An Uncertain Programming Model for Competitive Logistics Distribution Center Location Problem

Abstract

We employ uncertain programming to investigate the competitive logistics distribution center location problem in uncertain environment, in which the demands of customers and the setup costs of new distribution centers are uncertain variables. This research was studied with the assumption that customers patronize the nearest distribution center to satisfy their full demands. Within the framework of uncertainty theory, we construct the expected value model to maximize the expected profit of the new distribution center. In order to seek for the optimal solution, this model can be transformed into its deterministic form by taking advantage of the operational law of uncertain variables. Then we can use mathematical software to obtain the optimal location. In addition, a numerical example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the presented model.