Encyclopedia of Operations Research and Management Science

2001 Edition
| Editors: Saul I. Gass, Carl M. Harris

Non-archimedean number

  • Saul I. Gass
  • Carl M. Harris
Reference work entry
First Online:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-0611-X_676
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How to cite

A number that does not satisfy the Archimedean axiom. Such numbers arise in setting preemptive (lexicographic) priorities in goal programming, the “Big M” for finding a feasible basis to a linear-programming problem, and in selecting an infintesimal in data envelopment analysis. Archimedean axiom; Big-M; Data envelopment analysis; Goal programming.

Copyright information

© Kluwer Academic Publishers 2001

Authors and Affiliations

  • Saul I. Gass
    • 1
  • Carl M. Harris
    • 2
  1. 1.Robert H. Smith School of BusinessUniversity of MarylandCollege PartUSA
  2. 2.School of Information Technology & EngineeringGeorge Mason UniversityFairfaxUSA