Title
Approximating the optimal sequence of acquisitions and sales with a capped budget
Abstract
We introduce and study the approximability of the following problem. There is a set of useful objects that are available for purchase, and another set of useless objects that can be sold. Selling useless objects generates revenue which allows to acquire useful objects. We search for a sequence of decisions (buying or selling objects) which optimizes either the number of purchased objects or their global utility. One of the constraints is that, at any time, only a limited amount of money can be held. We introduce an optimization problem which is related to knapsack.We give an upper bound of 1 / 2 + ε on the performance guarantee of any approximation algorithm (unless P = NP ).An approximation algorithm with almost matching lower bound is provided.
Year
DOI
Venue
2015
10.1016/j.ipl.2015.05.001
Information Processing Letters
Keywords
Field
DocType
Approximation,Greedy algorithms,Knapsack problem
Revenue,Approximation algorithm,Mathematical optimization,Combinatorics,Upper and lower bounds,Performance guarantee,Algorithm,Greedy algorithm,Knapsack problem,Optimization problem,Mathematics
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
115
10
0020-0190
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
0
0.34
3
Authors
1
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Laurent Gourvès124130.97