A Node-Oriented Branch and Bound Algorithm for the Capacitated Minimum Spanning Tree Problem

This paper studies the capacitated minimum spanning tree (CMST) problem, which is one of the most fundamental and significant problems in the optimal design of local computer networks. A solution method using a node-oriented branch and bound technique is introduced and its performance is presented. We show the advantages of the algorithm while illustrating the process of searching for the optimal solution. Techniques for finding tighter lower bounds are emphasized. Computational experiences demonstrate the algorithm's effectiveness.