AN EFFICIENT ALGORITHM FOR NONPOINT-SOURCE POLLUTION MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS

A dynamic programming (DP) algorithm is proposed for a class of non-po int source pollution control problems. The formulation deals with the selection of a spatial distribution of management practices in such a way as to meet a control agency's sediment pollution target. The inher ently combinatorial nature of these problems-stemming from the discret e nature of the decision variables, which are production, conservation and mechanical control practices-gives them a special integer program ming structure. This paper focuses on the DP formulation and the compu ter implementation of this algorithm. The approach is shown to be info rmative, robust and relatively efficient. Furthermore, the paper demon strates that dynamic programming can be used to generate sensitivity a nalysis information for multiple-choice knapsack problems.