An Optimization Primer

Optimization is the task of finding the best member of a finite or infinite set of possible choices, based on some objective measure of the merit of each choice in the set. The three key facets of the subject are the art of constructing optimization models, the science of discovering and implementing efficient algorithms for solving optimization models, and the mathematics of optimization models and algorithms. This book provides a very gentle introduction to modeling, algorithms and duality and should appeal to several audiences at once: students (as a supplement to a regular textbook), general readers such as people in business (as an introduction to how optimization affects their everyday lives), and instructors (as a source of ideas for how to teach optimization differently).