Course Description
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Course Name
Operations Research III
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Host University
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
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Location
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Area of Study
Algebra, Economics, Research
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Language Level
Taught In English
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Prerequisites
Linear Algebra, Linear Programming, Operations Research I
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Course Level Recommendations
Upper
ISA offers course level recommendations in an effort to facilitate the determination of course levels by credential evaluators.We advice each institution to have their own credentials evaluator make the final decision regrading course levels.
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ECTS Credits
6 -
Recommended U.S. Semester Credits3
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Recommended U.S. Quarter Units4
Hours & Credits
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Overview
COURSE OBJECTIVE
A student who successfully completes the course will have an understanding of the techniques of combinatorial optimization and integer programming, and be ready to apply them to problems encountered in practice.COURSE CONTENT
* The notion of efficiency in algorithms; distinguishing between tractable and computationally "hard" problems.
* The correctness and efficiency of key algorithms in combinatorial optimization will be shown rigorously. Problems studied will include: minimum spanning tree, maximum flow, minimum cost flow, and matching.
* Formulation of problems as integer programs; the notion of the strength of a formulation; the central role of integral formulations.
* The main techniques and theory used in commercial integer programming solvers such as CPLEX and Gurobi will be investigated in detail. This will include cutting plane techniques, branch and bound, and branch and cut.
* Column generation, Lagrangian relaxation, modelling of disjunctions, and other problem-tailored techniques will be discussed.
* Experience in the use of commercial solvers will be gained.TEACHING METHODS
Lectures (4 hours/week) and Tutorials (2 hours/week). In tutorials, exercises on the theory as well as programming exercises will be
discussed.TYPE OF ASSESSMENT
Theory assignments - group assessment
Programming assignments - group assessment
Final exam – individual assessmentRECOMMENDED BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
Programming is done in Python. No Python knowledge is needed. However, some amount of programming experience (in any language) is certainly helpful.
Course Disclaimer
Courses and course hours of instruction are subject to change.
Some courses may require additional fees.