The large and complex challenges the world is facing, the growing prevalence of huge data sets, and the new and developing ways for addressing them (artificial intelligence, data science, machine learning, etc.), means it is increasingly vital that academics and professionals from across disciplines have a basic understanding of the mathematical underpinnings of effective, optimized decision-making. Without it, decision makers risk being overtaken by those who better understand the models and methods, that can best inform strategic and tactical decisions. Introduction to Optimization-Based Decision-Making provides an elementary and self-contained introduction to the basic concepts involved in making decisions in an optimization-based environment. The mathematical level of the text is directed to the post-secondary reader, or university students in the initial years. The prerequisites are therefore minimal, and necessary mathematical tools are provided as needed. This lean approach is complemented with a problem-based orientation and a methodology of generalization/reduction. In this way, the book can be useful for students from STEM fields, economics and enterprise sciences, social sciences and humanities, as well as for the general reader interested in multi/trans-disciplinary approaches. Features Collects and discusses the ideas underpinning decision-making through optimization tools in a simple and straightforward manner Suitable for an undergraduate course in optimization-based decision-making, or as a supplementary resource for courses in operations research and management science Self-contained coverage of traditional and more modern optimization models, while not requiring a previous background in decision theory

This book is open access under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license. This revised, updated textbook presents a systems approach to the planning, management, and operation of water resources infrastructure in the environment. Previously published in 2005 by UNESCO and Deltares (Delft Hydraulics at the time), this new edition, written again with contributions from Jery R. Stedinger, Jozef P. M. Dijkman, and Monique T. Villars, is aimed equally at students and professionals. It introduces readers to the concept of viewing issues involving water resources as a system of multiple interacting components and scales. It offers guidelines for initiating and carrying out water resource system planning and management projects. It introduces alternative optimization, simulation, and statistical methods useful for project identification, design, siting, operation and evaluation and for studying post-planning issues. The authors cover both basin-wide and urban water issues and present ways of identifying and evaluating alternatives for addressing multiple-purpose and multi-objective water quantity and quality management challenges. Reinforced with cases studies, exercises, and media supplements throughout, the text is ideal for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in water resource planning and management as well as for practicing planners and engineers in the field.

The large and complex challenges the world is facing, the growing prevalence of huge data sets, and the new and developing ways for addressing them (artificial intelligence, data science, machine learning, etc.), means it is increasingly vital that academics and professionals from across disciplines have a basic understanding of the mathematical underpinnings of effective, optimized decision-making. Without it, decision makers risk being overtaken by those who better understand the models and methods, that can best inform strategic and tactical decisions. Introduction to Optimization-Based Decision-Making provides an elementary and self-contained introduction to the basic concepts involved in making decisions in an optimization-based environment. The mathematical level of the text is directed to the post-secondary reader, or university students in the initial years. The prerequisites are therefore minimal, and necessary mathematical tools are provided as needed. This lean approach is complemented with a problem-based orientation and a methodology of generalization/reduction. In this way, the book can be useful for students from STEM fields, economics and enterprise sciences, social sciences and humanities, as well as for the general reader interested in multi/trans-disciplinary approaches. Features Collects and discusses the ideas underpinning decision-making through optimization tools in a simple and straightforward manner Suitable for an undergraduate course in optimization-based decision-making, or as a supplementary resource for courses in operations research and management science Self-contained coverage of traditional and more modern optimization models, while not requiring a previous background in decision theory

