Paul H. Zipkin | Scholars@Duke

Paul H. Zipkin
R. J. Reynolds Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Business Administration

PAUL ZIPKIN is the R. J. Reynolds Professor of Business Administration at the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University. His academic degrees come from Reed, Berkeley, and Yale. His teaching, research, and consulting focus on how supply chains work and how to make them work better, and their strategic roles in the success or failure of companies in the global marketplace. Within this broad theme, his work is concerned with issues of inventory management in suppliercustomer relations; the impact of new production and communications technologies on supplychain performance; coping with product variety at both the operational and strategic levels; and the design of logistics networks. He has published some 70 articles in scholarly journals and coedited the book, Logistics of Production and Inventory. He is the author of the book, Foundations of Inventory Management. He serves on the editorial boards of several journals and often advises companies, government agencies, and other organizations. He is a Fellow of INFORMS and the Manufacturing & Services Operations Management Society.

Current Appointments & Affiliations

R. J. Reynolds Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Business Administration, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University 2011
Professor Emeritus, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University 2011

Contact Information

413A Fuqua Sch of Bus, Durham, NC 27708
Box 90120, Durham, NC 27708-0120
paul.zipkin@duke.edu (919) 660-7853
Fuqua Faculty Profile
See Fuqua profile page

Background
Education, Training, & Certifications
- Ph.D., Yale University 1977
- M.S., University of California - Berkeley 1971
- B.A., Reed College 1969
Duke Appointment History
- Professor with Tenure, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University 1995 - 2011
Recognition
Awards & Honors
- INFORMS Expository Writing Award. Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences. 2007
- Fellows. Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences. 2006
Publications & Artistic Works
Selected Publications
- Academic Articles
  - Song, J. S., L. Xiao, H. Zhang, and P. Zipkin. “Optimal policies for a dual-sourcing inventory problem with endogenous stochastic lead times.” Operations Research 65, no. 2 (March 1, 2017): 379–95. https://doi.org/10.1287/opre.2016.1557.
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  - Zipkin, Paul. “Some specially structured assemble-to-order systems.” Operations Research Letters 44, no. 1 (January 2016): 136–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orl.2015.12.010.
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  - Dai, H., M. M. Tseng, and P. H. Zipkin. “Design of traceability systems for product recall.” International Journal of Production Research 53, no. 2 (January 1, 2015): 511–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2014.955922.
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  - Song, J. S., and P. Zipkin. “Supply streams.” Manufacturing and Service Operations Management 15, no. 3 (June 1, 2013): 444–57. https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2013.0431.
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  - Song, J. S., and P. H. Zipkin. “Newsvendor problems with sequentially revealed demand information.” Naval Research Logistics 59, no. 8 (January 1, 2012): 601–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/nav.21509.
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  - Zipkin, P. “A reply to Williamson's "outsourcing ...".” Production and Operations Management 21, no. 3 (2012): 465–69. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1937-5956.2011.01287.x.
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  - Zipkin, P. “On the method of images and the asymptotic behavior of first-passage times.” Annals of Operations Research, 2012, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-012-1295-y.
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  - Zipkin, P. “Linear programming and the inverse method of images.” Annals of Operations Research, 2012, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-012-1249-4.
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  - Song, J. S., and P. Zipkin. “An approximation for the inverse first passage time problem.” Advances in Applied Probability 43, no. 1 (March 1, 2011): 264–75. https://doi.org/10.1239/aap/1300198522.
