We establish a variant of Monge--Kantorovich duality for a constrained optimal transport problem with a continuum of agents, a finite set of alternatives, and general linear constraints. As an application, we revisit the large-market model of indivisible goods in Azevedo et al. (2013), identify a flaw in the original equilibrium-existence proof stemming from an incorrect compactness claim, and recover equilibrium existence via our duality approach. We also characterize equilibrium prices as minimizers of a potential function, which yields a method for computing equilibrium prices.
Prof. Priti P. Tijare, Gaurav R. Awagan, Pranav V. Hegu
et al.
Efficient management of intercity goods transportation is crucial for ensuring timely deliveries, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction in logistics operations. Despite the growing demand for streamlined services, many traditional transport agencies continue to rely on manual or semi-digital methods for booking, driver allocation, shipment tracking, and billing. These conventional practices often result in delays, human errors, poor transparency, and suboptimal resource utilization. This paper proposes the Intercity Goods Transportation System (IGTS), a web-based platform developed to digitalize and automate transport agency operations. The system integrates key functionalities, including shipment booking, driver and vehicle allocation, billing management, and real-time shipment status monitoring within a centralized framework. Implemented using React.js for the frontend, Node.js and Express.js for the backend, and MongoDB as the database, IGTS ensures efficient data processing, secure record maintenance, and scalable architecture. By centralizing operations, IGTS enhances coordination among customers, administrators, and drivers while reducing paperwork and operational complexity. The system improves transparency, optimizes resource utilization, and increases overall service reliability in intercity goods transportation.
We present an analysis of spectral energy distributions (SEDs), galaxy light profiles, and visual morphological classifications for 194 X-ray luminous active galactic nuclei (AGN) (intrinsic absorption-corrected log(LX,0.5−7keV)>42.5(maximum45.2)ergs−1 ) with z < 1.5 in the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS) fields. We generate X-ray to far-infrared SEDs normalized at 1 μm for all AGN and sort them according to their emission slopes in the ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR). We visually classify their host galaxies’ morphologies and compute their bulge/total light ratios using the Galaxy Shapes of Light (galight) software. Most (94%) GOODS AGN exhibit obscured (i.e., diminished UV and/or mid-IR emission) SEDs. Only 6% show unobscured, quasar-like SEDs. Secular processes appear to play a large role in stimulating AGN emission, since only ∼1/3 of galaxies are undergoing interactions. We also describe the morphological identification of a population of suspected postmerger spheroid galaxies with obscured UV/IR SEDs and distinguish them from the host galaxies of AGN with less obscuration in the UV or IR.
Tim S. G. van Eck, Pieter Kleer, Johan S. H. van Leeuwaarden
When selling many goods with independent valuations, we develop a distributionally robust framework, consisting of a two-player game between seller and nature. The seller has only limited knowledge about the value distribution. The seller selects a revenue-maximizing mechanism, after which nature chooses a revenue-minimizing distribution from all distributions that comply with the limited knowledge. When the seller knows the mean and variance of valuations, bundling is known to be an asymptotically optimal deterministic mechanism, achieving a normalized revenue close to the mean. Moving beyond this variance assumption, we assume knowledge of the mean absolute deviation (MAD), accommodating more dispersion and heavy-tailed valuations with infinite variance. We show for a large range of MAD values that bundling remains optimal, but the seller can only guarantee a revenue strictly smaller than the mean. Another noteworthy finding is indifference to the order of play, as both the max-min and min-max versions of the problem yield identical values. This contrasts with deterministic mechanisms and the separate sale of goods, where the order of play significantly impacts outcomes. We further underscore the universality of the optimal bundling price by demonstrating its efficacy in optimizing not only absolute revenue but also the absolute regret and ratio objective among all bundling prices
Modern supply chains, especially Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) supply chains, are prone to disruptions due to delays, varying demand, and climate change. Pre-determined plan-based conventional logistics models are likely to be unable to predict such disruptions. This tends to result in operational inefficiencies and inventory inaccuracies. Current research suggests a cost-effective, real-time model that combines Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to predict disruptions and improve operational efficiency. The system utilizes RFID and GPS-enabled edge sensing, as well as external APIs for weather and demand. The system utilizes machine learning algorithms such as Naïve Bayes for disruption classification and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks for delay forecasting. After rigorous testing through simulations and field trials using ESP32 microcontrollers, the model achieved a classification accuracy of 91% and a 26% reduction in the root mean square error (RMSE) of delay forecasts. When applied across logistics nodes, it provided greater operational visibility, reduced stockouts, and ensured hassle-free hardware-software integration. The method provides an extensible solution for smart supply chain management. The dashboard implemented using Streamlit also supports real-time monitoring and decisionmaking, and its modular structure supports applicability across industries such as fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), retail, and healthcare.
