Polyrun: A Java library for sampling from the bounded convex polytopes

• Main Authors: Krzysztof Ciomek, Miłosz Kadziński
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2021-01-01
• Series: SoftwareX
• Subjects: Monte Carlo simulation; Hit-and-Run; Convex polytope; Uniform sampling; Linear constraints; Java
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352711021000042

Polyrun is a Java library that provides methods for exploiting the bounded convex polytopes. Such polytopes define a space of feasible problem parameters with a set of linear constraints. The software makes available an implementation of the Hit-and-Run algorithm, which is the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method for an efficient uniform sampling from the convex polytopes. Moreover, it implements other procedures, such as Ball-Walk, Sphere-Walk, or Grid-Walk, for making random steps within a polytope. The software provides a Java Application Programming Interface (API) along with an intuitive Command Line Interface (CLI) for Hit-and-Run. It has been used to support real-world decision making in various application areas, including logistics, land use planning, nanotechnology, and energy. The software is free and open-source.