Revisiting continuous p -hub location problems with the ℓ 1 metric
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Motivated by emerging urban applications in commercial, public sector, and humanitarian logistics, we revisit continuous p-hub location problems in which several facilities must be located in a continuous space such that the expected minimum Manhattan travel distance from a random service provider to a random customer through exactly one hub facility is minimized. In this paper, we begin by deriving closed-form results for a one-dimensional case and two-dimensional cases with up to two hubs. Subsequently, a simulation-based approximation method is proposed for more complex two-dimensional scenarios with more than two hubs. Moreover, an extended problem with multiple service providers is analyzed to reflect real-life service settings. Finally, we apply our model and approximation method using publicly available data as a case study to optimize the deployment of public-access automated external defibrillators in Virginia Beach.
Source: IISE Transactions
Authors: Yifan Wu, Joseph Geunes, Xiaofeng Nie
Institutions: Texas A&M University, Fayetteville State University
Language: English
Field: Decision Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7127400799