- #1
jjc
- 21
- 0
I am trying to create a mathematical model from a table of possible permutations. The table essentially consists of a list of various combinations of variables (there are 7 of them) and then an education guesstimate of how long that combination would take. Each variable is restricted to a limited set of possibilities, usually 3 or 4. The variables represent things like, how experienced is this person? = [Beginner, Moderate, Advanced, Expert]. So the variables aren't necessarily hard numbers.Here the actual set that I am working with:
A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 12
A1 B2 C1 D2 E2 F1 G1 88
A1 B2 C1 D3 E2 F2 G1 200
A1 B2 C1 D3 E2 F1 G1 160
A1 B2 C1 D3 E3 F2 G1 240
A1 B2 C1 D3 E3 F1 G1 200
A1 B2 C1 D4 E2 F1 G1 72
A2 B3 C2 D5 E2 F3 G2 72
A2 B3 C3 D6 E2 F3 G2 120
A2 B3 C4 D5 E2 F3 G3 96
A2 B3 C5 D6 E3 F3 G2 96
A2 B3 C5 D3 E2 F3 G2 72
A2 B3 C6 D5 E2 F3 G2 60
A2 B3 C6 D6 E2 F3 G2 80
A2 B3 C6 D7 E2 F3 G2 40
A2 B4 C6 D5 E4 F3 G2 24
A2 B4 C6 D6 E4 F3 G2 32
A2 B4 C6 D7 E4 F3 G2 16
A2 B5 C2 D5 E2 F3 G2 56
A2 B5 C3 D6 E2 F3 G2 64
A2 B5 C4 D5 E3 F3 G3 72
A2 B5 C5 D6 E3 F3 G2 96
A2 B5 C5 D3 E2 F3 G2 72
A2 B5 C6 D5 E5 F3 G2 40
A2 B5 C6 D6 E2 F3 G2 56
A2 B5 C6 D6 E3 F3 G2 96
A2 B5 C6 D7 E6 F3 G2 16
A2 B5 C6 D7 E8 F3 G2 32
A2 B5 C6 D8 E7 F3 G2 24
A3 B6 C6 D9 E4 F3 G4 4
A3 B6 C6 D10 E4 F3 G4 8
A3 B6 C6 D11 E4 F3 G4 12
A3 B4 C6 D9 E4 F3 G4 2
A3 B4 C6 D10 E4 F3 G4 4
A3 B4 C6 D11 E4 F3 G4 8
Each column is ostensibly 'added' to the next column, with the number being the RHS of the equals sign.
The table consists of 34 permutations. The guesstimated total is based on past data, but isn't a hard and fast mathematical correlation. And to top it all off, certain combinations are excluded; i.e. not all permutations are possible. E.g. one of the variables is 'location'. It has possible values of 'inside' and 'outside'. If it is 'outside' then the variable for 'needed equipment' is restricted (because certain pieces of equipment can't go outside).
This is all currently defined in a spreadsheet with conditional pick lists in each of 7 columns. I want to move it into a database system, and am trying to create the background model to represent this table. Something that is a bit more flexible and not just a strict lookup. (I want to do it better than the spreadsheet did.
So...I think that I can work through and try to find some specific values for each variable just using the simultaneous equations. The issue comes up in trying to represent the restrictions and the weighting of certain variables (e.g. an experienced person might make 2 or 3 other variables take less time).
Restrictions might have to just be boiled down to programming logic during data entry, I suppose. Maybe weighting isn't that important and it would all work out in the equation solving and be sufficiently accurate. This model is just a design guideline and not meant for anything that needs to be TERRIBLY exact. :)
Any suggestions are welcome.
Thanks,
J
A1 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 12
A1 B2 C1 D2 E2 F1 G1 88
A1 B2 C1 D3 E2 F2 G1 200
A1 B2 C1 D3 E2 F1 G1 160
A1 B2 C1 D3 E3 F2 G1 240
A1 B2 C1 D3 E3 F1 G1 200
A1 B2 C1 D4 E2 F1 G1 72
A2 B3 C2 D5 E2 F3 G2 72
A2 B3 C3 D6 E2 F3 G2 120
A2 B3 C4 D5 E2 F3 G3 96
A2 B3 C5 D6 E3 F3 G2 96
A2 B3 C5 D3 E2 F3 G2 72
A2 B3 C6 D5 E2 F3 G2 60
A2 B3 C6 D6 E2 F3 G2 80
A2 B3 C6 D7 E2 F3 G2 40
A2 B4 C6 D5 E4 F3 G2 24
A2 B4 C6 D6 E4 F3 G2 32
A2 B4 C6 D7 E4 F3 G2 16
A2 B5 C2 D5 E2 F3 G2 56
A2 B5 C3 D6 E2 F3 G2 64
A2 B5 C4 D5 E3 F3 G3 72
A2 B5 C5 D6 E3 F3 G2 96
A2 B5 C5 D3 E2 F3 G2 72
A2 B5 C6 D5 E5 F3 G2 40
A2 B5 C6 D6 E2 F3 G2 56
A2 B5 C6 D6 E3 F3 G2 96
A2 B5 C6 D7 E6 F3 G2 16
A2 B5 C6 D7 E8 F3 G2 32
A2 B5 C6 D8 E7 F3 G2 24
A3 B6 C6 D9 E4 F3 G4 4
A3 B6 C6 D10 E4 F3 G4 8
A3 B6 C6 D11 E4 F3 G4 12
A3 B4 C6 D9 E4 F3 G4 2
A3 B4 C6 D10 E4 F3 G4 4
A3 B4 C6 D11 E4 F3 G4 8
Each column is ostensibly 'added' to the next column, with the number being the RHS of the equals sign.
The table consists of 34 permutations. The guesstimated total is based on past data, but isn't a hard and fast mathematical correlation. And to top it all off, certain combinations are excluded; i.e. not all permutations are possible. E.g. one of the variables is 'location'. It has possible values of 'inside' and 'outside'. If it is 'outside' then the variable for 'needed equipment' is restricted (because certain pieces of equipment can't go outside).
This is all currently defined in a spreadsheet with conditional pick lists in each of 7 columns. I want to move it into a database system, and am trying to create the background model to represent this table. Something that is a bit more flexible and not just a strict lookup. (I want to do it better than the spreadsheet did.
So...I think that I can work through and try to find some specific values for each variable just using the simultaneous equations. The issue comes up in trying to represent the restrictions and the weighting of certain variables (e.g. an experienced person might make 2 or 3 other variables take less time).
Restrictions might have to just be boiled down to programming logic during data entry, I suppose. Maybe weighting isn't that important and it would all work out in the equation solving and be sufficiently accurate. This model is just a design guideline and not meant for anything that needs to be TERRIBLY exact. :)
Any suggestions are welcome.
Thanks,
J
Last edited: