Pre-processing Optimisation Applied to the Classical Integer Programming Model for Statistical Disclosure Control

A pre-processing optimisation is proposed that can be applied to the integer and mixed integer linear programming models that are used to solve the cell suppression problem in statistical disclosure control. In this paper we report our initial findings and acknowledge that there is much more work to be done. Early indications are that the preprocessing optimisation will considerably reduce the resources required by the solver hence allowing either statistical tables to be protected quicker or larger statistical tables to be protected. This pre-processing optimisation may be suitable for application to the τ -Argus Optimal Method used in protecting statistical tables.