Discrete Optimization Algorithms

Discrete Optimization aims to make good decisions when we have many possibilities to choose from. Its applications are ubiquitous throughout our society. Its applications range from solving Sudoku puzzles to arranging seating in a wedding banquet. The same technology can schedule planes and their crews, coordinate the production of steel, and organize the transportation of iron ore from the mines to the ports. Good decisions on the use of scarce or expensive resources such as staffing and material resources also allow corporations to improve their profit by millions of dollars. Similar problems also underpin much of our daily lives and are part of determining daily delivery routes for packages, making school timetables, and delivering power to our homes. Despite their fundamental importance, these problems are a nightmare to solve using traditional undergraduate computer science methods. This course is intended for students who have completed Advanced Modelling for Discrete Optimization. In this course, you will extend your understanding of how to solve challenging discrete optimization problems by learning more about the solving technologies that are used to solve them, and how a high-level model (written in MiniZinc) is transformed into a form that is executable by these underlying solvers. By better understanding the actual solving technology, you will both improve your modeling capabilities, and be able to choose the most appropriate solving technology to use. Watch the course promotional video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EiRsK-Rm08

• Understand principles of discrete optimization and apply them to real-world problems
• Analyze optimization problems and select appropriate solutions
• Apply optimization algorithms in contexts like scheduling and transportation
• Evaluate optimization strategies to improve resource efficiency
• Build accurate mathematical models for discrete optimization problems

• Basic familiarity with the topic and its common terminology
• Readiness to practice through applied exercises or case-based work