推荐用Microsoft® Excel软件来阅读本课程网站上提供的.xls文件。也可使用免费的Microsoft® Excel viewer软件来阅读.xls文件。推荐用Microsoft® PowerPoint®软件来阅读本部分的.ppt文件。也可使用免费的Microsoft® PowerPoint® viewer软件来阅读.ppt文件。
Microsoft® Excel software is recommended for viewing the .xls files in this section. Free Microsoft® Excel viewer software can also be used to view the .xls files. Microsoft® PowerPoint® software is recommended for viewing the .ppt files in this section. Free Microsoft® PowerPoint® viewer software can also be used to view the .ppt files.

小组项目：最优化的应用
Group Project: Application of Optimization

每一位同学都应该根据你在以前积累的工作经验或其他个人经验来确定一个潜在的或真实的线性、非线性或整数规划的应用。你应该能建立起公式，且向你们的小组演讲这个应用和公式。你的演讲要回顾关于决策的过程的相关内容，复习模型和这个模型如何用公式表示，以及讨论与支持决策模型的执行相关的问题。例如，参数是如何确定的？什么类型的或可能什么类型的灵敏度分析将是值得去进行的？实现这种方法有什么样的困难，你是怎样客服这些困难的？这些工作你要在第五周之内完成。
Each student should identify a potential or actual linear, non-linear or integer programming application based on their prior work experience, or from some other personal experience. You should then develop the formulation, and present the application and formulation to your group. Your presentation should review the decision-making context; go over the model and how it is or would be formulated; and discuss relevant issues associated with implementing this model for decision support. For instance, how would the parameters be determined? What type of sensitivity analysis or "what if's" would be valuable to do? What resistance would you anticipate to this approach and how might you overcome the resistance? This should be done during Week 5.

完成个人演讲之后，每一个小组应该安排一个30分钟的时间来与Graves教授进行一次会谈，一起回顾一下项目的状况和计划。这次面谈最好在第五周周末进行。
After the individual presentations, each group should schedule a 30-minute meeting with Prof. Graves to review their project status and plans, ideally at the end of Week 5.

每个小组应该选择一个例子或者是一个综合的例子，来与其它组的同学分享。每个小组在第24节课要提交一个简短的大纲（2页）。简要的描述问题和给出模型的一个数学方程式。这个方程式应该明确的定义决策变量、约束条件和目标函数。我们将要利用这个大纲来给出反馈，这些反馈可以帮助你们完善最后的演讲和报告。小组将要准备一个描述应用的讲演。这个演讲将在第十周的课程中进行。每个小组最多将有20分钟的演讲时间。每一个演讲应该描述决策的相关背景内容；描述模型和模型的方程式；最后简短的讨论一下与实现这个决策模型相联系的问题。如果问题不是太复杂，你们要举出一个说明性的例子，并提供一个合适的解决方法。
Each group should select one of the examples, or possibly a synthesis of more than one, to share with the rest of class. The group should submit in Session 24 a short proposal (2 pages) that briefly describes the problem and gives a mathematical formulation of the model. The mathematical formulations should clearly define the decision variables, the constraints, and the objective function. We will use the proposal to give feedback on developing your final presentation and report. The group should then prepare a presentation that describes the application. The presentations are scheduled in class during Week 10; each group will have a maximum of 20 minutes. Each presentation should present and describe the decision context; describe the model and its formulation; and finally discuss briefly issues associated with implementing the model for decision support. If the problem is not too large, you might run an illustrative example, using an appropriate solver.

每个小组还要提交一个最终的备忘录（3-5页，最好是有一个技术附录）并交上来。
Each group should also submit a final memorandum (3 - 5 pages as a target, possibly with a technical appendix) to accompany the presentation and to hand in.

项目的评分会根据工作的总质量来评定。工作质量主要看在口头演讲和书面备忘录中所选问题的趣味性和相关性如何？问题的模型建的如何？模型的参数化如何？小组是否进行了实验？从使用这个模型所进行的实验中学到了什么？小组是否对模型的应用性进行了现实客观的评价？
Grading will be based on the overall quality of the work, both in oral presentations and in the written report – how interesting and relevant is the problem chosen? How well did the group do in modeling the problem? How well did the group do in exploring how to parameterize the model? Did the group do any computational experiments? Was anything learned from experimenting with the model? Did the group make a realistic appraisal of the applicability of the model?

学生任务
Student Work

下表中的项目的例子中包括备忘录、演讲文件和电子数据表，每个收集的文件都是获得了学生的许可使用的。
Examples of group projects, including memorandums, presentations, and spreadsheets, are available in the table below. Each collection of documents is courtesy of the students named, and is used with permission.

Microsoft® 和PowerPoint®均为Microsoft Corporation在美国与/或其它国家的注册商标或商标。
Microsoft® and PowerPoint® are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.