Australian Society For Operations Research (ASOR)

In this issue, two technical papers have been published: the first on A Markov-based Method for Military Analysis by A. H. Pincombe and B. M. Pincombe and the second on A Modified Osman’s Simulated Annealing and Tabu Search Algorithm for the Vehicle Routing Problem by C. Sigauke and H. M. Talukder. In this issue, we have also published a brief report on ASOR annual general meeting 2003 and ASOR’s statement of income and expenditure for the years 2000 and 2001 along with the independent auditor’s report.

I am pleased to inform you that the electronic version of ASOR Bulletin is now available at this web site. Although the electronic version is prepared as an HTML file, for technical reasons articles may be in PDF or PS format.

In the operations analysis of military engagements, an important task is the establishment of connections between low-level (detailed) variables and high-level outcomes, to estimate the values of various capabilities in defined scenarios. We define a family of Markov decision processes to provide bounds for these values, using standard military analysis methodology to simplify the problem and to reduce the number of Markov states that are required. The parameters that define the Markov transition matrix can be represented as analytical functions of lower-order variables, while the time dependence of the state probabilities can be obtained, from the Markov analysis, as a set of functions. Cases can be compared via costs, which represent losses and are thus indicative of the force size required for victory.

Annual General Meeting
AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY FOR OPERATIONS RESEARCH INC
10th July 2003

Chairman’s Report:

•    Simon reported that general feedback implied that the decision to hold the National Conference within ICIAM was a good one and there had been a benefit in the interchange of ideas and opportunity to attend talks in related disciplines. As an occasional activity this was excellent but to avoid loss of identity we should not do this on a regular basis.

•    He reminded members that the next APORS conference will be held in New Delhi on Dec 8-11 2003. Members were encouraged to check details on the web at www.apors2003.com and encouraged to attend.

•    The next meeting of IFORS will be in Hawai on July 11-15 2005.   There will be a call for the ASOR representative paper next year.

Financial Report:

•    The audited accounts for 2001 as attached were accepted on the motion of Patrick Tobin seconded Kaye Marion.

•    Kaye reported that society is currently operating at a small annual surplus and is recovering from the deficit state of a few years ago. Consequently at present there is no need to change annual capitation. It should be noted that there were no meeting expenses in 2001 and an ASOR paper for the IFORS conference was not selected. The accounts for 2002 show a similar result as for 2001 but had not been audited at the time of the meeting due to a delay in receiving a request for the IFORS capitation.

•    Moved Kaye Marion Seconded Patrick Tobin That K Adams be appointed as the Auditor for ASOR National Accounts                            Passed

Publications report:

•    Emma tabled a document prepared by Ruhul Sarker summarizing the number of copies distributed to each chapter and the associated cost. The problem that Ruhul had with the printing of Dec 2002 bulletin when a modified cover was necessary and the need to use a commercial printer for the March 2003 (at a much higher cost) appears to now be resolved and he anticipates being able to print internally at a very competitive rate. The restructuring of departments within ADFA now appears to have stabilized and he believes that internal administrative support is once more in place.

•    The problem of maintaining an accurate data-base remains and all chapters are requested to provide current mailing addresses to Ruhul.

•    Members are encouraged to provide papers for the refereed section and topical information for the general section of the Bulletin.

•    The concept of changing to electronic publication was discussed and general support for such a move was expressed. Some members present indicated that they would prefer a paper copy.

Other business:

•    There was a request that presentations from the conference be collected and made available on the web. Simon undertook to explore options and seek to make information available. All papers from the defence stream would be on the web but on a secure site, so some arrangement for transfer would have to be made.

•    The next national conference will be in 2005 and subject to confirmation will be held in Perth.

•    It was suggested that the Society should examine its age profile and develop a strategy to try and offset the perceived aging profile.

Meeting closed at 6:15pm

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ASOR Audit Report

For full report (PDF format) click

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The Chinese Higher Education Strategic Initiative Grant

The Chinese Higher Education Strategic Initiative (CHESI) was recently announced by the Australian Government. The funding will enable Australian Universities to take part in a new Australian Government research program between Australia and China.
Eight Australian Universities were selected by application to take part in the program and they were awarded $585,000.
Among recipients were the University of Ballarat and Curtin University. CIAO (Centre for Applied Optimisation, University of Ballarat) and WACEIO (Western Australian Centre of Excellence in Industrial Optimisation, Curtin University) received $161,000 for their joint project "Complex Industrial Optimization - Mathematical Modelling". The project involves cooperation with 8 leading Chinese institutions in the area of optimisation (Beijing University, University of Science and Technology of China, Shanghai University, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Beijing), Fudan University, Chongqing Normal University and Hebei University). Some researchers and PhD students from Australia will visit China and 16 researchers and PhD students from China will visit Australia through one of the schemes: China-Ballarat-Perth-China or China-Perth-Ballarat-China. Some of these visits will be undertaken in December 2004, during the next ICOTA conference, which will be held in Ballarat. An Australian-Chinese optimization workshop will also be held in 2004.

- Alex Rubinov

The ANZIAM Mathematics-in-Industry Study Groups are going to New Zealand

By arrangement with ANZIAM (Australia New Zealand Industrial and Applied Mathematics, which is a Division of the Australian Mathematical Society but embraces both countries), the ANZIAM Mathematics-in-Industry Study Group (MISG), which has operated in Australia since 1984, is shifting to New Zealand for 2004 and 2005. The goals of MISG are to reach out to industry (interpreted very broadly to include biological, medical and financial applications, as well as the traditional engineering-based ones) to show them the power of mathematics when it is applied to their particular problems. Through the holding of MISG meetings, academic mathematicians find out about real applications, and many postgraduate projects in Industrial Mathematics arise through MISG involvement. Following the formation of the Centre for Mathematics in Industry (CMI) within the Institute of Information and Mathematical Science (IIMS) at Massey University's Albany campus, it has been recommended that the MISG's in 2004 and 2005 be organised from there, using a network of collaborating institutions throughout the country. Principal arrangements are now being made by Professor Robert McKibbin (Head of IIMS) and Professor Graeme Wake (Adjunct Professor of Industrial Mathematics within CMI). Graeme Wake has been nominated as Director of MISG and is now devoting half his time to this initiative. It is intended that the Centre will continue this kind of industry-linkage after the MISG (ANZIAM) returns to Australia in 2006.

MISG 2004 will be held at the University of Auckland (City campus), 26 – 30 January 2004

Further information from Graeme Wake g.c.wake@massey.ac.nz


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