In keeping with an unusually awesome collection of comments, Daniel Fylstra of Frontline Systems wrote regarding the new linear/integer programming software from Gurobi (apologies for the self-linking, but, hey!, it’s my blog!):
Although Gurobi Optimization plans to offer the Gurobi Solver directly (with its own APIs and tool set) starting in April, it’s available in a full commercial release this month (February) as embedded in several modeling systems (AIMMS, Frontline, GAMS, MPL). We have it available for download right now (15 day free trial with no other restrictions) at http://www.solver.com/gurobi. You can run the Mittleman benchmarks yourself, or solve your own models in MPS, LP and OSIL format using a little program GurobiEval that we include. You can create models from scratch, and solve them with Gurobi, either in Excel with our modeling system, Risk Solver Platform, or in C, C++, C#, VB6, VB.NET, Java or MATLAB using our Solver Platform SDK.
This is excellent news, and I look forward to experimenting with the new software.
If this level of comments keeps up, I’ll have to initiate a “quote of the week”!
Microsoft Solver Foundation version 1.1 was released last week and includes Gurobi as its default MIP solver. Solver Foundation’s plugin model allows third-party solvers to be used without recompilation or redistribution – there are Mosek and CPLEX plugins as well. You can download a free version, with no time limits and only a restriction on problem size, from http://www.solverfoundation.com/.
Nathan
I’m intrigued by the MS Solver Foundation. They are hyping that there is an Excel plugin yet it requires Office 2007. I was hoping to use it with Excel but my workplace has 2003 installed. I’m hoping they make it more compatible with legacy software.
Gurobi is now also available with the latest version of AIMMS 3.9, officially released today. Try it – Compare it – by getting your free trial that is loaded with a large set of solvers (http://www.aimms.com/try ), and includes GUROBI, CPLEX, MOSEK, and many more. Also available in the free student license (http://www.aimms.com/freestudentlicense ).