x Preface

Optimization is the procedure of detecting attributes, configurations or parameters of a system, to pro-duce desirable responses. For example, in structural engineering, one is interested in detecting the best possible design to produce a safe and economic structure that adheres to specific mechanical engineering rules. Similarly, in computer science, one is interested in designing high-performance computer sys-tems at the lowest cost, while, in operations research, corporations struggle to identify the best possible configuration of their production lines to increase their operational flexibility and efficiency. Numer-ous other systems (including human) can be mentioned, where there is a need or desire for explicit or implicit improvement. All these problems can be scientifically resolved through modeling and optimization. Modeling offers a translation of the original (physical, engineering, economic, etc.) problem to a mathematical structure that can be handled through algorithmic optimization procedures. The model is responsible for the proper representation of all key features of the original system and its accurate simulation. Concurrently, it offers a mathematical means of identifying and modifying the system’s properties to produce the most desirable outcome without requiring its actual construction, thereby saving time and cost. The produced models are usually formulated as functions, called objective functions, in one or severa