Operations Research (Math/CS 339)
Spring 2024

Textbook Info

Video links

Beginning Material

• Syllabus
• Course Calendar
• Homework to Exam 1
• Homework to Exam 2
• Homework to Final Exam

Section Links

• Week 1
  • Friday and Monday Jan 21-24 (Example using dietary restrictions, also how to use a spreadsheet)
    • Excel spreadsheet: Example01_DorianAuto.xls (See the videos)
    • In-class example: Dietary requirements (Sect 3.4) and Exercise 1, p. 71 (3 Factories on the River)
    • Excel spreadsheet: Example_FarmerSec3_4.xls
• Week 2
  • Monday- Class canceled due to ice (Watch videos: "Vocabulary Review" "How to solve a linear program using LibreOffice Calc", and Section 3.3 setups.). Homework postponed to Friday.
  • Wednesday
    Review/questions from the videos. Assorted setups from 3.3-3.9 (skip 3.6,3.7).
  • Friday. Here are the handouts we've looked at, with spreadsheet solutions (for some):
    • (3.4) Raising pigs and Factories on the River.
      • Statement of the problems
      • Spreadsheet for solution (just for the pig farming)
    • (3.5) Job Scheduling
      • Statement of the problem
      • Spreadsheet for the solution
    • (3.8) Eli Daisy (Blending): Statement of the problem
• Week 3
  • Monday:
    • (3.9) Chemco (Production Process)
      • Chemco, statement of the problem
      • Spreadsheet for the solution
    • (3.10) Cake! (Multiperiod problems): Statement of the problem
    • Section 4.2 Example (if time).
  • Wednesday:
    • HW due tonight- HW from sections 3.8, 3.9, 3.10. These problems were (from the HW sheet):
      • 3.8: 1, 10*
      • 3.9: 1, 7*
      • 3.10: 1, 7*
    • Today: Start chapter 4 (4.1-4.2)
      What is a BFS?
  • Friday: 4.2-4.3
    • HW from 4.1: 1, 3*
    • Additional HW for 4.2-4.3 (Text has no HW). Turn in #4, 5.
• Week 4 (Feb 2-9)
  • Mon: 4.3
  • Wed: 4.5 and 4.5
  • Fri: The Simplex Method
    • Handout for the slideshow
    • Slides for the discussion
• Week 5
  • Mon: Finish 4.5-4.8 (Simplex, "Min" problem, Alternative optimal BFS, and unbounded LPs- also, 4.14, which was dealing with variables that are unrestricted in sign (URS))
  • Wed: (HW from 4.5-4.8 due)
    • Degeneracy and Cycling (just a quick note- slide used in class)
    • If we don't have an initial BFS, what should we do?? (4.12, 4.13)
  • Fri: 4.12-4.13 (Big-M and Two Phase)
• Week 6 (Change in schedule- Exam next Monday)
  • Mon: No classes
  • Wed: 4.16
    Class examples
  • Fri: Review
• Week 7
  • Exam 1
  • Section 6.1 (Graphical sensitivity analysis)
  • Section 6.2, 6.3
    Homework add to Section 6.3 (referenced in the HW schedule)
• Week 8
  • Mon: Finish 6.3.
  • Wed: Section 6.5 (The Dual)
    • Slideshow
    • Handout version of slideshow (easier to read)
  • Fri:
    • HW Due: 6.1 #5 (note the typo thats listed on the handout), 6.2 #2, 6.3 #6 and the reverse side of the homework handout.
• Week 9
  • Mon: Section 6.5
  • Wed: Section 6.8, 6.9
  • Fri: Section 6.9, 6.10
    • Summary Page (and solutions to the Group Work below)
    • The Dakota Problem (Group Work)
    • Motivation for Section 6.10
• Week 10 (Apr 1-5)
  • Mon: Finish 6.10
  • Wed: Section 6.11
    • Slides for class
    • Handout for the slides (easier to read)
  • Fri: Start 7.1 (The transportation tableau)
    • Homework handout for 7.1
• Week 11 (Apr 8-12)
  • Mon: 7.1
    • Handout about the spreadsheet file below
    • Spreadsheet link (Power company distribution example, 7.1)
    • Section 7.2 Homework (Text doesn't have much here).
  • Wed: 7.2
    • Section 7.1: How to convert an inventory problem to a transportation problem (we did this right at the end of class)
  • Fri: 7.3
• Week 12 (Apr 15-19) No homework turned in this week.
  • Mon: 7.4 Section 7.4 homework, Solutions
  • Wed: Review
  • Fri: Exam 2
• Week 13 (Apr 22-26)
  • Mon: 7.5 (The Assignment Problem)
  • Wed: 7.6 (The Transhipment Problem)
  • Fri: 8.1-8.2: Graphs and Networks (Shortest Path)
• Week 14 (Apr 29-May 3)
  • Mon: 8.2 Shortest path. Started 8.3
    • Extra example on Youtube
    • Extra example on Youtube
  • Wed: 8.3 Max flow (HW for 7.5-8.2 due on Thursday)
  • Fri: 8.3
• Week 15 (May 6)
  • Mon: Review for Final.

Exam Links

• Exam 1:
  • Topics for Exam 1
  • Review Questions
  • Review Solutions
  • Solution to Chapter 3 Review Problem, Exercise 18
• Exam 2:
  • Topics for Exam 1
  • Review Questions
  • Review Solutions
  • Copy of Chapter 6 review questions for class
  • Solutions to Ch 6 review (that were assigned)
  • Copy of Chapter 7 review questions for class
  • Solutions to Ch 7 review (that were assigned)
• Final Exam Review (Final Exam is Thursday, May 9th).
  Be sure to go through your old exams. You can write up one page of notes (one sided, 8.5 x 11).
  • Review Topics
  • Review Questions (Typo on #11. See Ch 7 review, problem 1)
  • Solutions to the Review

Software Links

• Download page for LINDO. We'll be using the ``Classic LINDO'' at the bottom of the link page, which is set up for Windows. We may also look at LINGO later.
• Linux version of LINGO
• The LINDO User's Manual is here. The "help" features don't seem to work using "wine" under Linux.
• Directory for Maple downloads. Note that this is an old version, and is not compatible with new Mac OS.
• Links to LibreOffice, which includes free software that emulates Word and Excel.
• Online linear system solver.
  
  
• Here is a short video showing you how to install Maple on your home computer, should you want to try it out: NOTE ON THE VIDEO BELOW. Change the server name from winapp.whitman.edu to winapp3.whitman.edu. Because Maple goes to this server, you can only use it when you're on Whitman's network.

For the Curious...

• Informs.org is the professional organization for people working in Operations Research and Management Science.
• Newsletter (you can see what's current in OR)