Solving integer programs in Python with PuLP

Question

I am working on a Python package for computing several NP-Hard graph invariants. The current version of the package uses brute force for nearly all of the algorithms, but I am very interested in using integer programming to help speed up the computations for larger graphs.

For example, a simple integer program for solving the independence number of an n-vertex graph is to maximize formula given the constraints formula , where formula .

How do I solve this using PuLP? Is PuLP my best option, or would it be beneficial to use solvers in another language, like Julia, and interface may package with those?

Here's an example of how PuLP works: https://stackoverflow.com/a/39886268/6338725 — Rodrigo de Azevedo, Dec 18 '17 at 14:36
This is quite broad as currently stated. Could you focus on a specific problem and narrow this down somewhat? — josliber, Dec 18 '17 at 14:43

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Jun 13 '18 at 00:29

I don't propose to write your full implementation for you, but to address the final question about PuLP versus other languages.

PuLP provides a Python wrapper over a range of existing LP Solvers.

Once you have specified your problem with a Python syntax, it converts it to another language internally (e.g. you can save .lp files, and inspect them) and passes that to any one of a number of third-party solvers, that generally aren't written in Python.

So there is no need to learn another language to get a better solver.

Solving integer programs in Python with PuLP

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