Why downsize when you can OPTIMIZE? "At McDonald’s our focus has always been on providing maximum value to customers through ‘optimal’ quality and tight cost management, which is why Optimization has become such a pivotal concept for us. Steve Sashihara’s book brings the concept to life.” —Kenneth M. Koziol, Corp. Senior Vice President, Innovation and Design, McDonald’s Corp. “Steve Sashihara convincingly demonstrates how the application of advanced quantitative techniques can significantly improve day-to-day decision making, which is what we have done at Quad/Graphics.” —Dave Blais, Executive Vice President, Quad/Graphics “The Optimization Edge is a powerful book that will change the way organizations make decisions and manage their assets.” —Frances Hesselbein, President and CEO, Leader to Leader Institute; Recipient, Presidential Medal of Freedom “At UPS, the ‘optimization edge’ has given us a competitive advantage. It enables us to solve problems of great complexity seamlessly and with increased velocity, resulting in smarter decisions and ultimately bringing greater value to our customers.” —Chuck Holland, Vice President of Industrial Engineering, UPS About the Book: In these challenging economic times, more and more companies have turned to “cut-back management” to ensure their survival. But how do some manage to outshine their competitors—and even grow—during downturns? How does Google outsearch the other search engines? How does McDonald’s McClobber the competition? More important, how can you increase your company’s profits without downsizing? The answer is Asset Optimization. This groundbreaking approach to decision making utilizes the latest advances in mathematics and computer software. Optimization expert Steve Sashihara shows you how to squeeze every ounce of value from your company, even under “perfect storm” conditions. You’ll learn how to: Drive up your company’s value—even in a downturn Re-allocate your resources—for maximum performance Streamline your company—and stay ahead of the competition Optimize your assets—for long-term growth A proven, practical, and workable alternative to “corporate anorexia,” Optimization is your best option for dealing head-on with marketplace volatility and resource scarcity. This step-by-step guide offers concrete, ready-to- use tools drawn from decades of superior business practices—the best-kept secrets of global successes such as Amazon, Google, Marriott, McDonald’s, Intel, SAS, and UPS. You’ll learn what Optimization is, what best practices you can immediately put to use, how to use Optimization to speed up and improve decision making, and how to integrate Optimization into your organization’s culture. If you want to thrive in any economy—and grow your company in the future—forget about downsizing. Get The Optimization Edge.

A modern, up-to-date introduction to optimization theory and methods This authoritative book serves as an introductory text to optimization at the senior undergraduate and beginning graduate levels. With consistently accessible and elementary treatment of all topics, An Introduction to Optimization, Second Edition helps students build a solid working knowledge of the field, including unconstrained optimization, linear programming, and constrained optimization. Supplemented with more than one hundred tables and illustrations, an extensive bibliography, and numerous worked examples to illustrate both theory and algorithms, this book also provides: * A review of the required mathematical background material * A mathematical discussion at a level accessible to MBA and business students * A treatment of both linear and nonlinear programming * An introduction to recent developments, including neural networks, genetic algorithms, and interior-point methods * A chapter on the use of descent algorithms for the training of feedforward neural networks * Exercise problems after every chapter, many new to this edition * MATLAB(r) exercises and examples * Accompanying Instructor's Solutions Manual available on request An Introduction to Optimization, Second Edition helps students prepare for the advanced topics and technological developments that lie ahead. It is also a useful book for researchers and professionals in mathematics, electrical engineering, economics, statistics, and business. An Instructor's Manual presenting detailed solutions to all the problems in the book is available from the Wiley editorial department.

This book is about making decisions driven by experience. In this context, a scenario is an observation that comes from the environment, and scenario optimization refers to optimizing decisions over a set of available scenarios. Scenario optimization can be applied across a variety of fields, including machine learning, quantitative finance, control, and identification. This concise, practical book provides readers with an easy access point to make the scenario approach understandable to nonexperts, and offers an overview of various decision frameworks in which the method can be used. It contains numerous examples and diverse applications from a broad range of domains, including systems theory, control, biomedical engineering, economics, and finance. Practitioners can find "easy-to-use recipes," while theoreticians will benefit from a rigorous treatment of the theoretical foundations of the method, making it an excellent starting point for scientists interested in doing research in this field. Introduction to the Scenario Approach will appeal to scientists working in optimization, practitioners working in myriad fields involving decision-making, and anyone interested in data-driven decision-making.

A comprehensive introduction to optimization with a focus on practical algorithms for the design of engineering systems. This book offers a comprehensive introduction to optimization with a focus on practical algorithms. The book approaches optimization from an engineering perspective, where the objective is to design a system that optimizes a set of metrics subject to constraints. Readers will learn about computational approaches for a range of challenges, including searching high-dimensional spaces, handling problems where there are multiple competing objectives, and accommodating uncertainty in the metrics. Figures, examples, and exercises convey the intuition behind the mathematical approaches. The text provides concrete implementations in the Julia programming language. Topics covered include derivatives and their generalization to multiple dimensions; local descent and first- and second-order methods that inform local descent; stochastic methods, which introduce randomness into the optimization process; linear constrained optimization, when both the objective function and the constraints are linear; surrogate models, probabilistic surrogate models, and using probabilistic surrogate models to guide optimization; optimization under uncertainty; uncertainty propagation; expression optimization; and multidisciplinary design optimization. Appendixes offer an introduction to the Julia language, test functions for evaluating algorithm performance, and mathematical concepts used in the derivation and analysis of the optimization methods discussed in the text. The book can be used by advanced undergraduates and graduate students in mathematics, statistics, computer science, any engineering field, (including electrical engineering and aerospace engineering), and operations research, and as a reference for professionals.