.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Accordingly, we could merge each of these cover inequalities with the host cover inequality yielding the following valid merged inequalities</p><disp-formula id="scirp.62249-formula267"><label>(2)</label><graphic position="anchor" xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x276.png"  xlink:type="simple"/></disp-formula><disp-formula id="scirp.62249-formula268"><label>(3)</label><graphic position="anchor" xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x277.png"  xlink:type="simple"/></disp-formula><p>Each of these merged inequalities remove linear relaxation points and are thus cutting planes. For instance,</p><p>the point (1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x278.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> ,1,0,0,0) is eliminated by each of these merged inequalities. Additionally, it is</p><p>simple to find points that are satisfied by two of the three merged inequalities, but eliminated by the other inequality. Thus, each merged inequality is eliminating distinct regions of the linear relaxation space.</p><p>Returning to the original host cover, it is also possible to generate new families of merged inequalities if merging on <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x279.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> instead of<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x279.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x280.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. By changing the index selected for merging, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x279.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x280.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x281.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>with corresponding candidate donor indices<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x279.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x280.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x281.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x282.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Similar to the examples shown previously, many possible new donor covers now exist. For instance, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x279.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x280.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x281.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x282.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x283.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>yields</p><disp-formula id="scirp.62249-formula269"><label>(4)</label><graphic position="anchor" xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x284.png"  xlink:type="simple"/></disp-formula><p>The idea of <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x285.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> guarantees validity, but it is not necessary to merge covers. Consider <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x285.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x286.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> with<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x285.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x286.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x287.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. In the first constraint, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x285.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x286.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x287.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x288.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>is a cover and so {5} is a candidate index. The second con- straint has several relevant covers:<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x285.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x286.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x287.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x288.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x289.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x285.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x286.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x287.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x288.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x289.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x290.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x285.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x286.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x287.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x288.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x289.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x290.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x291.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x285.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x286.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x287.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x288.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x289.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x290.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x291.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x292.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x285.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x286.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x287.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x288.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x289.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x290.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x291.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x292.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x293.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Thus, the candidate indices are now<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x285.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x286.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x287.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x288.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x289.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x290.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x291.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x292.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x293.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x294.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. One such cover in the second constraint is<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x285.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x286.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x287.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x288.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x289.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x290.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x291.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x292.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x293.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x294.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x295.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, which results in the following merged constraint</p><disp-formula id="scirp.62249-formula270"><label>(5)</label><graphic position="anchor" xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x296.png"  xlink:type="simple"/></disp-formula><p>The authors believe that such constraints may be more useful computationally since they are incorporating</p><p>covers from multiple constraints to obtain validity. For instance, the linear relaxation point (1,1,1,<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x297.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> ,0,1,0,0,<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x297.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x298.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> , 0,0,0,0,<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x297.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x298.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x299.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>) is eliminated by this inequality.</p><p>To demonstrate Theorem 3, an additional row is added to this example. Now consider the following multiple knapsack instance</p><disp-formula id="scirp.62249-formula271"><graphic  xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x300.png"  xlink:type="simple"/></disp-formula><p>and</p><disp-formula id="scirp.62249-formula272"><graphic  xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x301.png"  xlink:type="simple"/></disp-formula><p>Again, consider <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x302.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> with <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x302.