RoutingBlocks: An Open-Source Python Package for Vehicle Routing Problems with Intermediate Stops

Patrick S. Klein () and Maximilian Schiffer ()
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Patrick S. Klein: TUM School of Management, Technical University of Munich, 80333 Munich, Germany
Maximilian Schiffer: TUM School of Management, Technical University of Munich, 80333 Munich, Germany; Munich Data Science Institute, Technical University of Munich, 80333 Munich, Germany

INFORMS Journal on Computing, 2024, vol. 36, issue 4, 966-973

Abstract: We introduce RoutingBlocks , a versatile open-source Python package designed to simplify the development of algorithms for vehicle routing problems with intermediate stops (VRPIS). The package offers a variety of modular algorithmic components and optimized data structures crafted specifically to address key challenges of VRPIS, such as a lack of exact constant-time move evaluations and difficult station visit decisions. By using a unified solution and instance representation that abstracts problem-specific behavior (for example, constraint checking, move evaluation, and cost computation) into well-defined interfaces, RoutingBlocks maintains a clear separation between algorithmic components and specific problem configurations, thus allowing the application of the same algorithm to a variety of problem settings. Leveraging an efficient C ++ implementation for performance-critical core elements, RoutingBlocks combines the high performance of C ++ with the user-friendliness and adaptability of Python, thereby streamlining the development of effective metaheuristic algorithms. As a result, researchers using RoutingBlocks can focus on their algorithms’ core features, allocating more resources to innovation and advancement in the VRPIS domain.

Keywords: vehicle routing; metaheuristic algorithms; Python; open-source software (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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