Chapter 4

(Network Flow Models)

Operations Research (RTM – 360)

Lecturer 8
4.4 The Maximal Flow Problem
The maximal flow problem is to maximize the amount of flow of items from an
origin to a destination.

Maximal flow problems can involve the flow of water, gas, or oil through
a network of pipelines; the flow of forms through a paper processing
system (such as a government agency); the flow of traffic through a
road network; or the flow of products through a production line system.
In each of these examples, the branches of the network have limited
and often different flow capacities. Given these conditions, the decision
maker wants to determine the maximum flow that can be obtained
through the system.
Example (): The FAA has granted a license to a new airline, Omni air, and
awarded it several routes between Omaha to St. Louis. The flights per day for
each route are shown in the following network:

We determine the maximum number of flights the airline can schedule per day
from Omaha to St. Louis and indicate the number of flights along each route.
Where Node 2 represent Salt Lake City, Node 3 denote Salt Phoenix, Node 4
represent Denver, Node 5 represent Dallas and Node 6 represent St. Louis.
number of flights of the airline available per day from a specific Node
(location) to another node is mentioned on right side of the node. For example
6 flights are available from Node 1 (Omaha) to Node 2 (Salt Lake City), 8
flights are available from node 2 to node 5, 5 flights are available from node 4
to node 6 (St. Louis), and so forth. The number on each branch to the
immediate left of each node is the number of flights available in the opposite
direction. For example, no flight is available from node 2 to node 1. The
branch from node 1 to node 2 is referred to as a directed branch because flow
is possible in only one direction (from node 1 to node 2, but not from 2 to 1).
Notice that flow is possible in both directions on the branches between nodes
2 and 4 and nodes 3 and 4. These are referred to as undirected branches.

For a directed branch, flow is possible in only one direction.

Solution:
The first step in determining the maximum possible flights from Omaha to St.
Louis is to choose arbitrary any path. Suppose we choose path (route) 1256.
The maximum number of flights that can be sent through this route is four as
this is the minimum value throughout the whole route.
We are limited to four flights because that is the maximum amount available
on the branch between nodes 5 and 6 as shown in figure() given below:

Step 1

 
given below:
Iteration 1 (Maximal flow for path 1256)

Notice that the remaining flights of the branches from node 1 to node 2 and
from node 2 to node 5 are two and four flights, respectively, and that no flights
are available from node 5 to node 6. These values were computed by
subtracting the four flights from the available flights.
The flow of four flights along each branch is shown enclosed in a box. Notice
that the present input of four flights into node 1 and output of four cars from
node 6 are also designated.

Re-compute branch flow in both directions.

The final adjustment on this path is to add the 4 flights to the values at the
immediate left of each node on our path, 1256. These are the flows in the
opposite direction. Thus, the value 4 is added to the zeros at nodes 2, 5, and
6.

We have now completed iteration 1 of the solution process and must repeat
the preceding step.

Since we just have a single path route (path) from Node 5 to Node 6 i.e. route
1256 (red line) as shown in figure() given below:

 
 Figure ()

4
2 5
4
4 3 0

2 3 4
  4 1
4 0
4
5 0
6 4
7 2
0

0 2
3 6
For next iteration, we can’t consider a route containing node 5 as maximum
no flights already moved to node 6 as shown in figure () above i.e. a 0 value
on the right side of node 5.
Now, we select another route containing node 1 but here we several paths
(routes) i.e. 1246, 1346, 136, 146 etc. Among these routes, we arbitrary
select Path 146 for iteration 2.
Step 2 or iteration 2
Figure ()

 
Therefore iteration 2 give the following result:
Figure()
 
4
2 5
4
4 3 0

2 3 4
0 4 1 4
8 1 4 6 8
7 2
0

0 2
3 6
Now, we again consider all the routes containing node 4 as it contains
minimum value other than zero, we have two routes 1246 and 1346. We
select route 1246 as it contains minimum total value i.e. 6. as shown in fig()
below:
Step 3 or Iteration 3
4
2 5
4
4 3 0
1 2
5
1 1 4
2 3 4
0 1
0 4 1 54
9 1 4 6 9
7 2
0

0 2
3 6

Figure ()
 
Iteration 3 gives the following result:
Figure()
 
4
2 5
4
5 2 0

1 4 4
0 4 0 5
9 1 4 6 9
7 2
0

0 2
3 6
At that stage we have just one path (route) i.e. 136, since we can’t choose
any path containing nodes 4 and 5 as both contains zero flight to node 6.
Step 4 or Iteration 4
 
4
2 5
4
5 2 0

1 4 4
0 4 0 5
15 1 4 6 15
71 2
60
6
6
0 2 6
3 60
Iteration 4 gives the following result:
Figure()
 
4
2 5
4
5 2 0

1 4 4
0 4 0 5
15 1 4 6 15
1 2
6

6 2
3 0