A Gentle Introduction to Optimization

Broadly speaking, optimization is the problem of minimizing or maximizing a function subject to a number of constraints. Optimization problems are ubiquitous. Every chief executive officer (CEO) is faced with the problem of maximizing profit given limited resources. In general, this is too general a problem to be solved exactly; however, many aspects of decision making can be successfully tackled using optimization techniques. This includes, for instance, production, inventory, and machine-scheduling problems. Indeed, the overwhelming majority of Fortune 500 companies make use of optimization techniques. However, optimization problems are not limited to the corporate world. Every time you use your GPS, it solves an optimization problem, namely how to minimize the travel time between two different locations. Your hometown may wish to minimize the number of trucks it requires to pick up garbage by finding the most efficient route for each truck. City planners may need to decide where to build new fire stations in order to efficiently serve their citizens. Other examples include: how to construct a portfolio that maximizes its expected return while limiting volatility; how to build a resilient tele-communication network as cheaply as possible; how to schedule flights in a cost-effective way while meeting the demand for passengers; or how to schedule final exams using as few classrooms as possible.

Suppose that you are a consultant hired by the CEO of the WaterTech company to solve an optimization problem.