AMPL Modeling Language
A modeling language for optimizing complex problems
Welcome to AMPL (A Mathematical Programming Language), a powerful and intuitive modeling language designed specifically for large-scale optimization problems. If you are new to modeling languages or AMPL, this page will guide you through what AMPL is, its benefits, and why it stands out in the landscape of programming and modeling languages.
Specifically Designed for Optimization
What we do, we do well
AMPL is a high-level language for describing and solving mathematical optimization problems. Unlike general programming languages such as Python, C++, or Java, which are designed for a broad range of applications, AMPL is dedicated to optimization modeling. It allows users to formulate problems in a clear, algebraic notation, making it easier to define complex models and solve them efficiently.
Intuitive Syntax
AMPL's syntax closely mirrors the mathematical notation used to describe optimization problems. This makes it accessible to those with a mathematical background and reduces the learning curve compared to general-purpose languages.
Separation of Model and Data
AMPL promotes a clean separation between the model (the mathematical representation of the problem) and the data (the specific instances of the problem). This separation simplifies model management and allows for easier testing and experimentation.
Support for Various Problem Types
AMPL can handle a wide range of optimization problems, including linear, nonlinear, and mixed-integer. This versatility makes it suitable for diverse applications across multiple industries.
Integration with Solvers
AMPL works seamlessly with numerous state-of-the-art solvers, enabling users to find optimal solutions to their models quickly and effectively. This integration ensures that you can leverage the best optimization technology available.
AMPL Modeling Suite
Comprehensive Tools for Complete Optimization Solutions
AMPL offers a comprehensive suite of tools designed to complement and enhance your optimization modeling experience. These tools work seamlessly together, providing a robust ecosystem for developing, solving, and analyzing optimization models.
Data Connectors
AMPL Data Connectors enable you to easily import and export data between AMPL and various data sources, including databases, spreadsheets, and other data formats. This feature ensures that your models can seamlessly integrate with your existing data infrastructure, facilitating efficient data management and real-time updates.
Solver Library
AMPL integrates with a wide range of solvers for different types of optimization problems. Whether you are dealing with linear, nonlinear, integer, or stochastic programming, the AMPL Solver Library provides access to the best solvers available.
AMPL API
The AMPL API allows you to embed AMPL into other software applications, enabling seamless integration with your existing systems. This API supports multiple programming languages, making it versatile and easy to use in various development environments.
AMPL Command Line
The AMPL Command Line interface provides a flexible and scriptable way to interact with AMPL models. Ideal for batch processing and automation, the command line interface allows you to integrate AMPL into your workflows seamlessly.
Benefits
Efficiency, Stability, and Ease of Use
For Modelers and Developers
Intuitive, Natural Syntax
AMPL's algebraic modeling language is designed to be straightforward and intuitive, reducing the complexity of model development and allowing modelers to focus on the problem rather than the coding intricacies.
Rapid Prototyping
With AMPL, you can quickly prototype and iterate on models, making it easier to refine and improve your optimization solutions.
Flexibility and Scalability
AMPL is capable of handling models of varying complexity and scale, from small academic problems to large industrial applications. This flexibility ensures that AMPL can grow with your needs.
For Organizations and Industries
Long-Term Stability
AMPL provides a stable foundation for long-term optimization projects. Unlike general programming languages, which may evolve and change focus, AMPL is specifically designed and continually optimized for mathematical programming, ensuring consistent performance and support.
Efficient & Effective Solutions
By using a language dedicated to optimization, organizations can achieve more efficient and effective solutions. General programming languages may lack the specialized features and performance optimizations that AMPL offers.
Improved Productivity
The ease of modeling and integration with powerful solvers means that teams can deliver high-quality optimization solutions faster, leading to increased productivity and competitive advantage.
AMPL vs. General Languages
Why Choose AMPL Over General Programming Languages for optimization?
While general programming languages are versatile and powerful, they are not always the best fit for optimization problems.
Specialized Focus
AMPL is built specifically for optimization, providing tools and features that are fine-tuned for this purpose. This specialization results in better performance and easier model development.
Reduced Development Time
AMPL's concise and intuitive syntax allows for faster model development and fewer errors, saving valuable time compared to using general programming languages.