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x303.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x302.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x303.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x304.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. For each index in<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x302.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x303.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x304.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x305.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, DCSA forces this index as the first element in a cover and then adds other indices according to the sorted order for each row. Observe that <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x302.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x303.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x304.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x305.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x306.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is not a cover in row 1, so only rows 2 and 3 are considered.</p><p>For index 5, the smallest covers are <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x307.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x307.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x308.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> in rows 2 and 3, respectively. Continuing this logic for each of the other indices results in <xref ref-type="table" rid="table1">Table 1</xref>. The smallest covers are listed in the order in which DCSA adds indices to the cover.</p><p>Thus the simultaneous merged inequality is</p><disp-formula id="scirp.62249-formula273"><label>(6)</label><graphic position="anchor" xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x309.png"  xlink:type="simple"/></disp-formula><p>Observe that this new inequality dominates all of the previous inequalities. Furthermore, to achieve this inequality all rows are necessary. For instance, the smallest cover in row 3 containing index 6 has 6 indices and thus row two is necessary. Similarly, the smallest cover in row 2 containing index 7 has 6 indices and thus row 3 is necessary.</p><table-wrap id="table1" ><label><xref ref-type="table" rid="table1">Table 1</xref></label><caption><title> Applying DCSA to find strongest coefficients</title></caption><table><tbody><thead><tr><th align="center" valign="middle" >Index</th><th align="center" valign="middle" >Smallest Cover</th><th align="center" valign="middle" >Row</th><th align="center" valign="middle" ><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x310.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula></th></tr></thead><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >5</td><td align="center" valign="middle" ><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x311.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula></td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" ><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x312.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula></td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >6</td><td align="center" valign="middle" ><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x313.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula></td><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" ><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x314.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula></td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >7</td><td align="center" valign="middle" ><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x315.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula></td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" ><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x316.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula></td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >8</td><td align="center" valign="middle" ><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x317.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula></td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" ><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x318.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula></td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >9</td><td align="center" valign="middle" ><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x319.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula></td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" ><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x320.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula></td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >10</td><td align="center" valign="middle" ><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x321.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula></td><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" ><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x322.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula></td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >12</td><td align="center" valign="middle" ><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x323.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula></td><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" ><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x324.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula></td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >13</td><td align="center" valign="middle" ><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x325.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula></td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" ><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x326.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula></td></tr></tbody></table></table-wrap><p>To argue validity of (6), consider Theorem 3. Since<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x327.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, 1) is not satisfied. For 2), observe that</p><p><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x328.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x328.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x329.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Continuing this process yields<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x328.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x329.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x330.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x328.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x329.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x330.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x331.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x328.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x329.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x330.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x331.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x332.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Determining the values for <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x333.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> yield that<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x333.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x334.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x333.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x334.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x335.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x333.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x334.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x335.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x336.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> do not exist as<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x333.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x334.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x335.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x336.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x337.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. However,</p><p><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x338.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>because it requires five variables with coefficients in <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x338.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x339.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> to be set to one to arrive at a value strictly larger than<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x338.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x339.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x340.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Since<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x338.