MAT3182

Operations research

Coordinator: Dr Paul Cally

4 points - Two 1-hour lectures per week - Second semester - Clayton - Prerequisites: MAT2020, MAT2091

Objectives On the completion of this subject, students will comprehend basic techniques of operations research including optimisation, decision-tree, network and inventory models; appreciate the issues involved in applying operations research methods in the solution of real-world problems; be able to formulate operations research models and algorithms for production planning, scheduling and inventory management; and understand the scope and limitation of operations research methods for solving practical problems. Students will have developed skills in formulating and analysing operations research models for a number of planning problems; be competent in the use of software for the solution of operations research problems; and have developed skills to participate successfully in group projects in operations research including preparing reports and giving presentations.

Synopsis This subject considers operations research techniques and algorithms and applies them to planning and management problems. Topics will be selected from linear programming problems, decision-tree models, network optimisation and inventory management, scheduling models, production planning, allocation of resources, non-linear and parametric optimisation, integer programming and combinatorial optimisation, heuristic methods for large-scale problems, use of operations research software in the solution of practical problems.

Assessment Examination (2 hours): 70% - Assignments: 30%

Recommended texts

Taha H Operations research: An introduction 5th edn, Macmillan, 1995
Hillier F S and Leiberman G J Introduction to operations research 6th edn, McGraw-Hill, 1995
Winston W L Operations research, applications and algorithms 3rd edn, Duxbury, 1994

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