Enhanced Solver Integration
AMPL's seamless integration with leading optimization solvers means you can leverage cutting-edge technology without additional effort, ensuring that your models are solved efficiently.
Long-Term Support and Stability
With a focus solely on optimization, AMPL provides a stable and reliable platform that evolves in line with advances in the optimization field, ensuring long-term support for your projects.
Ready to get started?
Try AMPL today and see how it can transform your approach to optimization and drive your projects to success.
Developer Resources
AMPL offers a wealth of resources to help modelers and developers get the most out of the language.
What is AMPL?
AMPL is A Mathematical Programming Language for solving optimization problems that integrates three main components. All three languages use the same concepts and syntax for streamlined application-building.
A modeling language for describing optimization data, variables, objectives and constraints
A command language for browsing models and analyzing results
A scripting language for gathering and manipulating data and for implementing iterative optimization schemes.
Powerful modeling language features
AMPL’s intuitive syntax allows for clean model creation – defined in the way you think about your optimization problems.
Broad support for sets and set operators
AMPL models can use sets of pairs, triples, and longer tuples; collections of sets indexed over sets; unordered, ordered, and circular sets of objects; and sets of numbers.
General and natural syntax
General and natural syntax for arithmetic, logical, and conditional expressions; familiar conventions for summations and other iterated operators.
Automatic handling
Automatic handling of linear and convex quadratic problems in continuous and integer variables.
Nonlinear programming features
Nonlinear programming features such as initial primal and dual values, user-defined functions, fast automatic differentiation, and automatic elimination of “defined” variables.
Convenient alternative notations
Convenient alternative notations for network flows, piecewise-linearities, complementary conditions, and logical implications.
Valuable modeling support features
Interactive command environment
An IDE with batch processing options. Powerful display commands let you view any model component or expression, browsing on-screen or writing to a file, using automatic formatting or your own preferences.
Powerful scripting language
Powerful scripting language including looping and if-then-else commands. Programs in the AMPL command language can define iterative schemes that process input data, repeatedly adjust and solve instances of multiple models, and prepare results for analysis.
Separation of model and data
AMPL models remain concise even as sets and data tables grow. Models may incorporate many kinds of conditions for validity of the data.
Data input and output connections
Concise statements relate the model data and results to the contents of relational data tables.
An intelligent ecosystem of optimization
AMPL Optimization Inc. is dedicated to helping you meet the challenges of building, maintaining, and deploying complex, custom-designed optimal decision models.
The AMPL modeling language and system have been adopted by companies and organizations worldwide to bring optimization to a broad range of business and research applications, and to support teaching in the many fields that employ optimization as a modeling paradigm.
Data connection
Use AMPL’s data handlers to read and write data in the external formats of spreadsheets in .xlsx format, CSV files and database using ODBC.
Solvers
To provide the fastest run times and greatest reliability, we offer a selection of top commercial solvers interfaced to AMPL.
Presolve
AMPL’s presolve dramatically reduces a problem’s size before sending it to the solver. This makes your solver’s task much easier – assisting its own presolve – for a faster result, using less memory.
APIs
Our APIs ensure that you have a reliable and maintainable implementation as you embed your optimization models into applications.
Extended Function Library
This library extends AMPL with over 300 functions from the GNU Scientific Library. Included are scientific, statistical, and utility functions of many kinds, and a variety of random number generators.
Logic & Constraint Programming Extensions
This library extends AMPL with over 300 functions from the GNU Scientific Library. Included are scientific, statistical, and utility functions of many kinds, and a variety of random number generators.
Why AMPL?
AMPL gives modelers the tools and technology to build better.
Extensive documentation
Our documentation and extensive libraries contain the support you need to build a custom model in a fraction of the time.
Thriving partnerships
Our collaborative partners in solvers and deployment offers a complete system of optimization beyond the AMPL capability.
Broad availability and integration
Available solvers include the most popular and powerful optimization engines for linear and quadratic, nonlinear, and more general problems.
Support teaching and education
The AMPL book is the best-recognized introduction to practical algebraic modeling and contains numerous examples with accurate life models and data sets. Our licensing and pricing options make AMPL accessible to students, and academic researchers.