By: Eradu Seid

ID. No: _BDU1108707

Critique on: Sensitivity analysis of the setup knapsack problem to perturbation of
arbitrary profits or weights
Summary
This paper tells us the sensitivity analysis of the setup knapsack problem to perturbation of
arbitrary profits or weights. It is very complex and interesting cases different approaches was
described for sensitivity analysis of the optimum of the SKP and their intervals the upper and
lower limit of this Skp problem the structure of the optimal solution remains constant in the
perturbed problem. The sensitivity of an optimal solution depending on Perturbation of the profit,
Variation of a couple of profits (both setup and ordinary profits) and Perturbation of the weight.
SKP consists of packing a subset of m item types in a knapsack of capacity c, where each item
type has a profit pi, a weight wi, and a (demand) bound ni ≥1, for i=1..., m. Each item type i is
associated to a setup item and is characterized by its value ui and weight si.

Abstract

I would like to appreciate the authors they write this article properly and precisely on the abstract
part for this complex knapsack problem. The main goal of the papers is sensitivity analysis of the
knapsack problem is to pack a subset of items in a knapsack of a predefined capacity that
maximizes an objective function. In this paper analyze the sensitivity of an optimal solution
depending on the variation of the profits or weights of arbitrary items. In addition to this key
word are pointed out properly.

Introduction

The title of the review paper is interesting the authors on this article evidently explain the best
way Knapsack problem is a problem in combinatorial optimization given set of items each with
weight and value, determine the number of each item to include in a collection so that the total
weight is less than or equal to a given limit and the total value is as large as possible. The authors
also analyze this setup knapsack problem by comparing different approaches like stochastic
optimization, robust optimization and sensitivity analysis in different aspect. The sensitivity
analysis can be viewed as a complementary approach that tries to propose the limits of variability
of one or more parameters of the problem without altering the optimal solution, such an approach
may be use full when some parameters have an unpredictable behavior.

Literatures

The authors use the few papers for the sensitivity analysis to addressing the study of the stability
of optimal or approximate solutions for combinatorial optimization problems, especially for the
knapsack problem type. Among these papers, Nauss (1979) addressed such a study by analyzing
special cases of general integer programming problems.

Methodology

In Section the authors evaluate the first limit of the sensitivity interval upper and lower bounds
associated with the perturbation of an arbitrary item’s profit, the variation of couple of profits
composed of set up and ordinary items and challenges the sensitivity analysis when a weight is
altered in different section through a number of theorem and lemma. The author cites the
previously formulated mathematical techniques that are used in the paper and technical and
reasonable formulation of each formula and equation has been used and it was really good and
interesting.

Result and discussion

It is appreciable that the authors choose the way of comparison of the mathematical expression
on the methodology by using example and the authors analyze the limit when altering weight,
profit and both in addition to this the result was properly presented.

Conclusion

The conclusion part is good but, it is better to indicate the limit of related to profit, weight and
both when altering their value in this knapsack problem. On the other hand, depending on the
analysis, the author conclude that the proposed limits remain very interesting even approximate
approaches are used for figuring out both lower and upper limits of the sensitivity intervals.

Reference

The way of referencing is interesting and all the literatures in the study are well cited.