The hypercube model is revisited regarding its use in solution methods for probabilistic location problems. This use of the model is relevant in situations in which the randomness in the availability of servers is an important factor to be considered; in some circumstances this randomness can be represented by spatially distributed queues. The model is presented through an illustrative example, for which the equilibrium equations are derived; some measures of performance are also defined. This is followed by the description of an exact and an approximate method for the calculation of these measures. Several probabilistic location models are then studied, which is followed by the analysis of solution methods for these models, with special emphasis given to methods that embed the hypercube model. Although incipient at present, the use of the hypercube model in probabilistic location problems has good potential, for example if embedded into metaheuristics such as simulated annealing and tabu search.
location; hypercube model; probabilistic models; queues
