  In the minimum sum edge coloring problem, we aim to assign natural numbers to
edges of a graph, so that adjacent edges receive different numbers, and the sum
of the numbers assigned to the edges is minimum. The {\em chromatic edge
strength} of a graph is the minimum number of colors required in a minimum sum
edge coloring of this graph. We study the case of multicycles, defined as
cycles with parallel edges, and give a closed-form expression for the chromatic
edge strength of a multicycle, thereby extending a theorem due to Berge. It is
shown that the minimum sum can be achieved with a number of colors equal to the
chromatic index. We also propose simple algorithms for finding a minimum sum
edge coloring of a multicycle. Finally, these results are generalized to a
large family of minimum cost coloring problems.
