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Encyclopedia of Operations Research and Management Science pp 94–102Cite as

Combinatorial and integer optimization

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INTRODUCTION

Combinatorial optimization problems are concerned with the efficient allocation of limited resources to meet desired objectives when the values of some or all of the variables are restricted to be integral. Constraints on basic resources, such as labor, supplies, or capital restrict the possible alternatives that are considered feasible. Still, in most such problems, there are many possible alternatives to consider and one overall goal determines which of these alternatives is best. For example, most airlines need to determine crews chedules which minimize the total operating cost; automotive manufacturers may want to determine the design of a fleet of cars which will maximize their share of the market; a flexible manufacturing facility needs to schedule the production for a plant without having much advance notice as to what parts will need to be produced that day. In today's changing and competitive industrial environment the difference between using a quickly derived...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA

    Karla L. Hoffman

  2. New York University, New York, USA

    Manfred Padberg

Authors
  1. Karla L. Hoffman
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  2. Manfred Padberg
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, College Part, Maryland, USA

    Saul I. Gass

  2. School of Information Technology & Engineering, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA

    Carl M. Harris

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© 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Hoffman, K.L., Padberg, M. (2001). Combinatorial and integer optimization . In: Gass, S.I., Harris, C.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Operations Research and Management Science. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-0611-X_129

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-0611-X_129

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  • Print ISBN: 978-0-7923-7827-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-0611-1

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