To start learning about AMPL right now, download chapter 1 of the AMPLbook, then proceed in any of the following ways to access the AMPLsoftware and solvers:

1(from any web browser) Go to the Try AMPL! page, where you can sendmodels, data, and commands to a remote version of the AMPL StudentEdition and a selection of solvers. A simple web interface lets youchoose examples from the book and then experiment with changes in aseries of runs.

2(for Windows users) Download the AMPL StudentEdition zip archive file, amplcml.zip. Then follow the instructions below to unpack and run the AMPLprogram, the CPLEX 8.0 and MINOS 5.5 solvers, and the Kestrel client for free accessto additional solvers over the Internet. Once AMPL is running, you cantype commands just as they are shown in the AMPL book.

3(for Unix/Linux users) The AMPL Student Edition and compatible solvers are available for allof the popular Unix workstations, as well as for Linux and otherUnix-based operating systems on PCs.Consult the table in the instructions below todownload and set up the AMPL binary that is appropriate for yourplatform. Then visit our solver downloadinstructions to obtain one or more solvers for AMPL; Linux andSolaris users may alternatively download the Kestrel client to get access tosolvers over the Internet. Once AMPL is running, you can type commandsjust as they are shown in the AMPL book.

Want more? You can order the AMPL book to obtain anextensive introduction to the AMPL language. Files containing all ofthe book's examples, plus other AMPL models for many variedapplications, can be downloaded through our examples page.

Quick Start instructions for Windows

The unpacking procedure creates a folder named amplcmlcontaining the standard AMPL program (ampl.exe), the scrolling-window utility(sw.exe), executables for the solvers MINOS 5.5(minos.exe) and CPLEX 8.0(cplex.exe and cplex80.dll), and the Kestrel client(kestrel.exe) for free access to over a dozen more solvers viathe Internet. You may move and rename the amplcml folder towhatever is convenient for you.

To run AMPL using these files, double-click on sw.exe, and inthe window that appears, type ampl to load the AMPL program.At this point the window should show the following,

Quick Start instructions for Unix (including Linux)

• DEC (Compaq) Alpha workstations running OSF/1 v2.0 or Linux
• Hewlett-Packard9000 and compatible workstations running HP-UX
• IBM RISCSystem/6000 and PowerPCworkstations running AIX
• Intel (Pentium-compatible) PCs running Linux,FreeBSD, or Solaris
• SiliconGraphics workstations running IRIX 5.x or 6.x
• SunMicrosystems SPARC-based workstations running Solaris 2.5.1 (SunOS5.5.1) or later

To complete your AMPL installation, you can also download solvers to a directory in yoursearch path. To use a downloaded solver, set AMPL's solveroption to the name of the solver's executable file. For example, ifyou have downloaded cplex, enter the command optionsolvercplex before entering the solvecommand.

As an alternative or supplement to downloaded solvers, Linux andSolaris users can also download the Kestrel client to get access tosolvers over the Internet. Currently there are 15 Kestrel solversavailable for linear, integer, and nonlinear programming.