AIMMS Developer Hiring Guide

Hiring Guide for AIMMS Engineers

Ask the right questions to secure the right AIMMS talent among an increasingly shrinking pool of talent.

**A**IMMS (Algebraic Modeling and Information Management System) is a high-level, general-purpose, mathematical modeling language and optimization software package developed by Dassault Systèmes, formerly known as ILOG. * First released in 1988, AIMMS is used by businesses and organizations worldwide to solve a wide range of problems, including supply chain optimization, production planning, and financial planning. * AIMMS is written in C++ and runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS. * The AIMMS user community is active and supportive, with a variety of resources available online, including documentation, tutorials, and forums. * AIMMS is a powerful tool that can help businesses and organizations solve complex problems more efficiently.

First 20 minutes

General AIMMS knowledge and experience

The next 20 minutes of the interview should attempt to focus more specifically on the development questions used, and the level of depth and skill the engineer possesses.

Describe the difference between AIMMS Pro and AIMMS Developer.

AIMMS Pro is a collaborative, web-based platform for deploying optimization apps, while AIMMS Developer is a software environment for developing optimization models.

What is the function of the AIMMS Library?

The AIMMS Library contains a wide range of predefined mathematical functions and procedures that can be used to define optimization models.

How would you describe the AIMMS modeling language?

The AIMMS modeling language is a high-level, algebraic modeling language that allows developers to describe and formulate their optimization models in a clear and concise way.

What are the key components of AIMMS?

The key components of AIMMS are the AIMMS Language, the AIMMS Library, the AIMMS GUI (Graphical User Interface), and the AIMMS Links.

How would you define AIMMS?

AIMMS stands for Advanced Interactive Multidimensional Modeling System. It is a prescriptive analytics software that allows users to create and solve optimization models for decision making.

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What youre looking for early-on

Does the candidate have a good understanding of mathematical modeling and optimization?

As AIMMS is often used for optimization and mathematical modeling, a good understanding of these concepts will be beneficial in the role.

Has the candidate shown an ability to learn new technologies quickly?

The tech industry is constantly evolving, so it's important that the candidate is able to quickly adapt and learn new technologies as required.

Does the candidate have experience with other relevant technologies or programming languages?

Experience with other technologies or languages can be beneficial as it may allow the candidate to bring a diverse set of skills to the role.

Is the candidate able to communicate effectively?

Good communication skills are important as the candidate will need to collaborate with team members and potentially explain complex concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

Has the candidate demonstrated problem-solving skills?

Problem-solving skills are essential for a developer role as they will need to troubleshoot and resolve issues that arise during the development process.

Does the candidate have a strong understanding of AIMMS concepts and language?

This is crucial as the job role requires the candidate to develop solutions using AIMMS. A strong understanding of the language will ensure they can effectively perform their tasks.

Next 20 minutes

Specific AIMMS development questions

The next 20 minutes of the interview should attempt to focus more specifically on the development questions used, and the level of depth and skill the engineer possesses.

How would you use AIMMS to perform sensitivity analysis?

In AIMMS, sensitivity analysis can be performed by changing the values of the parameters in the model and observing the effect on the optimal solution.

What are the steps to connect AIMMS with an external database?

To connect AIMMS with an external database, you need to define a database connection, specify the database tables and fields, and then use the AIMMS Data Management features to read and write data.

How would you use AIMMS to solve a linear programming problem?

In AIMMS, a linear programming problem can be solved by defining the objective function and the constraints in the AIMMS modeling language, and then using the AIMMS Solver to find the optimal solution.

How would you handle large data sets in AIMMS?

AIMMS provides several tools for handling large data sets, including data import/export capabilities, data management features, and the ability to connect to external databases.

What are some of the advantages of using AIMMS for optimization modeling?

Some of the advantages of using AIMMS include its powerful modeling language, its comprehensive library of mathematical functions and procedures, and its ability to generate and solve large-scale optimization problems.

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The ideal back-end app developer

What you’re looking to see on the AIMMS engineer at this point.

