OR541: Deterministic Operations Research Models

Systems Engineering and Operations Research Department

GeorgeMasonUniversity

Spring, 2008

 

Science and Technology I 120
Thursdays, 7:20-10:00p.m.

Professor Karla L. Hoffman
Office: SciTech Building II, Room 123
Phone: (703)993-1679(direct) or 993-1670 (office)
Homepage: http://iris.gmu.edu/~khoffman/hoffman.html

Office hours:  Thursdays: 2:30-4:30p.m. and by appointment
I am usually on campus Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 to 3:30pm. I can also be available after class on Wednesdays.

Text: W.L. Winston, Operations Research: Applications and Algorithms. Duxbury Press. Fourth Edition, 2003 (NOTE: Please use 4th Edition -- 3rd edition problem numbers and chapters are different!)

Course Description: This course is designed to introduce deterministic operations research modeling and methodology. It is designed to strengthen the students' knowledge and application of operations research techniques, provide the student with hands-on experience using micro-computer software in the field and to evaluate the applicability of such techniques to industry, government and science. A working knowledge of matrix algebra is essential. 

Software: You will be expected to use a modeling language to complete your project. You need to download:

MPL (Maximal Software Corporation), available by downloading from the internet (http://www.maximal-usa.com). 

Main Goals:

To improve decision-making with operations principles and methods, specifically:

To learn about a broad range of contemporary operations research methods and their applications to the real world.

To learn about the role of uncertainty and use of data in decision-making

To learn to communicate effectively

Basic Skills: 

Formulating basic optimization problems and solving them using a modeling language

Understanding the effects of uncertainty in decision-making.

Homework and Grading:

Homework problems will be assigned at each session. Some or all of the assignments will be collected and graded.

There will be one in-class midterm exam and the final will also be in class. For these exams, you will be allowed one sheet of paper to summarize any techniques and formulas that you may need.  It will be closed book and calculators, laptops, or any other electronic devices will not be allowed.

There will also be one project that will require the formulation and solution to an optimization problem.  Project will be handed out halfway through the semester.  It will be due two weeks prior to the final exam.  We will discuss the last week of class.  You may do this project by yourself or with one other classmate.

Grades will be computed as follows:

                The midterm will count as 30%,

                The project will count for 20%,

Homework will count 15%, and

The final will be worth the remaining 35%.

Course Outline:

The course will include all or part of the following chapters from the Winston text, covered in the indicated sequence. The exact scheduling will depend upon the interests of the class, which will determine the amount of time that will be devoted to each topic.

WEEK CHAPTER(S) TOPIC 

Week One                              Chap.1, 2, 3-1 to 3-4           Introduction to operations research & linear programming. (Jan 24)

Week Two                              Chap. 3                                  Formulation techniques and graphing (January 31)

Week Three                           Chap. 4-1 to 4-7                   Finish Formulations and Begin The Simplex Method (February 7)

Week Four                             Chap 4-8 to 4-12                 More Simplex Method (February 14)

Week Five                              Chap. 6-1 to 6-2                   Sensitivity Analysis & Duality (February 21)

Week Six                                Chap. 6-3 to 6-10                 More Sensitivity Analysis (February 28)

Week Seven                           Chap. 7-1 to 7-5                   The Transportation Problem (March 6th)

SPRING BREAK                                                                      No School (Spring Break) March 13th

Week Eight                                                                            MIDTERM EXAM (March 20)

Week Nine                             Handout                                Network Modeling (March 27)

Week Ten                               Chap. 9-1 to 9-2                   Integer Programming Formulation (April 3)

Week Eleven                          Chap. 9-3 to 9-8                   Integer Programming Methods (April 10)                       

Week Twelve                         Chap. 12-1 to 12-3              Introduction to Nonlinear Programming (April 17)

Week Thirteen                       Chap. 12-4 to 12-8              Nonlinear Programming (April 24)

Week Fourteen                                                                     Review for Final and Go Over Project (April 30)

Week Fifteen                                                                         Final Exam  (May 8)

Fundamental Rules: 

(1) Make-up exams will only be given for extreme situations, and only if I am contacted before the exam is given and full arrangements are established. Full adherence to this policy is the responsibility of the student.

(2) The exam dates above are tentative, and it is the student's responsibility to keep abreast of changes.

(3) Homework will be assigned each class, and usually collected. All work must be clearly written. Illegible work will not be accepted. 

(4) Each graded homework will be worth 10 points.  I will drop the lowest grade and average the remainder and multiply the result by 10 so that the average will range from 0-100 points. 

(5) There is a penalty of 10% of the total grade for each day that the homework is late.