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  - Zipkin, P. “On Durbin's series for the density of first passage times.” Journal of Applied Probability 48, no. 3 (2011): 713–22. https://doi.org/10.1239/jap/1316796909.
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  - Rongioletti, F., and B. R. Smoller. “Preface.” Clinical and Pathological Aspects of Skin Diseases in Endocrine, Metabolic, Nutritional and Deposition Disease, December 1, 2010. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-181-3.
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  - Iida, T., and P. Zipkin. “Competition and cooperation in a two-stage supply chain with demand forecasts.” Operations Research 58, no. 5 (2010): 1350–63. https://doi.org/10.1287/opre.1100.0809.
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  - Wang, Y., and P. Zipkin. “Agents' incentives under buy-back contracts in a two-stage supply chain.” International Journal of Production Economics 120, no. 2 (August 1, 2009): 525–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2009.04.008.
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  - Shang, K. H., J. S. Song, and P. H. Zipkin. “Coordination mechanisms in decentralized serial inventory systems with batch ordering.” Management Science 55, no. 4 (April 1, 2009): 685–95. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1080.0981.
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  - Song, J. S., and P. Zipkin. “Inventories with multiple supply sources and networks of queues with overflow bypasses.” Management Science 55, no. 3 (March 1, 2009): 362–72. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1080.0941.
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  - Decroix, G. A., J. S. Song, and P. H. Zipkin. “Managing an assemble-to-order system with returns.” Manufacturing and Service Operations Management 11, no. 1 (January 1, 2009): 144–59. https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.1070.0209.
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  - Guo, P., and P. Zipkin. “The effects of the availability of waiting-time information on a balking queue.” European Journal of Operational Research 198, no. 1 (2009): 199–209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2008.07.035.
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  - Guo, P., and P. Zipkin. “The impacts of customers delay-risk sensitivities on a queue with balking.” Probability in the Engineering and Informational Sciences 23, no. 3 (2009): 409–32. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0269964809000254.
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  - Chao, X., and P. H. Zipkin. “Optimal policy for a periodic-review inventory system under a supply capacity contract.” Operations Research 56, no. 1 (January 1, 2008): 59–68. https://doi.org/10.1287/opre.1070.0478.
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  - Guo, P., and P. Zipkin. “The effects of information on a queue with balking and phase-type service times.” Naval Research Logistics 55, no. 5 (2008): 406–11. https://doi.org/10.1002/nav.20291.
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  - Zipkin, P. “Old and new methods for lost-sales inventory systems.” Operations Research 56, no. 5 (2008): 1256–63. https://doi.org/10.1287/opre.1070.0471.
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  - Zipkin, P. “On the structure of lost-sales inventory models.” Operations Research 56, no. 4 (2008): 937–44. https://doi.org/10.1287/opre.1070.0482.
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  - Gallego, G., Ö. Özer, and P. Zipkin. “Bounds, heuristics, and approximations for distribution systems.” Operations Research 55, no. 3 (2007): 503–17. https://doi.org/10.1287/opre.1060.0373.
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  - Guo, P., and P. Zipkin. “Analysis and comparison of queues with different levels of delay information.” Management Science 53, no. 6 (2007): 962–70. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1060.0686.
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  - Zipkin, P. “Lost-sales inventory models: Structure, sensitivity and bounds.” Icmsem: Proceedings of 2007 International Conference on Management Science and Engineering Management, 2007, 253–56.
