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From Frontline Systems, developers of the Excel Solver.

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Learn to use optimization for resource allocation, and Monte Carlo simulation for risk analysis of your model.


 

Compare our Integrated Products for Simulation and Optimization

Compare our Integrated Products for Simulation and Optimization

If you're modeling a risk analysis problem that can be solved with Monte Carlo simulation, our Risk Solver product is a great choice.  It costs the same or less and gives you more than competitors like Crystal Ball and @RISK Standard -- see how it compares to these products in a recent independent review.  But unlike its competitors, Risk Solver can be upgraded to gain full-power optimization capabilities, from linear programming to stochastic optimization.

Risk Solver Premium deeply integrates Risk Solver and Premium Solver -- giving you complete optimization capabilities, upward compatible from the Microsoft Excel Solver.  Risk Solver Platform, a powerful superset of Risk Solver Premium, deeply integrates Risk Solver and Premium Solver Platform -- and uses PSI Technology to automatically diagnose your model, automatically determine which solution methods can be applied, automatically select transformations for non-smooth models and stochastic linear programming models, and automatically choose the best Solver engine to solve the model.  The table below compares the capacity, speed, features and price of the Risk Solver products.

FEATURES AND PERFORMANCE

Risk Solver

Risk Solver Premium

Risk Solver Platform

Psi Technology:

 

 

 

Determine how objective and constraints depend on uncertainty

No

No

Yes

Create stochastic programming deterministic equivalent

No

No

Yes

Create robust counterpart for stochastic LP models

No

No

Yes

Find linear, nonlinear, nonsmooth formulas

No

No

Yes

Determine whether model is convex

No

No

Yes

"Linearize" IF, MIN, MAX, ABS, logical formulas

No

No

Yes

Built-in Engines:

 

 

 

Simplex Linear Solver

No

LP Only

LP/Quadratic

GRG Nonlinear Solver

No

Yes

Yes (faster)

Mixed-Integer Solver

No

Yes (fast)

Yes (faster)

Evolutionary Solver

No

Yes

Yes (faster)

Interval Global Solver

No

No

Yes

SOCP Barrier Solver

No

No

Yes

Field-Installable Solver Engines

No

No

Yes

Optimization Problem Size:

 

 

 

Linear Variables x Constraints

N/A

2000 x 1000

8000 x 8000

Nonlinear Variables x Constraints

N/A

400 x 200

500 x 250

Non-Smooth Variables x Constraints

N/A

400 x 200

500 x 250

Integer Constraints on Variables

N/A

1000

2000

Solver Engine Variables x Constraints

N/A

N/A

Unlim x Unlim

Speed (approximate):

 

 

 

Problem Setup

N/A

1-50X

2-100X

Linear Problems

N/A

3X

20X

Nonlinear Problems

N/A

1X

7-15X

Mixed-Integer Problems

N/A

10-20X

10-200X

Non-Smooth Problems

N/A

1-10X

1-10X

Solver Engines (On Various Problems)

N/A

N/A

10-1000X

Variables and Constraints:

 

 

 

Normal Decision Variables

No

Yes

Yes

Recourse Decision Variables

No

No

Yes

Normal, Integer, and Binary Constraints

No 

Yes

Yes

Semi-continuous Constraints

No

Yes

Yes

All-different Constraints

No

Yes

Yes

Second Order Cone Constraints

No

No

Yes

Chance Constraints (VaR, CVaR, USet)

No

No

Yes

Global Optimization:

 

 

 

Non-Smooth Problems (Evolutionary)

No

Yes

Yes

Nonlinear Problems (Multistart)

No

Yes

Yes

Nonlinear Problems (Interval Global)

No

No

Yes

Solver Engines (Several Approaches)

No

No

Yes

Simulation Optimization:

 

 

 

Built-in chance constraints and risk measure objectives

No

No

Yes

Solver Engines for Simulation Optimization

No

No

Yes

Advanced Stochastic Optimization:

 

 

 

Solve stochastic programming deterministic equivalent model

No

No

Yes 

Solve robust counterpart model for stochastic LP problems

No

No

Yes 

Automatically adjust chance constraints in robust optimization

No

No

Yes 

Constraint Programming and Conic Optimization:

 

 

 

Built-In Engines (alldifferent constraints)

No

Yes

Yes

Built-In Engines (second order cone constraints)

No

No

Yes

Solver Engines (alldifferent and cone constraints)

No

No

Yes

Solver Reports:

 

 

 

Simulation Report

Yes

Yes

Yes

Answer Report

No

Yes

Yes

Sensitivity Report

No

Yes

Yes

Limits Report

No

Yes

Yes

Linearity Report

No

Yes

Yes

Feasibility Report

No

Yes

Yes

Population Report

No

Yes

Yes

Report Outlining

No

Yes

Yes

Block Selection and Comments

No

Yes

Yes

Solutions Report

No

No

Yes

Scaling Report

No

No

Yes

Structure/Convexity Report

No

No

Yes

Transformation Report

No

No

Yes

Uncertainty Report

No

No

Yes

Solver Engine Custom Reports

No

No

Yes

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