Most real-world search and optimization problems naturally involve multiple criteria as objectives. Generally, symmetry, asymmetry, and anti-symmetry are basic characteristics of binary relationships used when modeling optimization problems. Moreover, the notion of symmetry has appeared in many articles about uncertainty theories that are employed in multi-criteria problems. Different solutions may produce trade-offs (conflicting scenarios) among different objectives. A better solution with respect to one objective may compromise other objectives. There are various factors that need to be considered to address the problems in multidisciplinary research, which is critical for the overall sustainability of human development and activity. In this regard, in recent decades, decision-making theory has been the subject of intense research activities due to its wide applications in different areas. The decision-making theory approach has become an important means to provide real-time solutions to uncertainty problems. Theories such as probability theory, fuzzy set theory, type-2 fuzzy set theory, rough set, and uncertainty theory, available in the existing literature, deal with such uncertainties. Nevertheless, the uncertain multi-criteria characteristics in such problems have not yet been explored in depth, and there is much left to be achieved in this direction. Hence, different mathematical models of real-life multi-criteria optimization problems can be developed in various uncertain frameworks with special emphasis on optimization problems.

When it comes to optimization techniques, in some cases, the available information from real models may not be enough to construct either a probability distribution or a membership function for problem solving. In such cases, there are various theories that can be used to quantify the uncertain aspects. Optimization Techniques for Problem Solving in Uncertainty is a scholarly reference resource that looks at uncertain aspects involved in different disciplines and applications. Featuring coverage on a wide range of topics including uncertain preference, fuzzy multilevel programming, and metaheuristic applications, this book is geared towards engineers, managers, researchers, and post-graduate students seeking emerging research in the field of optimization.

The book explains basic ideas behind several kinds of applied multi-objective optimization and shows how it will be applied in practical contexts in the domain of healthcare, engineering design, and manufacturing. The book discusses how meta-heuristic algorithms are successful in resolving challenging, multi-objective optimization issues in various disciplines, including engineering, economics, medical and environmental management. The topic is useful for graduates, researchers and lecturers in optimization, engineering, management science and computer science.

This book deals with several types of multi-dimensional control problems in the face of data uncertainty for vector cases—multi-dimensional multi-objective control problem with uncertain objective functionals, uncertain constraint functionals, and uncertain objective as well as constraint functionals, uncertain multi-dimensional multi-objective control problem with semi-infinite constraints, uncertain dual multi-dimensional multi-objective variational control problem, and second-order PDE&PDI constrained robust optimization problem. The book provides the solution approaches—an exact l1 penalty function approach, modified objective approach, robust approach—in the simplest way to solve the recent developing optimization problems in the sense of uncertainty.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Evolutionary Multi-Criterion Optimization, EMO 2015 held in Guimarães, Portugal in March/April 2015. The 68 revised full papers presented together with 4 plenary talks were carefully reviewed and selected from 90 submissions. The EMO 2015 aims to continue these type of developments, being the papers presented focused in: theoretical aspects, algorithms development, many-objectives optimization, robustness and optimization under uncertainty, performance indicators, multiple criteria decision making and real-world applications.

Renewable raw materials are becoming increasingly important as an alternative resource base in industrial networks. Consequently, research for methods improving the efficient use of renewable resources in production processes with by-products is crucial. The aim is cascade utilization, thus the multiple utilization of a raw material before its conversion into energy. The International Conference on Resource Efficiency in Interorganizational Networks (ResEff) brings together interdisciplinary researchers developing strategies and solution concepts for efficient resource utilization. It is therefore a platform for scientific exchange both between experts as well as interdisciplinary groups from agricultural and forestry science, mathematical optimization, operations research, marketing, business informatics, production and logistics. The following facets of the challenging topic of resource efficiency in interorganizational networks are covered: Materials, technologies, planning of production and value-added networks for renewable resources as well as governance, coordination and sale of products from renewable resources.