GAMS Developer Hiring Guide

Hiring Guide for GAMS Engineers

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

The General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS) is a high-level modeling system for mathematical optimization. Developed in 1976 by Alexander Meeraus, it is designed for modeling and solving linear, nonlinear, and mixed-integer optimization problems. GAMS provides a stable and intuitive environment for complex applications, offering a tailored syntax and structure for specifying optimization models. It is widely used in economic modeling, energy planning, and other scientific fields that require advanced mathematical computation. The information about GAMS can be found on its official website and various scholarly articles on computer programming languages.

First 20 minutes

General GAMS 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.

What are the different data types in GAMS?

GAMS supports several data types, including scalars, parameters, variables, equations, sets, and model types.

How would you declare a set in GAMS?

In GAMS, a set is declared using the 'set' keyword followed by the set name and an explanatory text. For instance, 'set i 'index set'' would declare a set named 'i'.

Describe the difference between a scalar and a parameter in GAMS.

In GAMS, a scalar is a single number, while a parameter is a multidimensional array of numbers. Both can be used to represent constant values in a model, but parameters are more flexible as they can represent different values depending on their indices.

What are the key features of GAMS?

GAMS offers a flexible and intuitive syntax, supports a wide range of solver engines, provides tools for model analysis and debugging, and allows for easy integration with other software and databases.

How would you define GAMS?

GAMS, or General Algebraic Modeling System, is a high-level modeling system for mathematical programming and optimization. It is designed for modeling and solving linear, nonlinear, and mixed-integer optimization problems.

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What youre looking for early-on

Does the candidate have a good understanding of mathematical modeling?

A good understanding of mathematical modeling is important for developing efficient and accurate GAMS models.

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

The field of software development is constantly evolving, so it's important for a developer to be able to quickly adapt to new technologies.

Does the candidate have experience with optimization models in GAMS?

Experience with optimization models is important as it is a common task in GAMS development.

Is the candidate able to communicate effectively?

Good communication skills are necessary for understanding project requirements, collaborating with team members, and explaining complex technical concepts.

Has the candidate demonstrated problem-solving skills?

Problem-solving skills are essential for a developer to troubleshoot and fix any issues that may arise during the development process.

Does the candidate have a strong understanding of GAMS language?

This is crucial as the job role requires the candidate to develop and maintain GAMS-based applications.

Next 20 minutes

Specific GAMS 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 solve a model in GAMS?

To solve a model in GAMS, you would first need to define the model using the 'model' keyword, and then use the 'solve' statement, specifying the model name, the type of model (LP, NLP, MIP, etc.), and the variable to be optimized.

Describe the difference between a free variable and a positive variable in GAMS.

In GAMS, a free variable can take any real value, including negative values, zero, or positive values, while a positive variable can only take non-negative values.

What are the different types of variables in GAMS?

GAMS supports several types of variables, including free variables, positive variables, binary variables, integer variables, and non-negative variables.

How would you define an equation in GAMS?

In GAMS, an equation is defined using the 'equation' keyword followed by the equation name and an explanatory text. The actual mathematical expression of the equation is defined separately, using the equation name, the domain over which the equation is defined, and the mathematical expression itself.

Describe the difference between a variable and an equation in GAMS.

In GAMS, a variable represents an unknown value that the model tries to determine, while an equation represents a mathematical relationship between variables and parameters. Variables can be decision variables or objective function variables, and equations usually represent constraints in the model.

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The ideal back-end app developer

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

A skilled GAMS engineer should demonstrate proficiency in mathematical modeling, problem-solving skills, and extensive knowledge of GAMS language. Red flags would include lack of experience with optimization problems, difficulty in code debugging or an inability to articulate complex concepts clearly.

Digging deeper

Code questions

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

What does this simple GAMS code do?

Set i /1*5/;
Parameter p(i);
p(i) = ord(i);
Display p;

This code defines a set 'i' of 5 elements, creates a parameter 'p' indexed over the set 'i', assigns each element of 'p' its ordinal value within the set, and then displays the values of 'p'.

What will be the output of this GAMS code snippet?

Set i /1*3/;
Parameter p(i);
p('1') = 5;
p('2') = 10;
p('3') = 15;
Display p.sum(i, p(i));

This code will output the sum of the elements of the parameter 'p', which is 30.

What does this GAMS code snippet do?

Set i /1*5/;
Parameter p(i);
loop(i, p(i) = sqr(ord(i)););
Display p;

This code defines a set 'i' of 5 elements, creates a parameter 'p' indexed over the set 'i', assigns each element of 'p' the square of its ordinal value within the set using a loop, and then displays the values of 'p'.

What will be the output of this GAMS code snippet?

Set i /1*3/;
Parameter p(i);
p('1') = 5;
p('2') = 10;
p('3') = 15;
option threads = 2;
Display p.sum(i, p(i));

This code will output the sum of the elements of the parameter 'p', which is 30. The 'option threads = 2;' statement sets the number of threads to be used by GAMS, but does not affect the output in this case.

What does this GAMS code snippet do?

Set i /1*3/;
Class c(i) /'1':'A', '2':'B', '3':'C'/;
Parameter p(i);
p(c) = ord(c);
Display p;

This code defines a set 'i' of 3 elements, creates a class 'c' indexed over the set 'i' with values 'A', 'B', and 'C', creates a parameter 'p' indexed over the set 'i', assigns each element of 'p' its ordinal value within the class, and then displays the values of 'p'.

What will be the output of this advanced GAMS code snippet?

Set i /1*3/;
Parameter p(i);
p('1') = 5;
p('2') = 10;
p('3') = 15;
Parameter q(i);
q(i) = p(i) * 2;
Display q.sum(i, q(i));

This code will output the sum of the elements of the parameter 'q', which is 60. The parameter 'q' is calculated by multiplying each element of 'p' by 2.

Wrap-up questions

Final candidate for GAMS role questions

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

How would you optimize the performance of a large-scale GAMS model?

Optimizing the performance of a large-scale GAMS model can involve several strategies, including using efficient data structures, exploiting sparsity, choosing the appropriate solver, tuning solver parameters, and parallelizing the computation where possible.

What are the different ways to output results from a GAMS model?

Results from a GAMS model can be output in several ways, including directly to the console, to text files, to databases, to spreadsheets, or to GDX files for further processing in GAMS or other software.

How would you handle errors in GAMS?

Errors in GAMS can be handled by carefully reading and interpreting the error messages provided by the GAMS compiler and runtime system, and by using the debugging and model inspection tools provided by GAMS.

Describe the difference between a loop and a conditional statement in GAMS.

In GAMS, a loop is used to repeatedly execute a block of code, while a conditional statement is used to execute a block of code only if a certain condition is met. Both can be used to control the flow of execution in a GAMS program.

What are the different ways to input data into a GAMS model?

Data can be input into a GAMS model in several ways, including directly in the model file, from external files, from databases, or from spreadsheets.

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GAMS application related

Product Perfect's GAMS development capabilities

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