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A note on the complexity of the picker routing problem in multi-block warehouses and related problems

Author

Listed:
  • Thibault Prunet

    (Mines Saint-Etienne, Univ. Clermont Auvergne, INP Clermont Auvergne, CNRS UMR 6158 LIMOS
    CERMICS, Ecole des Ponts, IP Paris)

  • Nabil Absi

    (Mines Saint-Etienne, Univ. Clermont Auvergne, INP Clermont Auvergne, CNRS UMR 6158 LIMOS
    Mohammed VI Polytechnic University)

  • Diego Cattaruzza

    (University Lille, CNRS, Centrale Lille, Inria, UMR 9189
    University of Udine)

Abstract

The Picker Routing Problem (PRP), which consists of finding a minimum-length tour between a set of storage locations in a warehouse, is one of the most important problems in the warehousing logistics literature. Despite its popularity, the tractability of the PRP in multi-block warehouses remains an open question. This technical note aims to fill this research gap by establishing that the problem is strongly NP-hard. As a corollary, the complexity status of other related problems is settled.

Suggested Citation

  • Thibault Prunet & Nabil Absi & Diego Cattaruzza, 2025. "A note on the complexity of the picker routing problem in multi-block warehouses and related problems," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 347(3), pages 1595-1605, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:annopr:v:347:y:2025:i:3:d:10.1007_s10479-025-06481-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s10479-025-06481-3
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