About AMPL
AMPL is a sophisticated modeling tool that optimizes highly complex decisions
What is AMPL?
AMPL is A Mathematical Programming Language for solving optimization problems that integrates three main components. All three languages use the same concepts and syntax for streamlined application-building.
A modeling language for describing optimization data, variables, objectives and constraints
A command language for browsing models and analyzing results
A scripting language for gathering and manipulating data and for implementing iterative optimization schemes.
Powerful modeling language features
AMPL’s intuitive syntax allows for clean model creation – defined in the way you think about your optimization problems.
Broad support for sets and set operators
AMPL models can use sets of pairs, triples, and longer tuples; collections of sets indexed over sets; unordered, ordered, and circular sets of objects; and sets of numbers.
General and natural syntax
General and natural syntax for arithmetic, logical, and conditional expressions; familiar conventions for summations and other iterated operators.
Automatic handling
Automatic handling of linear and convex quadratic problems in continuous and integer variables.
Nonlinear programming features
Nonlinear programming features such as initial primal and dual values, user-defined functions, fast automatic differentiation, and automatic elimination of “defined” variables.
Convenient alternative notations
Convenient alternative notations for network flows, piecewise-linearities, complementary conditions, and logical implications.
Valuable modeling support features
Interactive command environment
An IDE with batch processing options. Powerful display commands let you view any model component or expression, browsing on-screen or writing to a file, using automatic formatting or your own preferences.
Powerful scripting language
Powerful scripting language including looping and if-then-else commands. Programs in the AMPL command language can define iterative schemes that process input data, repeatedly adjust and solve instances of multiple models, and prepare results for analysis.
Separation of model and data
AMPL models remain concise even as sets and data tables grow. Models may incorporate many kinds of conditions for validity of the data.
Data input and output connections
Concise statements relate the model data and results to the contents of relational data tables.
An intelligent ecosystem of optimization
AMPL Optimization Inc. is dedicated to helping you meet the challenges of building, maintaining, and deploying complex, custom-designed optimal decision models.
The AMPL modeling language and system have been adopted by companies and organizations worldwide to bring optimization to a broad range of business and research applications, and to support teaching in the many fields that employ optimization as a modeling paradigm.
Data connection
Use AMPL’s data handlers to read and write data in the external formats of spreadsheets in .xlsx format, CSV files and database using ODBC.
Solvers
To provide the fastest run times and greatest reliability, we offer a selection of top commercial solvers interfaced to AMPL.
Presolve
AMPL’s presolve dramatically reduces a problem’s size before sending it to the solver. This makes your solver’s task much easier – assisting its own presolve – for a faster result, using less memory.
APIs
Our APIs ensure that you have a reliable and maintainable implementation as you embed your optimization models into applications.
Extended Function Library
This library extends AMPL with over 300 functions from the GNU Scientific Library. Included are scientific, statistical, and utility functions of many kinds, and a variety of random number generators.
Logic & Constraint Programming Extensions
This library extends AMPL with over 300 functions from the GNU Scientific Library. Included are scientific, statistical, and utility functions of many kinds, and a variety of random number generators.
Why AMPL?
AMPL gives modelers the tools and technology to build better.
Extensive documentation
Our documentation and extensive libraries contain the support you need to build a custom model in a fraction of the time.
Thriving partnerships
Our collaborative partners in solvers and deployment offers a complete system of optimization beyond the AMPL capability.
Broad availability and integration
Available solvers include the most popular and powerful optimization engines for linear and quadratic, nonlinear, and more general problems.
Support teaching and education
The AMPL book is the best-recognized introduction to practical algebraic modeling, and contains numerous examples with real life models and data sets. Our licensing and pricing options make AMPL easily accessible to students, academic researchers and new graduates.
Adding optimization to your applications
In this INFORMS webinar, learn the fundamentals of AMPL’s model-based approach to building optimization applications quickly and reliably.
Understand the optimization modeling lifecycle and the components of the modern optimization toolchain.
Our documentation and extensive libraries contain the support you need to build a custom model in a fraction of the time.
See case studies of successful model-based optimization applications across a variety of business types.
We make it easy to get started.
Configurations and pricing for every user, every situation, every budget.
Pay based on your projects needs
AMPL and solvers for commercial use can be priced on a single-user, multi-user, or floating basis. Choose conventional perpetual licensing with annual maintenance fee, or our new subscription offering.
FREE Community Edition Licenses
AMPL’s new Community Edition is full-sized, full-featured, perpetual, and free with open source solvers. Add 30-day trials of commercial solvers anytime.
Custom Offerings
Commercial consultants, charitable organizations, and new graduates can upgrade their Community Edition to use select commercial solvers, available free or at a discounted price.
Academic Discounts
Qualifying academic researchers can purchase AMPL at 10% of the commercial prices, and qualify for select solvers’ free academic programs. Teachers can use AMPL for Courses bundled with a dozen popular solvers.
Ready to get started?
Explore our licenses and offerings or create an account to get started right away. You can also contact us to design the right solution to meet your business needs.