  - Iida, T., and P. H. Zipkin. “Approximate solutions of a dynamic forecast-inventory model.” Manufacturing and Service Operations Management 8, no. 4 (October 9, 2006): 407–25. https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.1060.0116.
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  - Zipkin, P. “The best things in life were free: On the technology of transactions.” Manufacturing and Service Operations Management 8, no. 4 (2006): 321–29. https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.1060.0113.
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  - Ferguson, M. E., G. A. DeCroix, and P. H. Zipkin. “Commitment decisions with partial information updating.” Naval Research Logistics 52, no. 8 (December 1, 2005): 780–95. https://doi.org/10.1002/nav.20119.
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  - DeCroix, G. A., and P. H. Zipkin. “Inventory management for an assembly system with product or component returns.” Management Science 51, no. 8 (August 1, 2005): 1250–65. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1050.0394.
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  - DeCroix, G., J. S. Song, and P. Zipkin. “A series system with returns: Stationary analysis.” Operations Research 53, no. 2 (March 1, 2005): 350–62. https://doi.org/10.1287/opre.1040.0184.
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  - Song, J. S., and P. Zipkin. “Supply Chain Operations: Assemble-to-Order Systems.” Handbooks in Operations Research and Management Science 11, no. C (December 1, 2003): 561–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0927-0507(03)11011-0.
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  - Zipkin, P. “The limits of mass customization.” Mit Sloan Management Review 42, no. 3 (2001): 81–87.
  - Bramel, J., S. Goyal, and P. Zipkin. “Coordination of production/distribution networks with unbalanced leadtimes.” Operations Research 48, no. 4 (2000): 570–77.
  - Cachon, G. P., and P. H. Zipkin. “Competitive and cooperative inventory policies in a two-stage supply chain.” Management Science 45, no. 7 (January 1, 1999): 936–53. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.45.7.936.
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  - Gallego, Guillermo, and Paul Zipkin. “Stock Positioning and Performance Estimation in Serial Production-Transportation Systems.” Manufacturing & Service Operations Management 1, no. 1 (January 1999): 77–88. https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.1.1.77.
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  - Perez, A. P., and P. Zipkin. “Dynamic scheduling rules for a multiproduct make-to-stock queue.” Operations Research 45, no. 6 (1997): 919–30.
  - Song, J. S., and P. H. Zipkin. “Inventory control with information about supply conditions.” Management Science 42, no. 10 (January 1, 1996): 1409–19. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.42.10.1409.
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  - Song, J. S., and P. H. Zipkin. “Evaluation of base-stock policies in multiechelon inventory systems with state-dependent demands. Part II: State-dependent depot policies.” Naval Research Logistics 43, no. 3 (January 1, 1996): 381–96. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1520-6750(199604)43:3<381::AID-NAV5>3.0.CO;2-5.
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  - Song, J. S., and P. H. Zipkin. “Managing inventory with the prospect of obsolescence.” Operations Research 44, no. 1 (January 1, 1996): 215–22. https://doi.org/10.1287/opre.44.1.215.
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  - Song, J. S., and P. H. Zipkin. “The joint effect of leadtime variance and lot size in a parallel processing environment.” Management Science 42, no. 9 (January 1, 1996): 1352–63. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.42.9.1352.
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  - Hariharan, Rema, and Paul Zipkin. “Customer-Order Information, Leadtimes, and Inventories.” Management Science 41, no. 10 (October 1995): 1599–1607. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.41.10.1599.
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  - Zipkin, P. H. “Performance analysis of a multi-item production-inventory system under alternative policies.” Management Science 41, no. 4 (1995): 690–703.
  - Zipkin, P. “Processing networks with planned inventories: Tandem queues with feedback.” European Journal of Operational Research 80, no. 2 (1995): 344–49.
