Performance of Shortest Path Algorithms in Network Flow Problems

It is known that minimum cost flow problems can be solved by successive augmentations along shortest paths. In this paper the issues of implementing shortest path algorithms in this context are examined. Of particular interest is the dynamic topology that the flow networks exhibit. We develop a network generator capable of emulating such topology. Strategies for exploiting the special structures in such networks are discussed. A set of 9000 test problems is offered, from which a particular strategy/algorithm combination is shown to consistently produce superior results when compared to the other combinations.