I don't think it is possible using solver, in fact unless someone writes a
large piece of VBA code I can't see how Excel is the best way for this
problem either. At least it is not really better than a pen and a paper
IMHO. I mean isn't this just variety of the problem where you have a number
of people placed at tables then rotate them to another table and they cannot
sit at the same table more than once and not with the same people either etc
There are quite a lot of these if you Google search on "Can not sit at the
same table twice" or something like that.

To me the question sounds as it is from a college class and not a real life
problem.

--
Regards,

Peo Sjoblom



"vezerid" wrote in message
oups.com...
Keith,

This might very well be an inappropriate problem for the Solver. It is
not well conceived, e.g. there is no ordering among the workers. Also,
what will happen if all of them happen to choose the same 5, i.e. if
there are locations appearing in no lists etc.

At this point I am unable to suggest a course of action. Maybe someone
else will jump in.

Regards
Kostis

On Jul 3, 5:10 pm, "Keith R"
wrote:
Perhaps I'm asking the wrong question then- let me give my scenario, and
see
if there is a better way with solver (or without).

I have 8 people who need to go to 9 locations. Each has provided a list
of
their top 5 preferences, in order of preference (1 location will remain
unassigned). I need to identify the solution that maximizes the solution
so
that each person gets the highest preference possible, without sending
two
people to the same location.

Joe: A, F, G, B, C
Kim: F, A, G, C, D
Mary: F, G, A, C, E
Tom: A, F, B, G, C
etc.

Is this an inappropriate solver-type problem, or am I just approaching it
the wrong way?
Thanks!
Keith

"vezerid" wrote in message

ups.com...

Maybe you can use cells with COUNTIF(all cells, this cell) and ask all
these cells to be equal to 1. But with such a nonlinear problem you
will be lucky if you get a solution.

HTH
Kostis Vezerides

On Jul 3, 4:34 pm, "Keith R"
wrote:
I have a range that solver is manipulating. I've set the critera to
have
the
appropriate min and max values, and to be integers.

I also need each value to be "selection without replacement", e.g. I
need
a
solution where each value is only used once.

How can I set that as a requirement for Solver?

Thanks,
Keith