Industrial Applications of Combinatorial Optimization

This book demonstrates industrial applications of combinatorial optimization - optimization that involves a discrete but large number of alternatives. A wide range of applications is described including: Manpower planning, Production planning, Job sequencing and scheduling, Manufacturing layout design, Facility planning, Vehicle scheduling and routing, Retail seasonal planning, Space shuttle scheduling, and Telecommunication network design. A representative set of industry sectors is covered, including electronics, airlines, manufacturing, tobacco, retail, telecommunication, defense, and livestock. These examples illustrate the importance and practicality of optimization which is beginning to be realized by management of various organizations, as well as some of the pioneering developments in this field now beginning to bear fruit. Audience: Researchers and teachers in the fields of operations research/management, applied mathematics, management science, and system and industrial engineering; also managers, analysts, and system developers responsible for planning, scheduling, management, control, manpower deployment, distribution, procurement, and so forth.