401-3901-00L  Mathematical Optimization

SemesterAutumn Semester 2020
LecturersR. Zenklusen
Periodicityyearly recurring course
Language of instructionEnglish


AbstractMathematical treatment of diverse optimization techniques.
ObjectiveThe goal of this course is to get a thorough understanding of various classical mathematical optimization techniques with an emphasis on polyhedral approaches. In particular, we want students to develop a good understanding of some important problem classes in the field, of structural mathematical results linked to these problems, and of solution approaches based on this structural understanding.
ContentKey topics include:
- Linear programming and polyhedra;
- Flows and cuts;
- Combinatorial optimization problems and techniques;
- Equivalence between optimization and separation;
- Brief introduction to Integer Programming.
Literature- Bernhard Korte, Jens Vygen: Combinatorial Optimization. 6th edition, Springer, 2018.
- Alexander Schrijver: Combinatorial Optimization: Polyhedra and Efficiency. Springer, 2003. This work has 3 volumes.
- Ravindra K. Ahuja, Thomas L. Magnanti, James B. Orlin. Network Flows: Theory, Algorithms, and Applications. Prentice Hall, 1993.
- Alexander Schrijver: Theory of Linear and Integer Programming. John Wiley, 1986.
Prerequisites / NoticeSolid background in linear algebra.