OPTIMAL ROUTES SEARCH IN LARGE MAIL NETWORKS

Abstract

Currently, small postal networks, characterized by the presence of unique links between their structures and communication matrices, are mainly used to meet the needs of the postal service. These networks are constantly being developed and improved, in particular, new regional
automated sorting centers are being created that use robotic complexes, machines and devices, mail
transportation and processing schemes are complicated, and alternative options for such schemes arise, including alternative options for quantity, location and throughput specified sorting centers, securing
postal service objects, sequences and time schedules for their passage, etc. As a result, small mail
communication networks are gradually turning into large mail communication networks, a characteristic
feature of which is the lack of unambiguous connections between their structures and connectivity
matrices, which greatly complicates the search for optimal paths in these networks. In this work, as the
prototypes of large postal networks, the lines of the largest undergrounds in the world are used. Although
the subways are not intended for transportation and processing of mail, they provide an opportunity to get
a real idea of the difficulty of finding optimal paths in large postal networks, to compare and evaluate the effectiveness of search algorithms for such paths in these networks