Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!uwm.edu!ogicse!milton!kevin
From: kevin@milton.u.washington.edu (Kevin Caskey)
Newsgroups: aus.ai,comp.ai,comp.software.eng
Subject: Re: Packing cartons into containers
Message-ID: <1991Jun26.154936.2326@milton.u.washington.edu>
Date: 26 Jun 91 15:49:36 GMT
References: <1991Jun26.080725.12962@actrix.gen.nz>
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Lines: 20

In article <1991Jun26.080725.12962@actrix.gen.nz> john@actrix.gen.nz (John Vorstermans) writes:
>Does anybody know of sources of information on the techniques for
>deriving the best way to pack box-like cartons etc. into shipping
>containers?  That is, to minimise the amount of wasted space.
>
>This should come under the headings of Operational Research, Artificial
>Intelligence and Expert Systems.  Both exact and heuristic methods are
>of interest.
>
>If you could send references to articles or names of software packages
>(and supplier) for doing this sort of job, that would be great.
>
>If you can tell me of a guru on the subject, that would be great too.
>
>-- 
>john@actrix.gen.nz  

This is called the knapsack problem in OR literature. Contact any expert in
combinatorics. Unfortunately, I know of the email addresses for none.
Kevin at U dub kevin@u.washington.edu