这门课程会探讨有关下列问题的最优化模型：

• 分配系统规划
• 设备大小与产能扩充
• 存货规划
• 网络设计
• 产品规划与排程
• 专案排程
• 供应炼管理
• 组合最优化
• 定价理论
• 良率管理与投资报酬最优化

这门课程内容包含上课讲演、案例讨论、选择性阅读、一本相关参考书目与有关最优化问题的习题和专案。在本课堂上我们亦会介绍许多套装软件，特别是EXCEL试算表所提供的最优化模组、AMPL/Cplex 提供的模型建构与最优化系统。

这门课以下列两本书为主
《以微软试算表进行决策模组化》(Decision Modeling with Microsoft Excel)第六版，作者 Moore, Weatherford, Eppen, Gould 与 Schmidt, Prentice Hall.
《数学程式模组化语言：AMPL》(AMPL A Modeling Language For Mathematical Programming)，作者 Fourer, Gay, Kernighan, Boyd 与 Fraser.
两本书都是针对这门课重要的工具及模型建构的工具。除了这两本书，在上课的过程，我们也会提供而外的教材。

这门课程包含一项团体专案，提供修课的同学有机会去探讨这门课所没有讨论过的话题，也可根据自己的兴趣去调整课堂上所提供的资料，进一步去探讨并获得更深一层的知识。每一组成员约4 或5 个且必须包含在职学生。这个专案的目的就是要教你们自己与其他修课同学以不同观点来考虑最优化问题。一些潜在的题目还包含：针对你们公司或产业现行的与潜在的最优化应用、你们公司或产业目前使用的特定最优化工具或方法等在这堂课程都会提到。

The course will consider optimization models for supporting the following issues:

• Distribution Systems Planning
• Facility Sizing and Capacity Expansion
• Inventory Planning
• Network Design
• Production Planning and Scheduling
• Project Scheduling
• Supply Chain Management
• Portfolio Optimization
• Pricing
• Yield Management and Revenue Optimization

The course uses a combination of lectures, case discussions, selected readings, an accompanying textbook, hands-on projects and optimization challenges. It introduces some personal and industrial strength software packages, particularly the EXCEL spreadsheet package with its optimization provisions (its solver module) and the AMPL/CPLEX system for modeling and optimization.

The texts Decision Modeling with Microsoft Excel, Sixth Edition by Moore, Weatherford, Eppen, Gould and Schmidt, Prentice Hall and AMPL A Modeling Language For Mathematical Programming by Fourer, Gay, Kernighan, Boyd & Fraser, are useful references both for the course material and the modeling tools we will rely on. We will provide additional material as the course progresses.

This course involves a group project that provides us with an opportunity to consider topics that might not otherwise be covered in the course and to tailor the course offerings for your own interests. It also provides an opportunity for you to dig deeper into areas of special interest. You will work on this project with a team of four or five. Each team must consist of both on-campus and off-campus members. The general intent of your project is to teach yourself and the rest of us about some aspect of optimization. Potential topics include: existing optimization applications special to your company or industry, opportunities for optimization in your company or industry, special optimization tools or methodologies your company or industry uses or is considering, etc.