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x339.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x340.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x341.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>,<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x338.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x339.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x340.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x341.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x342.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>Since<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x343.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x343.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x344.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x343.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x344.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x345.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> do not exist, only <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x343.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x344.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x345.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x346.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x343.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x344.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x345.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x346.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x347.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> are determined. The value of <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x343.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x344.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x345.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x346.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x347.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x348.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Similarly,<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x343.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x344.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x345.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x346.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x347.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x348.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x349.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Condition 2) of Theorem 3 checks <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x343.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x344.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x345.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x346.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x347.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x348.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x349.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x350.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x343.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x344.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x345.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x346.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x347.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x348.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x349.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x350.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x351.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. Thus, (6) meets condition 2) of Theorem 3 and it is valid. As a note, observe that checking <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x343.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x344.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x345.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x346.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x347.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x348.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x349.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x350.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x351.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x352.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> is always true by the definition of<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x343.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x344.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x345.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x346.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x347.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x348.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x349.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x350.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x351.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x352.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x353.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>.</p><p>The final benefit of this example demonstrates that merging cover inequalities are not an immediate extension of known methods. There are similarities between inequality merging and some categories of lifting. Any type of sequential lifting has integer coefficients [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref35">35</xref>] , and sequence independent lifting would require all non-cover coeffi- cients in this example to be 0 [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref30">30</xref>] . Thus neither of these methods generate (6). While simultaneous lifting could theoretically generate (6) [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref21">21</xref>] , it would require starting with the trivial cutting plane <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x354.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and furthermore have a perfect guess of proper weights. Consequently, inequality merging yields inequalities similar to (6), which are extremely unlikely to be produced by lifting techniques.</p><p>The general inequality merging presented by Hickman and Easton in [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref34">34</xref>] did not merge multiple donor covers simultaneously, and it could not obtain (6). Inequality merging is also fundamentally different from other popular cutting plane generation techniques such as C-G cuts (Chv&#225;tal [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref36">36</xref>] and Gomory [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref37">37</xref>] ), disjunctive cuts (Balas and Perregaard [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref38">38</xref>] ), Gomory cuts (Gomory [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref37">37</xref>] ), or superadditive cuts (Gomory and Johnson [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref39">39</xref>] and Wolsey [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref40">40</xref>] ). Theoretically, these methods could generate (6), but they would require numerous iterative applications to find this cutting plane. Such a result is unlikely to occur without the consultation of an oracle to select initial inequalities, weights or other necessary input.</p><p>A single call to DCSA creates (6) and requires <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x355.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> effort. Thus, merging over cover inequalities is a new method to obtain previously unknown inequalities. Given the large size of most multiple knapsack problems, the flexibility of the construction algorithms are usually capable of finding strong candidate <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x355.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x356.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x355.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x356.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x357.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> inequalities. The next section provides the results of a computational study, demonstrating the practical effectiveness of inequality merging on benchmark multiple knapsack problems.</p></sec></sec><sec id="s3"><title>3. Computational Study</title><p>This computational study compares solution times for multiple knapsack problems both with and without the use of merged inequalities. The instances chosen for this study are the MK instances from the OR-Library [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref41">41</xref>] , developed by Chu and Beasley in 1998 [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref42">42</xref>] . The majority of these instances are either trivially solved or too computationally intensive for an optimal solution. Thus, this study focuses on medium sized instances contained in files mknapcb2 (<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x358.