  - Zipkin, Paul. “Mortgages and Markov Chains: A Simplified Evaluation Model.” Management Science 39, no. 6 (June 1993): 683–91. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.39.6.683.
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  - Song, J. S., and P. Zipkin. “Inventory control in a fluctuating demand environment.” Operations Research 41, no. 2 (January 1, 1993): 351–70. https://doi.org/10.1287/opre.41.2.351.
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  - SONG, J. S., and P. H. ZIPKIN. “EVALUATION OF BASE-STOCK POLICIES IN MULTIECHELON INVENTORY SYSTEMS WITH STATE-DEPENDENT DEMANDS .1. STATE-INDEPENDENT POLICIES.” Naval Research Logistics 39, no. 5 (August 1992): 715–28. https://doi.org/10.1002/1520-6750(199208)39:5<715::AID-NAV3220390509>3.0.CO;2-4.
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  - Zipkin, Paul. “The Structure of Structured Bond Portfolio Models.” Operations Research 40, no. 1-supplement-1 (February 1992): S157–69. https://doi.org/10.1287/opre.40.1.s157.
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  - Lee, Y. J., and P. H. Zipkin. “Production control in a kanban-like system with defective outputs.” International Journal of Production Economics 28, no. 2 (January 1, 1992): 143–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/0925-5273(92)90027-5.
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  - Lee, Y. J., and P. Zipkin. “Tandem queues with planned inventories.” Operations Research 40, no. 5 (1992): 936–47.
  - Zipkin, P. H. “The Relationship Between Risk and Maturity In A Stochastic Setting.” Mathematical Finance 2, no. 1 (January 1, 1992): 33–46. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9965.1992.tb00024.x.
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  - Browne, Sidney, and Paul Zipkin. “Inventory Models with Continuous, Stochastic Demands.” The Annals of Applied Probability 1, no. 3 (August 1991): 419–35. https://doi.org/10.1214/aoap/1177005875.
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  - Zipkin, Paul. “Evaluation of base-stock policies in multiechelon inventory systems with compound-poisson demands.” Naval Research Logistics 38, no. 3 (June 1991): 397–412. https://doi.org/10.1002/1520-6750(199106)38:3<397::aid-nav3220380309>3.0.co;2-3.
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  - Zipkin, Paul H. “Computing Optimal Lot Sizes in the Economic Lot Scheduling Problem.” Operations Research 39, no. 1 (February 1991): 56–63. https://doi.org/10.1287/opre.39.1.56.
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  - Svoronos, A., and P. Zipkin. “Evaluation of one-for-one replenishment policies for multiechelon inventory systems.” Management Science 37, no. 1 (1991): 68–83.
  - ZIPKIN, P. H. “DOES MANUFACTURING NEED A JIT REVOLUTION.” Harvard Business Review 69, no. 1 (January 1, 1991): 40.
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  - Zheng, Y. S., and P. Zipkin. “Queueing model to analyze the value of centralized inventory information.” Operations Research 38, no. 2 (1990): 296–307.
  - Lee, Sang-Bum, and Paul H. Zipkin. “A Dynamic Lot-Size Model with Make-or-Buy Decisions.” Management Science 35, no. 4 (April 1989): 447–58. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.35.4.447.
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  - Zipkin, Paul. “Critical Number Policies for Inventory Models with Periodic Data.” Management Science 35, no. 1 (January 1989): 71–80. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.35.1.71.
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  - Zipkin, Paul. “The use of phase-type distributions in inventory-control models.” Naval Research Logistics 35, no. 2 (April 1988): 247–57. https://doi.org/10.1002/1520-6750(198804)35:2<247::aid-nav3220350209>3.0.co;2-l.
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  - Svoronos, A., and P. Zipkin. “ESTIMATING THE PERFORMANCE OF MULTI-LEVEL INVENTORY SYSTEMS.” Operations Research 36, no. 1 (1988): 57–72.
  - Harel, A., and P. H. Zipkin. “STRONG CONVEXITY RESULTS FOR QUEUEING SYSTEMS.” Operations Research 35, no. 3 (1987): 405–18.
  - Harel, A., and P. Zipkin. “CONVEXITY OF A GENERAL PERFORMANCE MEASURE FOR MULTISERVER QUEUES.” Journal of Applied Probability 24, no. 3 (1987): 725–36.
  - Federgruen, Awi, Gregory Prastacos, and Paul H. Zipkin. “An Allocation and Distribution Model for Perishable Products.” Operations Research 34, no. 1 (February 1986): 75–82. https://doi.org/10.1287/opre.34.1.75.