The dynamics of e-commerce, combined with the growing number of users and the increasing volume of last-mile consignments, are driving current developments in logistics. As online commerce continues to grow, so does the need for active service providers to deliver courier, express, and parcel (CEP) shipments on time. Autonomous last-mile delivery is said to have the potential to transform the way we receive goods. As these autonomous delivery technologies continue to develop and become more widespread, it is possible to foresee a future where autonomous delivery vehicles seamlessly navigate our roads and sidewalks, bringing our online orders to our doorsteps faster and more efficiently than ever. After a general classification of sidewalk autonomous delivery robots (SADRs), this paper examines how far the development and implementation of these vehicles have progressed and which developments offer the greatest opportunities for ecological and economic use in the future.
An essential activity in the delivery of goods by logistics service companies is how to deliver goods to consumers according to the agreed time with minimal costs. A case study was conducted on one of the logistics service companies in Bandung, which has an exciting feature: promising goods to consumers within 24 hours. The interesting thing about this company is that it uses the rest of the luggage of travelers traveling to the destination city by plane. In existing conditions, problems often arise, namely, goods do not reach customers according to the agreed time. This causes losses to the company because it must pay a late penalty. Therefore, the author designed several alternatives to meet freight forwarding in less than 24 hours. This study aims to optimize the cost of shipping goods from various alternatives by considering the delivery time of less than 24 hours. This study uses an experimental method with a system model to conduct simulations. Parameters use primary data from the company and secondary data from websites. The author designed two alternatives to shipping goods if no match was found with the traveler. The first alternative is to use air cargo at Bandung Airport. The second alternative is that if it is predicted that the goods will not reach the customer within 24 hours through Bandung Airport, they will be sent to Soekarno Hatta Airport Jakarta using a truck. A match with the traveler at the airport will be sought. The second alternative is also considered if there is no match with the traveler, then the delivery of goods uses air cargo. The simulation results provide a total cost for alternatives 1 and 2 of IDR 69,779,084.40/month and IDR 107,025,296, respectively, for goods that do not meet the delivery of less than 24 hours for alternative 1, namely nine items/month or 1% of the total shipment and alternative 2, namely 19 goods or 2% of the total delivery. The simulation in this study resulted in choosing the first alternative as the best alternative with the lowest cost.
The impact of extreme weather conditions on delivery services, including India Post and private couriers, is increasingly becoming a concern in Uttar Pradesh, India. This paper explores how severe weather events such as heavy rains, floods, heat waves, and storms disrupt the logistical operations of these services. The study highlights that extreme weather can lead to delays, damaged goods, and operational inefficiencies due to road blockages, infrastructure damage, and health risks for delivery personnel as per Pekka L. et-al (2014). India Post, with its extensive rural reach, and private couriers, which focus on urban areas, both face challenges in maintaining timely deliveries. While technological interventions like GPS tracking and route optimization are being used, infrastructure improvements and weather-resilient planning are needed to mitigate these disruptions. The study is an attempt to understand the probable impacts on delivery service and the company of India Post and private courier companies due to various weather conditions such as delay in delivery, concern about safety of shipment, and delivery person, financial loses, risk of accidents, blockage of roads, time sensitivity of parcel etc. These challenges may be faced by both India Post and private courier service companies. Apart from ascertaining the effects and impacts, this study also emphasizes the necessity for adaptive strategies to ensure the continuity of delivery services and to safeguard the safety of parcel and staff involved in delivery amidst climate uncertainties in Uttar Pradesh.
