Jacek Blazewicz - Internet Shopping Optimization Problem - new algorithms

In the talk we study an optimization aspect of Internet shopping with price sensitive discounts from customer’s perspective (which is a specific case of the Internet Shopping Optimization Problem). We developed and experimentally tested a simple greedy algorithm for ISOP. In this algorithm products are considered in a certain order. Computer experiments, where solutions obtained by the algorithm were compared against optimal solutions and those provided by the internet algorithm of Price Comparison Sites, were performed on the basis of data from the online book industry. Solutions found by the greedy algorithm were on average 4.1% more expensive than the optimal solutions and were 36.1% cheaper than solutions provided by Price Comparison Sites without taking delivery prices into account. New algorithms, taking into account the specificity of the problem, are presented as well and further extensions and generalizations are also mentioned.