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  - Federgruen, A., G. Prastacos, and P. H. Zipkin. “ALLOCATION AND DISTRIBUTION MODEL FOR PERISHABLE PRODUCTS.” Operations Research 34, no. 1 (1986): 75–82.
  - Federgruen, A., and P. Zipkin. “INVENTORY MODEL WITH LIMITED PRODUCTION CAPACITY AND UNCERTAIN DEMANDS. II. THE DISCOUNTED-COST CRITERION.” Mathematics of Operations Research 11, no. 2 (1986): 208–15.
  - Federgruen, A., and P. Zipkin. “INVENTORY MODEL WITH LIMITED PRODUCTION CAPACITY AND UNCERTAIN DEMANDS I. THE AVERAGE-COST CRITERION.” Mathematics of Operations Research 11, no. 2 (1986): 193–207.
  - Polemarchakis, H. M., L. Selden, P. Zipkin, and L. Pohlman. “Approximate aggregation under uncertainty.” Journal of Economic Theory 38, no. 2 (1986): 189–210.
  - Zipkin, P. H. “MODELS FOR DESIGN AND CONTROL OF STOCHASTIC, MULTI-ITEM BATCH PRODUCTION SYSTEMS.” Operations Research 34, no. 1 (1986): 91–104.
  - Zipkin, P. “INVENTORY SERVICE-LEVEL MEASURES: CONVEXITY AND APPROXIMATION.” Management Science 32, no. 8 (1986): 975–81.
  - Zipkin, P. “STOCHASTIC LEADTIMES IN CONTINUOUS-TIME INVENTORY MODELS.” Naval Research Logistics Quarterly 33, no. 4 (1986): 763–74.
  - Federgruen, A., and P. Zipkin. “Computing optimal (s, S) policies in inventory models with continuous demands.” Advances in Applied Probability 17, no. 2 (June 1985): 424–42. https://doi.org/10.2307/1427149.
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  - Federgruen, A., and P. Zipkin. “EFFICIENT ALGORITHM FOR COMPUTING OPTIMAL (s, S) POLICIES.” Operations Research 32, no. 6 (1984): 1268–85.
  - Federgruen, A., and P. Zipkin. “COMBINED VEHICLE ROUTING AND INVENTORY ALLOCATION PROBLEM.” Operations Research 32, no. 5 (1984): 1019–37.
  - Federgruen, A., and P. Zipkin. “ALLOCATION POLICIES AND COST APPROXIMATIONS FOR MULTILOCATION INVENTORY SYSTEMS.” Naval Research Logistics Quarterly 31, no. 1 (1984): 97–129.
  - Federgruen, A., and P. Zipkin. “COMPUTATIONAL ISSUES IN AN INFINITE-HORIZON, MULTIECHELON INVENTORY MODEL.” Operations Research 32, no. 4 (1984): 818–36.
  - Federgruen, A., and P. Zipkin. “APPROXIMATIONS OF DYNAMIC, MULTILOCATION PRODUCTION AND INVENTORY PROBLEMS.” Management Science 30, no. 1 (1984): 69–84.
  - Zipkin, P. H. “Prospects for the Middle East.” European Journal of Operational Research 17, no. 3 (January 1, 1984): 415. https://doi.org/10.1016/0377-2217(84)90137-1.
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  - Zipkin, P. “ON THE IMBALANCE OF INVENTORIES IN MULTI-ECHELSON SYSTEMS.” Mathematics of Operations Research 9, no. 3 (1984): 402–23.
  - Federgruen, A., and P. Zipkin. “Solution techniques for some allocation problems.” Mathematical Programming 25, no. 1 (1983): 13–24. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02591716.
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  - Zipkin, P., and K. Raimer. “An improved disaggregation method for transportation problems.” Mathematical Programming 26, no. 2 (1983): 238–42. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02592058.
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  - ZIPKIN, P. “EXACT AND APPROXIMATE COST FUNCTIONS FOR PRODUCT AGGREGATES.” Manage Sci V 28, no. N 9 (1982): 1002–12.
  - ZIPKIN, P. “TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS WITH AGGREGATED DESTINATIONS WHEN DEMANDS ARE UNCERTAIN.” Nav Res Logist Q V 29, no. N 2 (1982): 257–70.
  - Zipkin, P. H. “Aggregation and disaggregation in convex network problems.” Networks 12, no. 2 (January 1, 1982): 101–17. https://doi.org/10.1002/net.3230120203.
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  - Zipkin, P. H. “Bounds for aggregating nodes in network problems.” Mathematical Programming 19, no. 1 (December 1, 1980): 155–77. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01581638.
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  - Zipkin, P. H. “BOUNDS FOR ROW-AGGREGATION IN LINEAR PROGRAMMING.” Operations Research 28, no. 4 (1980): 903–16.
  - Zipkin, P. H. “BOUNDS ON THE EFFECT OF AGGREGATING VARIABLES IN LINEAR PROGRAMS.” Operations Research 28, no. 2 (1980): 403–18.
  - Zipkin, Paul H. “Simple Ranking Methods for Allocation of One Resource.” Management Science 26, no. 1 (January 1980): 34–43. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.26.1.34.
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Education, Training, & Certifications

Duke Appointment History

Awards & Honors

Selected Publications

Academic Articles