Integration of a primal simplex network algorithm with a large-scale mathematical programming system

In this paper we discuss the implementation of a primal simplex algorithm for network problems in the MPSIII mathematical programming system. Because of the need to interface with the rest of the MPS this implementation is unorthodox, but computationally effective, and has a number of advantages over “stand alone” network optimizers. It is argued that a similar approach is appropriate for other general-purpose mathematical programming systems, and has applications beyond pure network optimization.