Solvers we sell are summarized below, with links to more detailed descriptions. We categorize the solvers according to whether they are based on classical “linear” methods, classical “nonlinear” methods, or “global” methods that draw from various approaches.
These solvers all handle linear and convex quadratic optimization problems in both continuous and integer variables:
COPT (Cardinal Operations)
CPLEX (IBM Corporation)
Gurobi (Gurobi Optimization)
Xpress (FICO)
MOSEK (Mosek ApS)
Individual solvers offer extensions to additional problem types. All incorporate fast primal simplex, dual simplex, and interior methods for linear programming together with sophisticated brach-and-cut and heuristic search approaches for pure integer and mixed-integer problems. Options for parallel computational on multiple processors and cores are included. Solvers in this category are most widely used for diverse applications throughout business, government, and research organizations.
The solvers in this category provide the most effective way to finding locally optimal solutions to problems involving smooth nonlinear functions (including ratios, polynomials, exponentials and logarithms, and trigonometric forms). They offer a variety of proven algorithms:
CONOPT (ARKI Consulting & Development) — multi-method architecture founded on reduced gradient
KNITRO (Ziena Optimization) — choice of interior-point and active-set methods, with support for integer variables and automatic multiple starts
LOQO (Princeton University) — interior-point method applied to a sequence of quadratic approximations
MINOS (Stanford University) — reduced gradient approach founded on a linear primal simplex method
SNOPT (Stanford University) — sequential quadratic approximation method
For a given problem class, one or more of these solver approaches will generally be found advantageous. Nonlinear solvers are used extensively in applications such as energy transmission and engineering design that have a physical component, and in advanced economic and financial modeling.
These solvers combine a variety of approaches to find globally optimal solutions among many locally optimal points. Each is designed to handle a specially chosen combination of nonconvex, nonsmooth, and discrete expressions in the objective and constraints. We offer a selection of the best solvers available in this category:
BARON (The Optimization Firm)
LGO (Pintér Consulting)
LINDO Global (LINDO Systems)
Octeract (Octeract Limited)
Since the problems addressed by these solvers are particularly difficult, proper choice of a suitable solver is essential. Using AMPL, it is easy to try several solver alternatives on the same model and data, to determine what works best for a given application.
We offer a selection of the highest quality solvers, interfaced to AMPL for full access to algorithms and options. For your convenience we provide sales and support on the same terms as our AMPL software. Our price list includes all of these solvers in a range of configurations.
The choice of a solver is determined mainly by the kind of problem to be solved and the optimizing algorithms to be applied. Usually several solvers are applicable to the problems that derive from a particular application; as solver performance is highly application-dependent, a choice among solvers is best made by testing on representative examples.
Get free access to the full-featured version of AMPL for personal, academic, and commercial prototyping purposes. This program includes open-source solvers, as well as 30-day trials of commercial solvers.
Get a full-featured trial package of AMPL and all the solvers that we sell, good for 30 days.
Get free access to AMPL and the solvers that we sell, with very generous time and memory limits. Access through the NEOS website or directly from an AMPL session.
To provide the fastest run times and greatest reliability, we offer a selection of top commercial solvers interfaced to AMPL. We provide the same high level of licensing and technical support for these solvers as for the core AMPL product.
© 2024, AMPL Optimization, Inc. All Rights Reserved.