We study envy-free up to any item (EFX) allocations on simple graphs where vertices and edges represent agents and items respectively. An agent (vertex) is only interested in items (edges) that are incident to her and all other items always have zero marginal value to her. Christodoulou et al. [EC, 2023] first proposed this setting and studied the case of goods where every item has non-negative marginal values to every agent. In this work, we significantly generalize this setting and provide a complete set of results by considering the allocation of arbitrary items that can be goods, chores, or mixed manna under doubly monotone valuations with a mild assumption. For goods, we complement the results by Christodoulou et al. [EC, 2023] by considering another weaker notion of EFX in the literature and showing that an orientation -- a special allocation where each edge must be allocated to one of its endpoint agents -- that satisfies the weaker notion always exists and can be computed in polynomial time, contrary to the stronger notion for which an orientation may not exist and determining its existence is NP-complete. For chores, we show that an envy-free allocation always exists, and an EFX orientation may not exist but its existence can be determined in polynomial time. For mixed manna, we consider the four notions of EFX in the literature. We prove that an allocation that satisfies the strongest notion of EFX may not exist and determining its existence is NP-complete, while one that satisfies any of the other three notions always exists and can be computed in polynomial time. We also prove that an orientation that satisfies any of the four notions may not exist and determining its existence is NP-complete.
Punishment is probably the most frequently used mechanism to increase cooperation in Public Goods Games (PGG); however, it is expensive. To address this problem, this paper introduces an optimal control problem that uses fractional punishment to promote cooperation. We present a series of computational experiments illustrating the effects of single and combined terms of the optimization cost function. In the findings, the optimal controller outperforms the use of constant fractional punishment and gives an insight into the period and size of the penalization to be implemented with respect to the defection in the game.
Port safety plays an important role in port operations. Ship size has become larger and the port environment has rapidly changed in recent years. Ship accidents occur in the port area due to the complex environment in the port area. To improve past decision analysis methods on port operation safety fields and reduce fatalities and financial loss for potential accidents, the novelty of this study is to construct a safety index of ports with the application of the Best Worst Method (BWM). Four dimensions and 14 indicators were summarized based on an intensive literature review. The BWM was implemented to prioritize the weights of dimensions and indicators. Based on 21 expert questionnaires, the results indicate that the ranking of dimensions is ‘human’, ‘ship facilities’, ‘port facilities’, and ‘documentation check’. Regarding the ranking of indicators, the top three are ‘fire-fighting and life-saving equipment’, ‘captain’, and ‘pilot’. Safety improvement strategies (e.g. revising inappropriate operational rules and strengthening human safety education and training) based on these research findings are provided. The merits of this paper are presenting a simpler questionnaire-filling method and overcoming the traditional complicated questionnaire survey process and research limitations (e.g. indicator independence problems in the Analytic Hierarchy Process, and the complexation of filling out a questionnaire in the Analytic Network Process). In addition, the findings can help decision-making for port management authorities, port practitioners, and shipping operators (shipowners) regarding policy implementations of port safety.
PT Anugrah Hadi Electric, an electrical general supplier in Tangerang, faces challenges in the process of delivering goods to customers in the Jabodetabek area. The company still relies on conventional delivery methods where the owner directly delivers the goods, which causes constraints in time efficiency and communication with customers. This research aims to develop a delivery tracking system with on-demand location update feature to improve operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Using Agile methodology, the system is developed by integrating Firebase technology for real-time location tracking, Kotlin for mobile application development, Laravel as the backend framework, and MySQL as the database. The system allows customers to monitor delivery status directly through the application, reducing the need for manual communication with the owner. The implementation results show significant improvements in delivery efficiency and customer satisfaction. The system successfully reduces the communication burden on the owner and provides better transparency to customers regarding the status of their shipments. For further development, the addition of automatic notification features, improved data security, and integration with digital payment systems are recommended. Periodic evaluation of the application's performance is also needed to ensure the system continues to meet the needs of the company and customers along with technological developments.
Tetyana Anufriyeva, V. Matsiuk, N. Shramenko
et al.
