
For example, allowing OptQuest at least 500 simulation trials is recommended for a problem with less than 10 decision variables.

As a rough rule, multiply the number of suggested simulation trials in Table 1 above by 5 when solving multi-objective problems. OptQuest will spend some time focusing the search on each objective and then it will focus on filling in the gaps on the Pareto frontier. More simulation trials are needed when optimizing multiple objectives. These two objectives are almost always inversely related, or competing, and the various optimal tradeoffs between cost and performance are desired for a decision maker to evaluate. Commonly there are at least two objectives of interest, one a measure of cost, and the second a measure of performance.

Number of replications per simulation trialĪlmost all practical problems have more than one objective.Each factor is explained in the following sections: However, the following is a list of relevant factors that directly affect search performance (how quickly OptQuest will find the best solution). OptQuest is designed to find the best solution or very good solutions to complex problems with a minimum number of simulation evaluations.Ī question that is commonly asked by OptQuest users is: “How many simulation trials do I need to run to find the best, or a very good, solution?” There is no simple answer to this question, because the answer depends on many factors. However, this brute force approach of exploring all possibilities is often not practical due to limitations on time and computing resources. Without known bounds, a heuristic method cannot guarantee that it will find the optimal solution to a simulation optimization problem unless it enumerates all possibilities.

HOW MUCH DOES ANYLOGIC COST HOW TO
Ben Thengvall, OptTek Optimization Specialist, about how to quickly determine optimal parameters for your simulation models with OptQuest. The recent release of AnyLogic 8.5 included the latest OptQuest optimizer. They are used across verticals by commercial, military, and governmental organizations, enabling automatic discovery of optimal parameters when solving problems with simulation. OptQuest features sophisticated analysis techniques and powerful algorithms that are unique to the optimizer. The industry leading OptQuest simulation optimization engine from OptTek is integrated with AnyLogic to further enhance analysis and decision making with simulation modeling.
