Operations Research (Math/CS 339)
Spring 2020

Due to the ongoing pandemic, all courses at Whitman College have gone online as of March 30th. Therefore, some changes to the course are necessary. I will keep this page updated for course content, course video links and homework.

Looking for the old page? It's here.

Course Links

Changes to the Syllabus

Schedule (post Spring Break)

You should try all homework problems, but only turn in the solutions for those marked with an asterisk. For each section, you'll find videos describing what is in those sections, and after each video, there is a written summary from that video (in case you want to recall what is on those videos). Following videos and notes, in each section below is a listing of the homework and when it is due. Of course, if you ever have any questions, please send me an email.

Week 9:
- (Mar 30) Section 6.5 (What is the Dual)
  - OR-001 Section 6.5, What is the Dual? (Google drive video- the remaining are Youtube)
  - Slidshow notes from the video
  - Homework due tonight: Scan and upload any document to your Canvas account.
  - Homework: 1-4, 5*, 6*. (Due Thursday, Apr 02)
- (Apr 01) Section 6.7 (The Dual Theorem)
  - OR-002 Section 6.7, set up to the theory. (Youtube video)
  - Notes on Section 6.7, part 1.
  - OR-003 Section 6.7, the Dual Theorem (and proof) (Youtube video)
  - Notes on Section 6.7, part 2.
  - OR-004 Section 6.7, Example (Youtube Video)
  - Notes on Section 6.7, Example
  - OR-005 Comments about the end of 6.7 (Youtube)
  - Notes on the Comments.
  - Homework: 1, 3, 5*, 7. (Due Tuesday)
- (Apr 03) Section 6.8 (Shadow Prices)
  - OR-006 Section 6.8, Shadow prices and the Dual (Youtube video).
  - Notes on Section 6.8. (Updated Apr 3 to more closely reflect the video)
  - Homework: 5*, 6. Read Example 13 carefully. (Due Tuesday).
Week 10:
- Monday, Apr 6
- Tues, Apr 7: HW from 6.7, 6.8 due today.
- Wed, Apr 8
  - OR-009 A Motivating Example before 6.10
  - Notes for the example
  - OR-010 Section 6.10 (Complementary Slackness, proving Theorem 2) (Youtube)
  - OR-011 Example 1, Section 6.10 (Youtube)
  - OR-012 Example 2, Section 6.10 (Youtube)
  - Notes from 6.10, including both examples (OR-010.pdf)
  - Homework problems from 6.10 (Typo in the first matrix that has been fixed Apr 13)
  - Solutions to HW
- Thursday, Apr 9: HW from 6.9 due today.
- Friday, Apr 10
  - OR-013 Motivation for Section 6.11
  - OR-014 Section 6.11 (The Dual Simplex Method) (Typo at 4:15, corrected in the slides below. 2x_3 should be 2x_2).
  - OR-015 An Example using Dual Simplex
  - Notes for Section 6.11
  - Homework: 1, 2, 3. (Nothing due since we have an exam next week. Solutions to be posted).
Week 11:
- (Apr 13) Review Chapters 6. Exam 3 will be available on 4/13, and due on Saturday, April 18 by 11:59PM
- (Apr 15) Nothing new today- Work on the exam.
- (Apr 17)
Week 12:
- (Mon, Apr 20) Section 7.2
- (Wed, Apr 22) Section 7.3: MODI (or the U-V Method).
- (Thu, Apr 23) Reminder: HW from 7.1 and 7.2 due today.
- (Fri, Apr 24) Section 7.4: Sensitivity Analysis for Transportation Problems
Week 13
- (Mon, Apr 27) Section 7.5 (The Assignment Problem)
  - OR-025 Section 7.5 The Assignment Problem
  - OR-026 Section 7.5 - Zeros and Extensions
  - The Assignment Problem.
  - Homework: 7.5: 1, 2, 4(*). Problem 6 is fun to try out.
- (Tue, Apr 28) Homework from 7.3, 7.4 due today.
- (Wed, Apr 29) Section 7.6: Transhipment
  - OR-027 Transhipment, Part 1.
  - OR-028 Transhipment, Part 2. (The videos are really just going over the notes below).
  - PDF notes for 7.6.
  - Spreadsheet referred to in the notes.
  - Homework: 7.6: 1(a) and solve the problem using a spreadsheet. Also, #2, but just turn in the transportation table (with just costs, no solution). For more that won't be due, look at 3, 4. Problems due next Tuesday.
- (Thu, Apr 30) Homework from 7.5 due today.
- (Fri, May 1) Catch up day. Nothing new is due.
Week 14
- (Mon, May 4) Networks and Graphs (8.1-8.2). Section 8.1 is very short, so we're doing 8.1 and 8.2 together.
  - OR-029 Intro to Graphs, Examples Part 1
  - OR-030A Section 8.1 Example of Bookshelf
  - OR-030B Section 8.1 Example of Maintenance Agreement
  - Section 8.1 notes (PDF)
  - OR-031 The Shortest Path (Dijkstra's algorithm)
  - Section 8.2 notes (different than the text)
  - Homework: Section 8.2, #2-8. Turn in 2, 4, 8. Video OR-030 will help a lot! Due on Thursday.
- (Wed, May 6) Section 8.3: Network Flows
  - OR-032 Section 8.3 Network Flows (Youtube)
  - OR-033 Section 8.3 Part 2
  - OR-034 Section 8.3, Example 1
  - OR-035 Section 8.3, Example 2
  - Notes for Section 8.3 (PDF)
  - Homework- Section 8.3: 4, 5, 7, 8, 9. Turn in #8-9 before Friday evening (change to the usual deadlines)
- (Thu, May 7) Homework from 8.2 due today.
- (Fri, May 8) Catch up day- do the homework from 8.3!
Week 15
- (Mon, May 11) Review day - Discuss final exam. I'll try to have the final exam ready by Monday, but I'll give you several days to work on it, and it will be due by 11:59PM on saturday, May 16th.

Exam Materials

Midterm 2. Due Saturday, Apr 18, 11:59PM. Updated Apr 14- 3(b)(i) should be b_2 rather than b_3.
Final Exam. Due Saturday, May 16th, 11:59PM. Updated May 14 to include some clarification on Problem 2.

How Will I Upload Materials to Canvas?

There are several apps for cell phones to convert images of your work to PDF, which you can then upload to Canvas. Below, Prof. Schueller demonstrates one such app, Adobe Scan. Unfortunately, you will be asked to set up an account, but otherwise it seems like a good app (if you want to use other apps, that's fine, too- but please upload files as PDF).

Operations Research (Math/CS 339)Spring 2020

Course Links

Schedule (post Spring Break)

Exam Materials

How Will I Upload Materials to Canvas?

Operations Research (Math/CS 339)
Spring 2020