The object of research is the system of organization of transportation of perishable goods. The study subject is the technological process of transportation of perishable goods by small shipments. The problem solved was a multicriteria optimization of the technological process of delivery of perishable goods by small shipments. The results are the built simulation model for the distribution of small consignments of perishable goods and the optimization according to the criterion of minimizing delivery time while limiting the rational use of available vehicles. To construct a simulation model, discrete-event and agent-based principles were used. The model built combines the solution to the transport problem and the traveling salesman problem simultaneously with taking into account the stochastic duration of technological operations. When forming the distribution route, the model algorithm takes into account the minimum allowable batch size to the i-th destination, which allows each time to build a new unique route of the vehicle. Unlike existing ones, the model constructed allows taking into account the peculiarities of the distribution network, the minimum consignment of cargo, and dynamically changing the route in accordance with the available cargo. Each time the cargo mass arrives at the logistics terminal, the condition of a sufficient quantity of goods intended for delivery to points of sale is checked. If the quantity of cargo sufficient for shipment is equal to the capacity of the car body, a new information message is generated on the availability of goods ready for shipment. Scope and conditions of practical use of the obtained results include transport companies, retail chains, distribution logistics
At this time, people prefer to shop online rather than shop directly to the store. Online shopping can be done through websites or e-commerce sites that provide buying and selling sites. Goods that are traded will be sent using a freight forwarder. This resulted in a buildup of consignment goods, so that goods that were important/emergency in nature were delayed for delivery. One of the efforts that can be made to overcome this problem is to make shipments by air. Modeling Quadcopter is done to overcome these problems. The modeling of Quadcopter is based on rotational, translational and angular kinematics. In its implementation, drones will experience interference, both interference from the system or interference from outside, for example, wind disturbance. Therefore, it is necessary to design a control system to maintain flight stability. In this research, a robust h-infinity control system will be applied. Where, the H-infinity control system is designed to ensure the stability and state of the system when disturbances occur, both internal and external disturbances. From the simulation results, it was found that the H-infinity control system was able to stabilize the drone’s motion during disturbances.
A multiproduct seller is more informed than consumers about the value of her products to consumers. The seller posts a price list and segments the market through cheap-talk communication. We find that when both seller's and consumers' incentive-compatibility constraints are satisfied, the seller cannot benefit from personalized pricing (i.e., third-degree price discrimination). Based on that observation, we provide a tractable characterization of seller's maximum equilibrium profits. We apply our analysis to a credence-good setup and discuss when the credence goods seller benefits from communication. The irrelevance result breaks down when we relax seller's incentive-compatibility constraints.
The operation of a port is of critical economic importance because of its role in international trade. However, increased operations increase the port's environmental impact and contribute to climate change and global warming. Dublin Port is one of the busiest ports in Ireland, and throughput is expected to increase as the economy continues to grow. Achieving a balance between growing economic activity and reducing environmental impacts is critical to a sustainable future. The efficiency of the port considering operation, economic, and environmental factors can be evaluated using the well-known nonparametric model of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). In this study, a novel two-stage non-radial DEA model is used to evaluate the environmental efficiency of Dublin Port considering landward and seaward operations. The proposed two-stage model DEA isolates the efficiency of the two port sides and calculates the overall efficiency. The model minimizes Dublin Port's annual CO2 emissions by reducing a combination of variables that can be realistically controlled by engineering and policy measures. The analysis was extended to account for possible variations in a number of key environmental output factors to compensate for the lack of real-world data availability. The study found that the number of terminals and capital expenditures have significant impacts on the port's environmental efficiency. Small adjustments or reductions in key indicators can improve Dublin Port's efficiency. This methodology can be applied to other ports in growing economies that use similar indicators to assess their environmental efficiency.
Mariann Merz, Esten Ingar Grøtli, Odd Erik Mørkrid
et al.
With the Yara Birkeland, the world’s first autonomous cargo ship developed for commercial use, nearing regular unmanned operation, it is crucial to assess the availability and readiness of unmanned cargo handling solutions. While there are already fully automated container terminals at large international ports, the purpose of this study is to consider solutions to support autonomous ships for small sized ports with little infrastructure, typical of coastal harbors in Norway. The analysis centers on geared cargo vessels that can navigate such ports with minimal or no crew onboard, and the primary method used involved workshops and interviews with personnel from relevant industries. An important finding is the lack of skilled crane operators that are willing to follow the ship. The study concludes that it is important to address the following 3 key technological gaps: (1) the autonomous connection and release of break-bulk, (2) automatic securing and lashing of onboard cargo, and (3) shipboard cranes that can operate without an onsite crane operator.