Abstract: A computer implemented method of allocating a set of communications network resources to resource consumers in a digital communications system can include generating a set of multiple allocation schemes; iteratively applying a genetic algorithm to the set of allocation schemes to generate, at each iteration, a new set of allocation schemes as a generation of allocation schemes based on a preceding generation; and, responsive to a predetermined stopping condition for the iteration, assigning resource consumers to resources in the communications system in accordance with an allocation scheme in a most recent generation determined to satisfy a ranking condition.

Abstract: A computer implemented method of determining non-intersecting primary and secondary routes between source and destination nodes in a communications network. The communication network represented by a graph data structure of nodes and edges, the edges having a weight corresponding to a resource involved in traversing the edged. The method including: defining a population set of primary routes, wherein each primary route in the population set identifies a secondary route based on a greedy route-finding algorithm applied to the graph having edges in the primary route excluded from the graph, such that the primary and secondary routes are non-intersecting routes through the graph; applying a genetic algorithm to the population set to iteratively select and crossover one or more pairs of primary routes in the population set; and selecting, from the population set, a primary route and corresponding secondary route having a lowest aggregate weight of edges.