Efficient approaches of linearization in project compression

The present study proposes three methods of linearization for project compression problems with quadratic activity cost-time functions. The approaches approximate the nonlinear functions by a set of piece-wise linear segments. The midpoint displacement technique constructs fractal segments to imitate the cost curve. The envelop generation technique linearizes the cost function by generating an envelop tangent to the curve at points representing the endpoints of segments. The constrained area technique obtains linear segments by specifying an area bounded by the curve and the line segment. To facilitate the computation, an interactive computer program is developed to assist decision-makers in producing the appropriate segments. The results of the example show that the linearization techniques are suitable for approximating a quadratic curve.