Polling Zones Planning Problem

Haluk Saffet Balkan, Nidai Kordal

This paper introduces an application of the use of electromagnetic push-pull mechanism to the solution of mathematical programming problems. The algorithm used is similar to the methodology used to solve “Travelling Salesman Problem” using a population based algorithm simulating the push-pull mechanism of electromagnetic theory, which was originally applied to unconstrained optimization problems in continuous space. The charge (objective function value) of each solution point in feasible population applies attraction and repulsion force on the points in population and moves the objective function towards optimality, i.e. to point with highest pull force. Two different versions of TSP based EM mechanism is used to find optimum political districts, where districts formed must be compact and contiguous, while each zone have almost equal population. The algorithms are tested to redraw borders of the fifty polling zones of North Cyprus.