To provide a quantity setting device which can quickly search for a quasi-optimal solution to a problem where a value set to a variable takes a discrete value and a candidate set of the value is provided and also can incorporate the condition that approximates the number of variables having value '0' to a predetermined number.

This quantity setting device 1 sets an initial value to each variable by an initial solution generation part 3, repetitively increases and decreases each variable value to decide a first local optimum solution by a local optimization part 4, stores the local optimum solution in a storage part 5 and also deteriorates the solution by an escape part 6. Further, the device 1 decides the next local optimum solution by the part 4, compares the solution with the first one by a comparison/evaluation part 7 to select the better solution and to store in the part 5 and further, repeats this procedure to obtain the optimum solution.