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x358.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x359.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>) and mknapcb5 (<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x358.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x359.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x360.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x358.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x359.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x360.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x361.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>).</p><p>Each file contains 30 instances divided into groups of 10 based upon a tightness ratio, which is equal to</p><p><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x362.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>. The tightness ratio is approximately equal for all constraints and is 0.25 for the first 10 instan-</p><p>ces, 0.5 for the second ten instances, and 0.75 for the final ten instances. For this computational study, the first ten instances are only considered. When the tightness ratio is 0.5 or higher, <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x363.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>tends to include too many variables. Since the variables in <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x363.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x364.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> are prohibited from being in<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x363.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x364.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x365.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, higher tightness ratios reduce the size of<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x363.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x364.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x365.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x366.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula>, which decreases the likelihood of finding a suitable donor cover in any row.</p><p>The study considers a variety of implementation strategies including the number of merged inequalities added, the possibility of overlapping rows when multiple cuts are added, the option to use the Donor Coefficient Strengthening Algorithm when constructing merged inequalities, and different pseudocosting techniques. The psuedocosting techniques provide an order for selecting indices for cover inequalities. Three options are con- sidered: sorting on the reduced costs, sorting on the a coefficient values, and sorting on equal weights for both reduced costs and a coefficient values. More details of these methods and computational results are described in [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref43">43</xref>] .</p><p>The experimentation compares computational effort to solve the MK instances with and without the inclusion of merged cover inequalities. CPLEX 12.5 [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref44">44</xref>] solves all of the instances at default settings, but writing node files out to memory is used for the larger instances. All results are obtained using a PC with an i7-4770 processor at 3.4 GHz with 8 GB of RAM.</p><sec id="s3_1"><title>3.1. Computational Results</title><p>The computational study considered the variations of each implementation strategy by testing both small and large instances. Solving all 10 smaller instances required from 10 to 15 minutes. Solving all 10 larger instances typically needed 1 to 2 days. Instead of reporting the time in seconds, the data below compares computational ticks in CPLEX, as this is more accurate. It should be noted that the time in seconds was highly correlated to ticks. The overall improvement in time was plus or minus two percent of the percent improvement in ticks.</p><p>Ticks provide a more accurate comparison between the experimental runs because the computational time in seconds is subject to variability on different computers. Fischetti, et al. argue the benefit of using ticks in [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref45">45</xref>] . Ju, et al. use a similar process to report their computational results [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref46">46</xref>] . Since the two categories of MK test problems included 10 multiple knapsack subordinate instances, most of the tables compare the aggregate total ticks required to solve all 10 problems using the baseline CPLEX 12.5 and the inequality merging technique.</p><sec id="s3_1_1"><title>3.1.1. Computation Results for Smaller Problems</title><p>Problems from the smaller MK instances (file mknapcb2) offered an excellent opportunity for extensive experimentation with each of the implementation strategies. <xref ref-type="table" rid="table2">Table 2</xref> and <xref ref-type="table" rid="table3">Table 3</xref> show the best known results</p><table-wrap id="table2" ><label><xref ref-type="table" rid="table2">Table 2</xref></label><caption><title> Changing implementation strategies for smaller MK problems, 1 - 3 Cuts</title></caption><table><tbody><thead><tr><th align="center" valign="middle" ># Merged</th><th align="center" valign="middle" >Overlap</th><th align="center" valign="middle"  colspan="3"  >Pseudo-Costing Strategy</th><th align="center" valign="middle" >Total Ticks</th><th align="center" valign="middle" >Percent</th></tr></thead><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >Cuts</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Rows</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Red. Costs</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Balanced</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >a Values</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >(10 probs.)</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Improv.</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >Baseline</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Baseline</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >81,497</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Baseline</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >N/A</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >70,895</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >13.0%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >N/A</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >69,669</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >14.5%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >N/A</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >75,868</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6.9%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Yes</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >72,376</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >11.2%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Yes</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >78,840</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3.3%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Yes</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >71,668</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >12.1%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Yes</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >71,305</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >12.5%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Yes</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >67,634</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >17.0%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Yes</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >76,272</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6.4%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >No</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >81,022</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0.6%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >No</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >76,956</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >5.6%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >No</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >77,947</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >4.4%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >No</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >64,417</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >21.0%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >No</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >72,356</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >11.2%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >No</