Introduction to Optimization

Introduces students to the theory, algorithms, and applications of optimization. The optimization methodologies include linear programming, network optimization, dynamic programming, integer programming, non-linear programming, and heuristics. Applications to logistics, manufacturing, transportation, E-commerce, project management, and finance. From the course home page: Course Description 15.053 is an undergraduate subject in the theory and practice of optimization. We will consider optimization models with applications to transportation, logistics, manufacturing, computer science, E-business, project management, finance as well as several other domains. This subject will survey some of the applications of optimization as well as heuristics, and we will present algorithms and theory for linear programming, dynamic programming, integer programming, and non-linear programming. One way of summarizing a subject is a lecture by lecture description of the subject, or a description of the methodologies presented in the subject. We do list a lecture by lecture description, but first we describe several cross cutting themes