Algorithms for a Set Partitioning Problem Arising in the Design of Multipurpose Units

We consider an abstract partitioning problem which has applications to the design of standard libraries of multipurpose units (such as multi-purpose circuit cards) and to storage allocation in the presence of users with conflicting demands. Although the general problem of finding minimum cost partitions appears to be very difficult, we describe a dynamic programming approach which can be quite efficient if the parameters for the items to be partitioned take on only a limited number of distinct values.