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >79,088</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3.0%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Yes</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >74,985</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >8.0%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Yes</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >72,123</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >11.5%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Yes</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >67,794</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >16.8%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Yes</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >72,593</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >10.9%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >No</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >80,178</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1.6%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >No</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >75,445</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >7.4%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >No</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >77,490</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >4.9%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >No</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >77,448</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >5.0%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >Merged Average</td><td align="center" valign="middle" ></td><td align="center" valign="middle" ></td><td align="center" valign="middle" ></td><td align="center" valign="middle" ></td><td align="center" valign="middle" >74,099</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >9.1%</td></tr></tbody></table></table-wrap><table-wrap id="table3" ><label><xref ref-type="table" rid="table3">Table 3</xref></label><caption><title> Changing implementation strategies for smaller MK problems, 4 - 5 Cuts</title></caption><table><tbody><thead><tr><th align="center" valign="middle" ># Merged</th><th align="center" valign="middle" >Overlap</th><th align="center" valign="middle"  colspan="3"  >Pseudo-Costing Strategy</th><th align="center" valign="middle" >Total Ticks</th><th align="center" valign="middle" >Percent</th></tr></thead><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >Cuts</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Rows</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Red. Costs</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Balanced</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >a Values</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >(10 probs.)</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Improv.</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >Baseline</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Baseline</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >81,497</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Baseline</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >4</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Yes</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >4</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >80,230</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1.6%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >4</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Yes</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >4</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >79,756</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >2.1%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >4</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Yes</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >4</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >80,494</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1.2%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >4</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Yes</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >73,751</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >9.5%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >4</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >No</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >4</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >80,606</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1.1%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >4</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >No</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >4</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >81,981</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >−0.6%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >4</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >No</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >4</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >72,744</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >10.7%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >4</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >No</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >74,820</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >8.2%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >5</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Yes</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >5</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >82,279</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >−1.0%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >5</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Yes</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >5</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >72,882</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >10.6%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >5</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Yes</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >5</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >82,423</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >−1.1%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >5</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Yes</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >76,820</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >5.7%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >5</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >No</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >5</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >77,944</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >4.4%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >5</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >No</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >5</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >78,817</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3.3%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >5</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >No</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >5</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >83,201</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >−2.1%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >5</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >No</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >75,256</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >7.7%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >Merged Average</td><td align="center" valign="middle" ></td><td align="center" valign="middle" ></td><td align="center" valign="middle" ></td><td align="center" valign="middle" ></td><td align="center" valign="middle" >78,375</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3.8%</td></tr></tbody></table></table-wrap><p>from these experiments on the smaller MK instances. Since there are 5 rows in the smaller test problems, each implementation strategy was tested with the inclusion of 1 - 5 merged inequalities. <xref ref-type="table" rid="table2">Table 2</xref> shows the results for iterations with 1, 2, or 3 merged inequalities added. <xref ref-type="table" rid="table3">Table 3</xref> shows the results with 4 or 5 merged inequalities added.</p><p>Observe that inequality merging outperformed the baseline CPLEX computational ticks for all strategies in <xref ref-type="table" rid="table2">Table 2</xref> with 1, 2, or 3 added inequalities, and inequality merging also outperformed the baseline CPLEX by about 9% on average. The 4 and 5 cut strategies from <xref ref-type="table" rid="table3">Table 3</xref> outperformed baseline CPLEX by about 4%. This demonstrates that adding more merged inequalities creates diminishing returns because of additional com- putational requirements as the A matrix and basis grow in size. Preferred implementation strategies should focus on including 1, 2, or 3 merged cutting planes.