At this point, a skilled AIMMS engineer should display proficiency in AIMMS language and software, strong problem-solving skills, and knowledge in mathematical optimization. Red flags would be a lack of direct experience with AIMMS, poor communication skills, or inability to apply theoretical knowledge practically.

Digging deeper

Code questions

These will help you see the candidate's real-world development capabilities with AIMMS.

What does the following AIMMS code do?

Set s1 := data { 'a', 'b', 'c' };

This code declares a set 's1' and initializes it with the elements 'a', 'b', and 'c'.

What will be the output of the following AIMMS code?

Parameter p1 := data { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 }; 
Sum(p1, i, p1(i));

This code declares a parameter 'p1' and initializes it with the elements 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Then it calculates the sum of all elements in 'p1'. The output will be 15.

What does the following AIMMS code do?

Set s1 := data { 'a', 'b', 'c' }; 
Set s2 := data { 'b', 'c', 'd' }; 
Set s3 := s1 diff s2;

This code declares two sets 's1' and 's2' and initializes them with some elements. Then it calculates the difference between 's1' and 's2' and assigns the result to 's3'. The set 's3' will contain the elements that are in 's1' but not in 's2'. In this case, 's3' will be { 'a' }.

What will be the output of the following AIMMS code?

Thread t1 := CreateThread(); 
Thread t2 := CreateThread(); 
StartThread(t1); 
StartThread(t2); 
WaitForAllThreads();

This code creates two threads 't1' and 't2', starts them, and then waits for both threads to finish. The output will depend on the tasks assigned to the threads 't1' and 't2'. If no tasks are assigned, there will be no output.

What does the following AIMMS code do?

Class c1 { 
  Parameter p1; 
  Parameter p2; 
}; 
c1 object1;

This code declares a class 'c1' with two parameters 'p1' and 'p2'. Then it creates an object 'object1' of class 'c1'. The object 'object1' will have two parameters 'p1' and 'p2'.

What will be the output of the following AIMMS code?

Set s1 := data { 'a', 'b', 'c' }; 
Set s2 := data { 'b', 'c', 'd' }; 
Set s3 := s1 union s2; 
Display s3;

This code declares two sets 's1' and 's2' and initializes them with some elements. Then it calculates the union of 's1' and 's2' and assigns the result to 's3'. The set 's3' will contain all the elements that are in 's1' or 's2'. Then it displays 's3'. The output will be { 'a', 'b', 'c', 'd' }.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for AIMMS role questions

The final few interview questions for a AIMMS candidate should typically focus on a combination of technical skills, personal goals, growth potential, team dynamics, and company culture.

What are the steps to implement a custom algorithm in AIMMS?

To implement a custom algorithm in AIMMS, you need to define the algorithm in the AIMMS modeling language, implement the algorithm using the AIMMS procedures and functions, and then use the AIMMS Solver to solve the algorithm.

How would you use AIMMS to solve a multi-objective optimization problem?

In AIMMS, a multi-objective optimization problem can be solved by defining multiple objective functions and then using a multi-objective solver or a weighted sum approach to find the optimal solution.

Describe the difference between deterministic and stochastic optimization in AIMMS.

Deterministic optimization assumes that all parameters in the model are known with certainty, while stochastic optimization takes into account the uncertainty in the parameter values.

How would you handle a situation where the AIMMS Solver fails to find an optimal solution?

If the AIMMS Solver fails to find an optimal solution, you can try using a different solver, adjusting the solver parameters, or reformulating the optimization model.

What are the steps to deploy an optimization app using AIMMS Pro?

To deploy an optimization app using AIMMS Pro, you need to create a project in AIMMS Developer, develop your optimization model, and then publish the project to the AIMMS Pro platform.

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AIMMS application related

Product Perfect's AIMMS development capabilities

Beyond hiring for your AIMMS engineering team, you may be in the market for additional help. Product Perfect provides seasoned expertise in AIMMS projects, and can engage in multiple capacities.