A ROUTING SYSTEM BASED ON SPACEFILLING CURVES

Abstract

We describe some fundamental issues in routing and distribution and illustrate them in a case study, which shows how to build a commercial-quality routing sys-tem in one day and with no computer. 1 Routing and distribution Distribution is the getting the product to the customer. The management of distribu-tion has continued to change rapidly after deregulation in the early 1980’s and with the development of new technologies such as on-board computers, radio, and global-positioning systems. It is cheapest to ship long distance by train and so railroads are capturing an in-creasing amount of long-haul freight. Small, urgently-needed goods move by more expensive plane. But currently the bulk of freight, and all local freight, is handled by truck. The basic problem faced by a distribution manager, then, is this: How best to coördinate a fleet of vehicles to deliver goods to their destination 1. One would like to accomplish many things, some of which work at cross-purposes, such as • Allocate the goods among the vehicles so that not too many trucks are required