</p><p><xref ref-type="table" rid="table4">Table 4</xref> aggregates results from <xref ref-type="table" rid="table2">Table 2</xref> and <xref ref-type="table" rid="table3">Table 3</xref>, and it reports the average results based upon different pseudo-costing strategies. Observe that many of the experimental runs in <xref ref-type="table" rid="table2">Table 2</xref> and <xref ref-type="table" rid="table3">Table 3</xref> included a pure strategy (all reduced costs, all a values, or all balanced cuts). However, some of the experimental runs include a mixture of strategies such as the 3 cut scenario with 1 cut of each pseudo-costing strategy. Experiments of this type are listed under “Mixture of Strategies” in <xref ref-type="table" rid="table4">Table 4</xref>. Notice that each of the three pure strategies performed well, at about the same level of improvement. However, there may be some additional benefit to mixing pseudo- cost strategies if multiple merged inequalities are generated.</p><p>Merged inequalities almost always improved the computational time, regardless of the overlapping strategy. It appears that deliberate overlapping of rows provides even stronger results if multiple cutting planes are added. This is consistent with the theory motivating Theorem 3. Overlapping allows the algorithm to search in rows that had previously been used to generate a host cover inequality for an earlier merged cut. If DCSA is employed, the algorithm may also search all candidate rows including those that had previously generated a host inequality. Thus, all future experimentation overlaps rows.</p></sec><sec id="s3_1_2"><title>3.1.2. Computational Results for Larger Problems</title><p>As the problems increased in size, the computational time quickly increased. The same implementation strategies tended to yield the strongest results with larger problems, as shown in this section. Solving all 10 MK instances required from 1 to 2 days to solve. <xref ref-type="table" rid="table5">Table 5</xref> shows the best known results for the large MK problems when the recommended implementation strategies are followed.</p><p><xref ref-type="table" rid="table5">Table 5</xref> shows that inequality merging continues to provide an average improvement of about 9% over the baseline CPLEX computational effort even on challenging instances. This is roughly the same level of average improvement observed in the smaller MK instances. Notice that following the recommended implementation strategies always improved the solution times. This provides strong evidence that inequality merging is a beneficial technique for MK problems, and the reduction of computational ticks correlates to hours of time savings for large problems.</p><p>Clearly a focus on reduced costs had the best impact for this particular grouping of larger MK instances, but that may not be the case in general. Previous analysis from <xref ref-type="table" rid="table4">Table 4</xref> suggested that different pseudo-costing techniques may be preferred for particular problems, but focusing on reduced costs was actually the least preferred in that grouping of smaller MK instances. Identifying the reason that certain methods dominate other pseudo-costing techniques in particular problems is an excellent area for future research.</p><p><xref ref-type="table" rid="table6">Table 6</xref> shows the best solution times for each of the 10 MK instances in the larger files. In addition, the table also describes the implementation strategy that yields the best result for each problem. Merging improved the solution times for each of the 10 problems, with an average reduction of computational requirements by 25.8%. However, the best single result for each sub-problem came from a wide variety of implementation strategies. These include instances that search all donor rows with DCSA and other instances that consider only specified randomly-selected donor inequalities that define single overlaps. The two best results include both overlapping strategies and DCSA facilitated the single best percentage improvement in problem 1. It is clear that each strategy yields strong results in specific instances, and neither overlapping strategy dominates the other.</p><table-wrap id="table4" ><label><xref ref-type="table" rid="table4">Table 4</xref></label><caption><title> Average ticks of pseudo-costing strategies from <xref ref-type="table" rid="table2">Table 2</xref> and <xref ref-type="table" rid="table3">Table 3</xref></title></caption><table><tbody><thead><tr><th align="center" valign="middle"  rowspan="2"  ></th><th align="center" valign="middle"  colspan="4"  >Pseudo-Costing Strategy</th></tr></thead><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >All Reduced Costs</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >All Balanced</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >All a Values</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Mixture of Strategies</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >Average Ticks</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >77,835</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >76,625</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >76,274</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >73,569</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >% Improvement</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >4.5%</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6.0%</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6.4%</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >9.8%</td></tr></tbody></table></table-wrap><table-wrap id="table5" ><label><xref ref-type="table" rid="table5">Table 5</xref></label><caption><title> Changing implementation strategies for larger MK problems, 1 - 3 Cuts</title></caption><table><tbody><thead><tr><th align="center" valign="middle" ># Merged</th><th align="center" valign="middle"  colspan="3"  >Pseudo-Costing Strategy</th><th align="center" valign="middle" >Total Ticks</th><th align="center" valign="middle" >Percent</th></tr></thead><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >Cuts Added</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Red. Costs</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Balanced</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >a Values</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >(10 problems)</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Improvement</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >Baseline</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >30,994,459</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Baseline</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >29,949,459</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3.4%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >30,268,076</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >2.3%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >29,614,573</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >4.5%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >20,166,265</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >34.9%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >29,347,409</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >5.3%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >30,881,549</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0.4%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >28,518,016</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >8.0%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >29,975,494</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3.3%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >29,718,811</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >4.1%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >20,412,908</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >34.1%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >29,362,710</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >5.3%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >30,908,925</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >0.3%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >29,903,185</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3.5%</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >Merged Average</td><td align="center" valign="middle" ></td><td align="center" valign="middle" ></td><td align="center" valign="middle" ></td><td align="center" valign="middle" >28,260,350</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >8.8%</td></tr></tbody></table></table-wrap><table-wrap id="table6" ><label><xref ref-type="table" rid="table6">Table 6</xref></label><caption><title> Best merging performance by problem for <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x367.