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Standard Excel Solver - Improving Slow Solution Times


recalculation, time to solve

 
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Most Solver problems are computationally intensive -- and the time the Solver takes to solve a problem rises rapidly as the size of your spreadsheet and the number of decision variables and constraints increases. This page discusses methods you can use to reduce the time taken by the Solver.

Frontline's Premium Solver products can usually solve problems much faster than the standard Microsoft Excel Solver -- up to 100 times faster in some cases.  Given the improved performance and low prices of new PC hardware, a faster computer is often a good investment.  Even so, the methods discussed here should help reduce the time taken to solve your problem with any set of hardware and software. The earlier in your model design process that you consider these factors, the better off you'll be when the model becomes larger (as it usually does).

bulletLinear Versus Nonlinear Models
bulletEliminating Nonessential Calculations
bulletAdding or Tightening Constraints
bulletMethods for Nonlinear Problems
bulletMethods for Integer Problems
bulletFast Problem Setup

The bottleneck in the solution process is nearly always recalculation time. While the Solver employs sophisticated, computationally intensive numerical methods internally, it still spends as much as 90% of its time waiting for Microsoft Excel to recalculate the worksheet. Therefore, any steps you can take to reduce recalculation time will favorably impact the Solver's solution time.

Back to Standard Excel Solver Support Information

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Our Premium Solver Platform works with existing Excel Solver models, solves much larger problems up to hundreds of times faster, and solves new kinds of problems via Evolutionary Solver.  Solver Engines plug into the Premium Solver Platform.
   
Solver Platform SDK makes it easy to solve any type or size of optimization problem in your Visual Basic, VB.NET, C/C++, C#, Java, or MATLAB program. And it's easy to deploy your application with our flexible licensing for software vendors and corporate developers.
   
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