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and<inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x367.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x368.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula></title></caption><table><tbody><thead><tr><th align="center" valign="middle" >Problem</th><th align="center" valign="middle" >Baseline</th><th align="center" valign="middle" >Merging</th><th align="center" valign="middle" >Percent</th><th align="center" valign="middle"  colspan="3"  >Implementation Strategy</th></tr></thead><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >#</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Ticks</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Ticks</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Improv.</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Cuts</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Pseudo-cost</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Donor Rows</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >1</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1,955,055</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >128,467</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >93.4%</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3 cuts</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Reduced Costs</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >All</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >2</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >203,122</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >160,209</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >21.1%</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1 cuts</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Balanced</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Specified</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >3</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >316,729</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >265,573</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >16.2%</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3 cuts</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >a Values</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Specified</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >4</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1,964,804</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1,710,877</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >12.9%</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >2 cuts</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Red. Cost &amp; a Val.</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Specified</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >5</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6,735,442</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6,300,815</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6.4%</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >2 cuts</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Red. Cost &amp; a Val.</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Specified</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >6</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >331,058</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >288,987</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >12.7%</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1 cut</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >a Values</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Specified</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >7</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >224,004</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >208,500</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >6.9%</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >1 cut</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >a Values</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >All</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >8</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >17,630,931</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >5,993,211</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >66.0%</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >5 cuts</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Reduced Costs</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Specified</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >9</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >651,113</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >563,288</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >13.5%</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >2 cuts</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Red. Cost &amp; a Val.</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >All</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >10</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >982,201</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >895,267</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >8.8%</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >3 cuts</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >a Values</td><td align="center" valign="middle" >Specified</td></tr><tr><td align="center" valign="middle" >Average</td><td align="center" valign="middle" ></td><td align="center" valign="middle" ></td><td align="center" valign="middle" >25.8%</td><td align="center" valign="middle" ></td><td align="center" valign="middle" ></td><td align="center" valign="middle" ></td></tr></tbody></table></table-wrap><p>These larger problems are excellent representatives of difficult, real-world problems. Thus, the observed reductions in computational requirements validated the theoretical advancements in this research as effective methods to help decrease computational effort for modern MK problems.</p></sec></sec></sec><sec id="s4"><title>4. Conclusion and Future Work</title><p>This paper provides the theoretical foundations needed to build merged cover inequalities in MK instances. The theorems generate conditions for validity, using the <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x369.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> term to identify candidate merging indices and simultaneously merging on all rows. Two algorithms support the newly-discovered theory, including an algorithm to reduce the size of <inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x369.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula><inline-formula><inline-graphic xlink:href="http://html.scirp.org/file/2-2730100x370.png" xlink:type="simple"/></inline-formula> and a second algorithm to find the strongest coefficients for each candidate index during simultaneous merging.</p><p>The computational study validates inequality merging as an effective technique that reduces computational time for multiple knapsack problems. Preferred implementation strategies should generate 1, 2, or 3 cuts and overlap the rows. These strategies provide the strongest results, yielding an average reduction of computational effort by about 9%. The computational study provides strong evidence that inequality merging yields productive cutting planes for MK problems, and it is likely that similar computational improvements will be achieved for other IPs.</p><p>Three ideas present themselves as excellent candidates for future research extensions. In this paper, inequality merging occurs on a single variable. The theory may be extended to merge on multiple variables. Since this paper focuses on cover inequalities and MK instances, another theoretical extension may merge other classes of cutting planes in general IPs.</p><p>All of the computational analysis in this research was performed on the first 10 problems of each file provided by Chu and Beasley [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="scirp.62249-ref42">42</xref>] with a tightness ratio of 0.25. Other test problems exist in the same files with different tightness ratios, and future research should consider if varying tightness ratios tend to motivate different levels of computational improvement when merged cover inequalities are added to the MK instance.</p></sec><sec id="s5"><title>Cite this paper</title><p>RandalHickman,ToddEaston, (2015) On Merging Cover Inequalities for Multiple Knapsack Problems. Open Journal of Optimization,04,141-155. doi: 10.4236/ojop.2015.44014</p></sec></body><back><ref-list><title>References</title><ref id="scirp.62249-ref1"><label>1</label><mixed-citation publication-type="other" xlink:type="simple">Ahuja, R. and Cunha, C. (2005) Very Large-Scale Neighborhood Search for the K-Constraint Multiple Knapsack Problem. 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